Know your rights as a borrower

“Do you know your rights?”

“Or do you just know you have rights?”

Yes! Read it again!

Both have very different meanings and more often than not, people only know they have rights but have no idea what these rights are.

In the world of MONEY, there are so many cunning individuals ready to take advantage of your lack of knowledge. (Sad but true).

And that’s why, Irorun wants to educate you so you never have to take rubbish again.

Here are seven rights that you must know as a borrower;

We know you don’t read an app’s “Privacy policy” when you sign up.

But here’s something you should be reminded of; you have a right to data privacy!

You have control over how your data is accessed, collected, managed, shared and used and lenders handling your data in any contrary way is a violation of your right to data privacy. “What type of data is collected?” “Where will it be kept?” “How long will it be kept?” These are the questions that are associated with data privacy, and you as a borrower have every right to ask them.

Lenders are liable to pay a heavy fine for a breach of borrowers’ data privacy (That’s why Irorun is extraaa careful with your data). Don’t hesitate to report lenders for unethical practices.

Taking out a loan is not some forbidden thing! Never allow any lender to silence you! They’re not doing you a favor! It’s a business transaction with mutual benefits.

So, SPEAK! Sórósokè!

You have every right to be HEARD.

Lenders should never refuse to hear what you have to say, deflect your questions or wave you off and make you feel foolish for making inquiries. Run away from such lenders. The last thing you need when going over loan agreements is ambiguity. This shouldn’t only apply to right before taking out a loan. Even after you’ve taken out a loan, there are a lot of things that might happen during your repayment period, the lender should be able to address these issues as well.

Any lender who refuses to listen to what you have to say doesn’t care about your needs and will most likely make your loan experience tough.

Get yourself a lender who is willing to listen to you (like Irorun).

In recent times, there has been a rise in cases of unethical treatment of borrowers by lenders, especially with cases of privacy compromise. Irorun wants you to know that they’re wrong! You should never be treated badly because you borrowed from a lender.

There is no acceptable reason; whether you are unable to pay back your loan or are asking for a term adjustment due to financial constraints, that a lender should treat you with violence, harassment and privacy violation. (Totally barbaric! Don’t take nonsense! But you sef pay back o!). A responsible lender will engage a defaulting borrower in accordance with the LAW. You have a right to be treated ethically and humanely by lenders.

If a lender is one who is fond of using harassment and the threat of violence and to try and force you to repay, then you should report such unethical practices immediately and cut your losses. Desperation should not be a reason to remain with a bad lender. (Please avoid wahala na).

Just like a landlord can’t simply ask a tenant to move out without any advance notice, a lender cannot change the terms of a running loan without first giving them prior adequate notice.

As a borrower, you are entitled to advance and sufficient notice to prevent both you and the lender from getting into situations that puts you at odds.

Reminders for loan due dates or any change in terms should be communicated before penalties are implemented. Even notices should be given to inform you of what your penalty is and when it is due. Ignorance isn’t always bliss especially when it involves money!

Many factors can affect the status of your loan repayment and in these instances, you can request a restructuring or renegotiation of your loan to create a schedule for repayment that would benefit both you and the lender.

Such instances could be a job change or an unplanned emergency. (Life sure happens sometimes).

You can request to restructure your loan repayment if you fear you might not be able to meet up, to avoid default. This restructuring will involve either a loan holiday, rescheduled loan repayment or lowered interest rates. Approval typically depends on the lender’s terms.

“Claims without evidence is null and void”

This is where documentation comes in. You should always make certain that you have records of all your loan activities with a lender. The documentation is your legal entitlement and should be provided by the lender.

Documentation that shows interest rates and fees associated with the loan, repayment period, penalty fees, proof of payment, and any other special condition should be given to you without hassle. (It’s your right sis!). Don’t let any lender try to scam you.

Not all lenders have a prepayment penalty as it is something that is becoming less and less common.

As a borrower, you have a right to prepay your loan without penalty as long as it has been stipulated in the loan terms and agreed upon both by yourself and the lender. (Read the fine print!).

Most lenders tend to hide the prepayment clause in the fine print and if you are someone who tends not to read their terms completely then you might be setting yourself up for drags. (Again, read and re-read the fine print sisss! ).

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Ensure you understand the terms of your contract, ask questions for clarification, make suggestions where necessary and avoid red flags of lenders that infringe on your rights!

Irorun wants you fully knowledgeable of your rights, so you can spot a bad lender with ease and FLEE!

For further assistance and questions, quickly shoot us an email at support@irorun.com.