Review of WeGiveCash Reviewed July 21, 2006, by William Stotler, PLIWatch.org Click here to visit WeGiveCash.

This PLIWatch.org review contains: Summary, They Say...., Prequalification Requirements, Application, Documents and Electronic Signature, How Much Could We Get?, Customer Service Check, Good Practices, Questionable Practices, Technical Tidbits, Design Critique, Review Conditions

Summary

Claims to lend up to $1,500. On the Web since 2003. This Web site is published by a publisher . When we filled out the prequalification form and application form, we could not get a loan. This may be a technical problem with the site not letting us use Mac OS X Safari to sign up--we entered standard testing information that would have otherwise qualified us. Instead, we were bounced to Christian Faith Financial to start the application process all over again.

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WeGiveCash's Website Says. . . .

"Need Cash? Get the cash you need in 1 HOUR or with NO FAX NEEDED! Need Cash Fast? WeGiveCash.com can solve your cash crisis with a padyay loan today! Easy 5 Minute Application. Get Cash Wired To You in 1 Hour. No Credit Checks. No Faxing Needed. Your credit is not a problem with WeGiveCash.com. Payday Loans and Cash Advances are available regardless of your credit. No credit check is required, so whether your credit is flawed or flawless, we can provide our payday loan services to you in one hour!"

Customer Testimonial: "To Roxanne and whoever else handled my account, this is just a quick note to thank you for your FAST, PROMPT and COURTEOUS response. Within an hour I got the cash advance deposited in to my account. What a fantastic way to do business. Once again, you're ON THE MONEY!"

Prequalification Requirements

During an apparent pre-qualification step, WeGiveCash asks an applicant:

1. I Have (Don't Have) a Checking account.
2. I receive my paycheck by Direct Deposit (Paper Check).
3. I take home $1,200+ ($1,000 - $1199 / $800 - $999 / less than $799) per month after taxes.
4. I have No (1 / 2 / 3 / 4+) returned items or overdrafts on my last bank statement.

Any combination of a consumer's information--we tried most of them--takes the consumer through to the same application. The prequalification does not vary based on a user declaring, for example, that he or she has had "4" (worst case) returned items/overdrafts.

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Application

The WeGiveCash initial application asked for a customer's:

1. Requested Payday Loan Amount (from $100 to $1,500 in $100 increments)
2. First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name
3. Street Address, Apartment Number, City, State / Postal Code
4. Social Security Number
5. Home Phone / Cell Phone
6. E-mail Address (with verification of E-mail Address) and Optional Alternate E-mail Address
7. Date of Birth
8. Driver's License Number and State of Issue
9. Home Owner?
10. Employer Name
11. Income Type (Employment or Benefits)
12. Employer Telephone Number (and Extension)
13. Net Pay Per Pay Period
14. Direct Deposit (Yes/No)
15. How Often Borrowed is Paid?
16. Selection of Pay Dates
17. Type of Account
18. Checking or Savings Account ABA Routing Number
19. Checking or Savings Account Number
20. Bank Name
21. Check Number
22. Number of Returned Items or Overdrafts on the Last Banking Statement

At the completion of the application a consumer is asked to agree to positively acknowledge the Terms and Conditions.

Then, the consumer had to provide additional information onm a second screen:

1. Reference Name, Phone, and Relationship 1
2. Reference Name, Phone, and Relationship 2
3. Reference Name, Phone, and Relationship 3
4. Best Time to Contact
5. U.S. Citizen?
6. Months Employed?
7. Months At Address?
8. Months with Bank Account?
9. Outstanding Number of Loans
10. Income Stream Steady?
11. Want to Receive Promotional Offers from the Lender?

Of note, a consumer has the option to complete the application securely (via https). However, the secure form does not have a Terms and Conditions section where he or she can agree to terms.

