Q&A: P2P
P2P
Question
Hello Rabbi,
The eloan website (and other p2p companies) connects people who want to lend with people who want a loan. Everything remains confidential, and eloan is responsible for collecting the money and transferring it to the borrower. The issue here is that interest is involved.
The question is whether it is permitted to use this platform, either as a borrower or as a lender?
I should note that they have a heter iska, but I saw a responsum by Rabbi Shlomo Ishon saying that since the company is only an intermediary, and the parties are neither aware of nor sign the heter for each loan, it solves nothing and is forbidden.
What does the Rabbi think? Is the assumption that people who sign at a regular bank really pay attention and understand what they are signing?
Answer
I am not familiar with the issue, but what Rabbi Ishon said sounds reasonable to me.
It does not matter what people at a regular bank understand. If they signed, they are bound by it.