Mogo

Have you read their privacy policy. they can use and distribute your information as they see fit, to anyone.
I stopped reading there.
buyer beware!

EDIT: Note that this is an «update» to a review, the first part is below.
So, again, I was approved over the phone with them and they gave me exact amounts and repayment dates. However, on that same phone call, those dates changed at least once during the conversation. Weird, right? For some reason part of the process just «reset» and we did it all over again. But whatever.
Then on Sunday night I got a call that I missed. I called the number back and it was Mogo. Busy, I didn’t actually go through the message system. They didn’t call back and instead I called them Tuesday morning.
I called and they simply started going through the process again. They gave me a new set of repayment dates. It’s a bit annoying to think this all went through yesterday and it didn’t and I have to wait another 3 days for the money. It will most likely mean this whole process takes 2 weeks.

Personal sidenote tangent times ahead. If you do not know me, or do not care, feel free to skip down to Super Relevant Information below.
Let me start off by stating that yes, I am one of those rare and mythical creatures that survives without a credit card. After a brief and embarrassing foray into credit cards in my early 20’s, I decided that:
1. I cannot be trusted with a credit card when more then one scotch is involved and too many people stock my favourite. Midletons. $ 30 an oz.
2. Like many people, I got my first credit card «for emergencies». «Emergencies» soon became shoes.
3. When I maxed said card and then realized the interest I was paying wasn’t actually depleting the debt but merely keeping me at a status quo, I made the decision to be done with it. And after a long and gut wrenching climb out of debt, I vowed — never again.
Which brings us to the…
Super Relevant Information!
Enter Mogo.
Living sans credit card and juggling work expenses has been an interesting challenge and one that occasionally requires some help.
I’ve used Mogo before but I went through the online version. And if this review was for that service — it’d be 5 stars.
The process online is quick, confidential and they deposit directly into your bank account within 3 business days (in a matter of hours if you have PayPal). Plus, they have something called Mini Money which is a $ 200 loan (max) with an INCREDIBLY low interest rate that can be paid back whenever. For me, this meant I could paid back in a matter of days instead of the standard 14 – 30 and the loan came out to about $ 6 interest. SUPER reasonable.
If you’re in a bind and need the help, i’d highly recommend it.
And it was for that Mini Money loan, plus a pre-​paid credit card (which they also offer online) that I wandered into the Commercial Street store. When you walk in they ALL cheer at you, which is cheesy but totally charming. Plus, they offered up a soda and a bag of chips (which I guess is their «thing»?) and god knows I can be bribed by ketchup chip goodness most days.
But after this super positive start, everything slowly started downhill.
I’ll give you the Coles Notes version of the decline:
1. I got jostled through a few people. Though the staff here are insanely cheerful, they are a bit loosey goosey and people were hopping on phones mid conversation, jumping back and forth between things, it’s all very hectic for no reason.
2. Because I work for an American company, that caused them pause (NO problems online… I phoned to check afterwards). The process to get OUT of said pause took 45 minutes… in which I generally tried to look cheerful while they played telephone tag with a billion people. Think «being on hold» in real life. Except you can’t just throw the speaker phone on and go do sh*t.
3. During this «on hold» the staff started chatting about seeing the pay stubs of people who work at a certain company (which I won’t name because well, that’s the point) and then chatting about their wages being surprisingly high, etc. Ok. I get that this happens, i’m not THAT naïve. But in front of customers? Customers that just handed over THEIR information? It made me totally uncomfortable.
4. After waiting for 45 minutes, I was informed that they don’t offer the Mini Money loans in store. Instead, i’d have to go with the MUCH more expense loan that would work out to about $ 70 for the $ 200. Versus the original $ 6.
Not only was there absolutely NO indication of this on the website, OR in the store. But the loan they DO have available actually works out to higher then any other payday loan place in the Lower Mainland, despite what they advertise.
Needless to say, I left without loan OR pre-​paid credit card. Toughed it out for the week and then got myself a debit-​visa.
If I got myself in a bind and needed to return? I’d go online.
The staff here are cheerful and were apologetic about the miscommunication but the bottom line is, a process that takes 10 minutes online took the better part of an hour, travel time, parking, and more then a few eye rolls and I left unhappy.
Thanks for the ketchup chips but you won’t see me again…