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Documents and Electronic Signature

After prequalifying and applying, our Web browser couldn't complete the transaction. Because this company is using Microsoft's ASPX Web Page technology, we weren't forwarded but instead kept refreshing on a "completing transaction" screen. This is not our fault (for using Safari) but instead the company's fault for not providing a technology we can use to apply successfully for a loan.

Their system may have been smart enough to know that our technology was incompatible and we were forwarded through to Christian Faith Financial to apply with them for a loan.

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How Much Could We Get?

WeGiveCash's main page claimed we could get $1,500. Since we couldn't actually get a loan we can't tell you how much we would've been awarded.

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Customer Service Check

Apart from a Contact Us form (that we had to dig to find) there was no customer service affordance (like a 1-800 number or Live Help) that we could check.

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Good Practices

1. WeGiveCash's Website appears to be complying with the Patriot Act's stipulations about lending: "USA PATRIOT Act. In order to prevent the United States payment system from being used to finance terrorist activities or for money laundering, federal law now requires that we obtain from you and verify information establishing your identity. We must have your full name, your current address, your social security or other taxpayer identification number and your date of birth. As with other information we collect, this information will be used and transferred only as permitted by law. You authorize us to collect this information, to verify the information provided and to transfer it as you direct."

2. The Privacy Policy for WeGiveCash is honest about what their staff does with information you supply. (They tell you they can do anything they want with your information.)

3. To its credit, WeGiveCash's Website was focused on taking our information in a clean and efficient manner, unlike many other payday loan Websites that are cluttered with awful distractions (flashing banner ads, popups, etc.)

4. WeGiveCash uses the "Hacker Safe" technology to certify that it can pass the FBI/SANS Internet Security Test.

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Questionable Practices

1. According to the Privacy Policy, WeGiveCash reserves to do just about anything it wants with any information you supply. Including providing your information to third parties that may want to market to you.

2. WeGiveCash claimed $1,500 would be in our account tomorrow. We could not verify that this was true. However, we know that the "industry standard" for granting

3. In the WeGiveCash application we were asked to agree to binding arbitration (and no class action lawsuits) as a way to settle any dispute that arises when we do business.

4. There was no public company mailing address or phone number available. (Note: Several E-mail addresses were provided on subpages. But, their Contact Us page had only a form--no other information.) We like to see at least a contact phone number on a Website so a consumer can call somebody if there is a problem.

5. We're almost certain WeGiveCash's testimonals from customers are fake. WeGiveCash doesn't actually provide any customer service because it's owned by a publisher , not a payday loan company.

6. While the "Hacker Safe" test is performed on the site and gives a feeling of security to a visitor, we question what happens to your data after you submit it. There is no mention of data handling procedures on the site, apart from the fact that your data can be sold to third parties.

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Technical Tidbits

1. WeGiveCash's forms were "second generation" in terms of "smartness." The forms did cross-check information we provided to ensure it was valid (e.g., a phone number must be of the form 555-555-5555) but also to ensure that the information provided made sense (e.g., a phone number's area code needed to match other information provided). This is a good practice.

2. Geekery sidebar: The HTML and Javascript on WeGiveCash were not commented and appeared to be spit onto the page. (This can be a side effect of using Microsoft's .NET development suite and is not necessarily a programmer's fault.)

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Design Critique

1. WeGiveCash does not meet accessibility standards:
    A. WeGiveCash does not meet Section 508(c) compliance standards.
    B. WeGiveCash does not meet W3C WCAG Level A compliance standards.

2. WeGiveCash's code is poorly designed--the site failed W3C Webpage validation .

3. WeGiveCash's main page did appear to work A-OK in multiple Web browsers on multiple platforms.

4. Overall, WeGiveCash is a neat and tidy Web site designed to get visitors to apply for a loan. The flashing "submit" and "apply" buttons were pushy and annoyed us, but there has been some careful thought in terms of application questions and methodology for receiving the loan application.

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Review Conditions and Standards

William Stotler reviewed WeGiveCash on July 21, 2006. Please Contact William if you have additional information about the reviewed Website, want to make comments, or note errors in this review.

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