Arcadia Finance is an online loan comparison service aimed at South African borrowers. It is not a lender and does not issue credit itself, which changes who you contact depending on what your question is about.

Official provider route

Product or service support

Arcadia Finance is a brand owned and managed by Draivi Media Oy, a Finnish company. One application is passed to its loan broker partners, including Myloan.co.za, which in turn work with NCR-licensed banks and lenders, and the offers that come back can be compared and accepted or declined. The service is free to the consumer and the offers are non-binding. The on-site calculator covers amounts from R100 to R350 000 over terms of 6 to 72 months, and the site states that offers can be drawn from up to 16 banks and lenders. Because Arcadia never holds the credit agreement, questions about an approved loan, its balance, a debit order date or a settlement quote must go to the lender that actually granted it, not to Arcadia.

Eligibility, account or policy requirements

The published requirements to submit a comparison request are that the applicant is over 18 and is employed. Accepting an offer creates a credit agreement with the lender rather than with Arcadia Finance, so that lender sets the affordability assessment, the interest rate, the fees and the documents required. Submitting the form also consents to being contacted by email and SMS about loan offers.

Escalation route

Arcadia Finance is not itself a registered credit provider, so it is not the right address for a dispute about a loan you were granted. Take that first to the lender complaints channel, then to the National Credit Regulator on 0860 627 627. A complaint about how your personal information was collected, used or passed to third parties goes to the Information Regulator of South Africa. Note that the privacy policy also names the Finnish Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman: that office supervises Draivi Media Oy in Finland and is not a route for a South African loan complaint.

Sources