Tim Riesner was among those who took out various loans, including BNPL, only to face problems when his life changed.
“It didn’t feel like debt. It felt like convenience. You’re buying something online and it says ‘split it, pay later’. You think you’re being sensible. But you can have multiple plans running at once,” he said.
“Before you know it, it’s thousands. Add in loans, credit cards, bits of finance here and there, and suddenly I owed £24,000.”
His finances unravelled after having to give up well-paid work in construction after suffering problems with his eyesight.
“Nobody should have any sympathy for me at all. I’m an adult. I knew what I was doing. The responsibility lies with me. However, advertising is very seductive. It draws you in, because the society that we live in is the society that says you can have it, and you can have it right now,” he told the .
After a tough and dark period, he spoke to charity Business Debtline, where staff helped him to go through his debts, organise a Debt Relief Order, and he is now well on his way to being debt-free.
Jack Sporcic, debt adviser at National Debtline, said: “We are urging consumers to treat Buy Now Pay Later in exactly the same way as any other form of borrowing.
“We often see people using Buy Now Pay Later for everyday essentials such as food, energy bills and household basics.”