Love Island stars have been slammed for promoting “buy now, pay later” tool Klarna, which is offered as a payment by many online retailers.
The likes of Amy Hart, Anna Vakili, Olivia Bowen, India Reynolds, Lucie Donlan and Belle Hassan have all promoted the tool in Instagram ad posts.
And the glamorous girls have been slammed by one person who fell foul of Klarna, who said they are “glorifying getting people to borrow more than they can pay back”.
Josh Stinchcombe used Klarna to borrow £200 to buy a suit for a job interview but is now left with just £20 in his bank account.
Anna Vakili is among the stars who have promoted Klarna (Image: Instagram)
The 21-year-old told The Sun: “They could see I had a bad credit score but – irresponsibly – offered me money.
“I got paid three days ago and I’m down to £20 in my account.”
He has now urged other people not to take credit – even because of struggles relating to the pandemic or Christmas – unless they are sure they can pay it back.
India Reynolds has also posted sponsored photos on Instagram with Klarna (Image: instagram)
Klarna has a whopping 10million customers in the UK, with brands such as H&M, River Island, ASOS and Marks & Spencer offering it at checkout.
The brand’s slogan reads: “Buy now and pay later, so you can get what you love today.”
Klarna does not charge late fees, but if the payments are not made within three months the debt is referred to a collection agency.
A Klarna spokesman told the publication: “We take this very seriously, especially during Covid.
“Every time a customer chooses to pay by Klarna, we do a soft credit check, determining [their] credit-worthiness.
“For customers who do not pay within the timeframe, we communicate to remind them and if the debt remains unpaid for several months, turn it over to debt collectors to contact the customer.
“Interest or fees are never added. Your credit score will not be impacted, even if you fail to pay on time.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
