• no banana
      link
      English
      34
      edit-2
      1 month ago

      I personally find it incredibly useful, but I agree that it should be regulated. It is very obvious that the way these systems work currently is not in the interest of the citizens, judging by the numbers of people who go into a debt spiral they cannot resolve. Just because it’s useful for my case doesn’t mean that it should stay as it is.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        191 month ago

        Providing easier access to credit encourages higher prices. It also has a negative effect on the less money-minded person, who then never learns the concept of saving. It also reinforces the “now now now” concept of consumerism.

        The only thing my crappy mother actually taught me, through her own credit card debt, was that if I don’t have the cash, I don’t get the thing. Easier said than done, I know.

        • no banana
          link
          English
          11 month ago

          I don’t disagree with your comment in any way. It’s a complex situation, and there are positives and negatives to doing it this way.

      • Domi
        link
        fedilink
        English
        21 month ago

        Out of interest, how do you use it that you find it useful?

        • no banana
          link
          English
          6
          edit-2
          1 month ago

          Sure! I use it “as intended”. I pay later. But I only use it when I know that there’s going to be money later (I have money now) and I plan my economy pretty thoroughly. It gives me some extra space when I need it, and makes it so I don’t have to put out my own money to companies I haven’t purchased from before, which can be useful since I tend to look for the best deal available and that often leads me to smaller shops that have no ratings or other reputation online.

          • Domi
            link
            fedilink
            English
            41 month ago

            Is there an advantage to buying from unknown shops via Klarna as opposed to paying directly? Does Klarna deal with any dispute or do they demand the money from you anyway?

            • @rasmus
              link
              English
              41 month ago

              I have found that its easier to get refunded because you haven’t paid yet and Klara has more power to get a refund

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          01 month ago

          I can get the product in my hands before paying for it, so I can verify it’s what I wanted. I also don’t spread my debit card info around.

          • Domi
            link
            fedilink
            English
            2
            edit-2
            1 month ago

            Assuming it’s not what you wanted, does Klarna deal with the seller in case of a dispute or are you stuck dealing with the seller while still having to pay Klarna?

    • Martin
      link
      fedilink
      English
      191 month ago

      While I agree that increasing consumer debt is a problem, I think Klarna provides a valuable service for online shopping.

      I can get my goods delivered and inspect them before paying anything. If the goods are not as stated (or don’t arrive at all) I just dispute it and then it is Klarnas problem, I haven’t risked anything of my own money. If I had paid up front, I would have to try to get my money back. It’s almost always harder to get money back than to dispute and refuse to pay.

      Some regulations are welcome, but I don’t see BNPL as a bad concept in itself.

      • @EtherWhack
        link
        English
        11
        edit-2
        1 month ago

        Klarna is permanently on my do not trust list, as what I experienced told me they can’t manage their system correctly. And for someone who can put a derogatory mark on your credit, I’m not risking it.

        (Bear in mind when I got the first email, just to be safe, I paid off the remaining balance the Friday of that week.)

        I figured they caught and corrected it, so no harm, no foul.

        When I tried using them at the end of the month however, (I think for upgrading my comp) they rejected my finance request. I wasn’t sure, but I had my suspicions it was due to their fuck-up as I only used them once.

        3 weeks later, they sent this.

      • no banana
        link
        English
        11
        edit-2
        1 month ago

        It’s the people they’re counting on not paying after the BNPL period is over that need more protection. That’s where the trap is, and where these actors make their money.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        91 month ago

        You can already do all that with a credit card, and your bank is more likely to side with you. Why not just use that? There’s several decades more regulation on credit cards, too.

        • Martin
          link
          fedilink
          English
          31 month ago

          Mostly convenience, the Klarna app is miles ahead of what my bank offers.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          11 month ago

          That’s not even true. Oftentimes, the debit card transaction is completed long before the product arrives…

          • @Crashumbc
            link
            English
            01 month ago

            You should never use a debit card, at least in the US. Always use a credit card.

  • Th4tGuyII
    link
    fedilink
    191 month ago

    Too many people end up in debt spirals with these BNPL companies because there’s no consistent safeguards against it, so we absolutely should be regulating them better. We shouldn’t be leaving financially vulnerable people to the wolves.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    161 month ago

    It’s way too easy to use these companies, so often klana comes up as an option as if it’s a payment method. There should be hoops to jump through before you can use these companies

  • @barsquid
    link
    English
    51 month ago

    These things need regulation. It is insane to finance a pizza.