STEVENAGE MP FINDS OUT WHAT'S IN STORE AT THE MONEY SHOP
Stephen McPartland, Conservative MP for Stevenage, paid a visit to the Stevenage branch of The Money Shop, the UK's number one instant cash provider last week, to find out more about the range of financial solutions available on the high street.
The Money Shop, which has a store in Market Place, recently became a member of National Pawnbroking Association (NPA), forming the largest network of pawnbroking stores in the UK, is inviting MPs to its stores as part of a scheme to educate Parliamentarians about the history of the business and the products they offer.
A successful pawnbroking service has been available at The Money Shop amongst its list of services for several years. The full range of Money Shop consumer financial products and services include payday loans, foreign exchange, pawnbroking, ‘Gold to Cash', cheque cashing, Western Union money transfer products and other ancillary products and services.
Mr McPartland was shown around The Money Shop premises, and met with the Head of UK Compliance, Caroline Walton, and Store Manager Sheila Scrivens. They discussed the impact of the recession on consumers and their business and its effect on the services they offer.
Mr McPartland MP for Stevenage commented: "The Money Shop applies a professional approach to help meet the needs of customers who may be in short term financial difficulty for many different reasons. It's a very useful service which I understand many local people rely on. The staff I met with were keen to make the process as simple and easy as possible for customers to the store."
Ms Walton added: "Managing finances is important at any time, but the current economic downturn is encouraging more of us to look for alternative financial solutions. The Money Shop can provide viable alternatives to those who might find it difficult to secure credit from the banks and it is good to see MPs such as Mr McPartland recognising this."
John Lamidey, CEO of the Consumer Finance Association (CFA) which represents the larger online and high street payday lenders, concludes: "The CFA is working closely with the Office of Fair Trading and consumer organisations to drive up standards within the short term credit industry and ensure that consumers get the best possible service. It is very encouraging to see MPs such as Mr McPartland supporting our member The Money Shop and this is testament to the professionalism of the organisation."
The Money Shop opened its first store in Nottingham in 1996 and now employs over 1500 people across its network, serving over 450,000 customers a year often in communities which have been vacated by traditional banks and post offices.
