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Frequently Asked Questions:

Welcome to the Who’s, What’s, Where’s, When’s and How’s of Mutual’s Home Collected Service.

For your convenience, this page is split into categories, please select the section most relevant to your question:

I am a new customer that has never experienced home collected credit before

I am a new customer that already uses other home collected credit companies (e.g. Provident, Shopacheck, S&U, Greenwoods)

I am an existing or past Mutual customer




New customers that don’t already use home collected credit

Q: What is home collected credit?

A: Home collected credit is the provision of small sum unsecured credit, collected regularly (usually weekly) from a customers house.

Q: Why does Home Collected Credit have high APR’s?

A: Home collected credit is characterized by high "Headline APR’s", this is because of two reasons. Firstly it is the nature of the market we are in and secondly it is the nature of the product. The market we are in serves customers that have often been excluded from credit elsewhere. This can mean they are a higher credit risk than other sectors and therefore credit charges are higher. The nature of the product is that it is unsecured credit, so we can’t take your house or car away. The product contains all of the charges made so there is no extra charge for collection or any kind of default or arrears charges. The amount you owe can never go up.

It is important to note that not all Home Credit Companies charge the same. At Mutual we charge significantly less than Provident and Shopacheck, the biggest brands in Home Credit.

Q: Who Can Apply?

A: Anyone can apply, even if you are a tenant or have had credit problems in the past. We are interested in the future and what you can afford to pay now. If you are a customer of another Home Collected Credit company, we can lower your interest payments and save you money.

Q: Are there any extra charges?

A: No, unlike some other forms of credit where charges are made for missed payments or overdraft facilities, Mutual will never charge you more than stated on our first agreement. Everything is out in the open and transparent.

Q: Have you searched for Lones, Loanes or loaens?

A: Loanes, Lones, Loaens or even Loans. It doesn’t matter to us how you spell it. We can offer you credit.

Q: I have been turned down for credit elsewhere, should I apply?

A: Yes. Other lenders often base their criteria on "Credit Scoring" so if you don’t tick all the boxes they will turn you down. We operate on a more flexible, open and personable basis.

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New Customers that already use home collected credit

Q: Are you the same as the likes of Provident, Greenwoods and Shopacheck?

A: In essence, yes. We offer a similar home collected credit service whereby a friendly local agent will call on you to arrange loans and other services and to collect payments. As a family owned company rather than a large corporate PLC, we have different values and ethics. We are much more focused on our customers rather than shareholders and charge accordingly. Our rates are much cheaper than the main players in the Home Credit Market.

A final point of difference between us and the major home collected credit providers is the variety of services we provide. We are committed to offering a wide variety of retail goods, insurance and credit elsewhere through our dealer network. We have a large catalogue printed twice a year and over 10 showrooms full of top brand electrical products and modern furniture.

Q: I like the sound of your rates but I owe Provident \ Shopacheck \ A.N. Other Loans ltd money at the moment. Can you still help?

A: Yes. If you discuss your current home collected borrowings with your local agent or branch manager then we may be able to give you enough money to pay off your current provider and switch all your home collected borrowing to Mutual. You can save significant amounts of money by switching in this way.

If you want to try us out rather than switching all your borrowing straight over then you can borrow a smaller amount from us, say £100 - £500, and we can both get to know each other better. We’re confident you’ll soon be paying off Provi (and any other supplier) and taking advantage of our superior rates. Please download a leaflet.

Q: My Provident (or other supplier) Agent will give me money when I want it because they know I will pay them back. Won’t I have to start again and prove my credit worthiness before I can borrow the same amount from Mutual?

A: No. If you are open and honest with us about your current home collected borrowings, then we can lend to you based on evidence of your current payment record e.g. a statement or payment book and proof of income \ future ability to pay. We can in some circumstances lend you enough to pay off your current supplier and switch directly to Mutual.

Q: I like my Provident (or other supplier) agent, isn’t it easier for me to get money from her?

A: We understand that many customers receive an excellent service from their current provider of home credit, however we are very confident that if you give us a try you will find we can match anyone for service. Our agents care passionately about their customers and love to "go the extra mile" to help you out.

While your other supplier may be able to match our service, they currently charge significantly more.

For example:

If you were to take a £500, 56 week loan from Provident, then you would currently be paying £140 more interest than if you borrowed £500 on a 51 week loan from Mutual. Why not input your current loans into our table and see how much money you could be saving now.

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Existing or past Mutual Customers

Q: What incentives do you offer for me to introduce a friend?

A: Our main offer for introducing a friend is £10 cash to you per customer we accept. We are currently offering a £30 bonus for every third customer.

Q: Can I have more than one account at any time?

A: Yes, you can have multiple loans, retail accounts and insurance running at the same time, speak to your agent today to find out if you are eligible. If you want to buy a retail product from a Mutual Branch or our Kingstone store, then you can even “add-to” loans or retail accounts while receiving a discount on your current accounts and keeping your weekly payment the same.

Q: Can I afford to borrow more now?

A: Please ask your agent if you would like to borrow more money or make a retail purchase. You can then decide how much you can afford to borrow so you don’t take on more than you can manage. Ask about our Add-To feature if you are interested in buying retail goods without raising your weekly payments on either your loans or current retail accounts.

Q: What happens if I miss a payment?

A: The first thing to do is to contact your agent who can work through and agree a solution with you.

Q: What should I do if I am unhappy with the service I am receiving from my agent?

A: Please contact your local branch manager straight away if you have any concerns or write to us at Mutual Clothing and Supply co ltd, 39 Bedford Street South, Leicester, LE1 3JN

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Representative example:

£13.80 per week to borrow £500 over 51 weeks
Total amount payable £700, Representative 104% APR
Fixed rate of interest 104%

Compare the price of home collected and other cash loans available in your area at www.lenderscompared.org.uk

Mutual Clothing & Supply Ltd. 39 Bedford Street South, Leicester LE1 3JN. Registered No: 181701    Site designed and developed by Verto