"Payday loans"

Ya know, I hear a lot of people talking about how payday loans are a rip-off and how they should be illegal. Well, I have to agree and disagree with that perspective.
Yes, I think they are a rip-off for the most part and they charge way too much in interest. Even for a very short term loan that is paid back quickly, it is way too much. However, I can see the necessity of payday loans, if they are not over used and if they are monitored. The latest problem I have seem come to the forefront related to payday loans is this campaign to get you to apply to multiple lenders. I have a major problem with this because the sites where you put in your information (everything including work and checking account info) gather the information and give you the hope that they will screen it and send you to a lender ready to approve the loan. Instead of doing that, they present you with perhaps five other "lenders" who request all the same information again. Should you enter it all a second time, you will again be directed down to five more lenders to apply. It is just an ongoing cascade in which you have put out your information in good faith, only to have it be for a advertising agency that is not even passing the information on!?!
The question then becomes, who is seeing this information? Is it really necessary to have all that information before you pass it along to someone else who will screen it? Is it really necessary to ask if I want to sign up for credit cards or auto loans?
Let's face it, if you are in the position where you are looking seriously at a payday loan online, you are in a bit of a spot (to say the least!) Providing your information to someone who can actually say "yes" or "no" is what you are looking for, not this endless maze of information entering that goes on to fill up your spam folder for the next three weeks and leaves you with dozens of voice mail messages telling you to "go to our website, as you have been preapproved for another loan" when they never approved you in the first place!
The internet is a wonderful thing and the ability to communicate instantly, find out whether you can get a loan in minutes...these are all great things. But those groups that capitalize on the needs of others have got to be put in their place. And really, it isn't even those who use these loans who need to speak up about it (although they have a great voice, I am sure!) but the legitimate direct lenders who have a web presence and want to loan money to others.
Now, I understand there should be room for everyone and we should all be able to play together, but there is also a necessity to play fair. Taking people who are already at the point of desperation through an endless maze of applications should be illegal.
So, the moral of this is..if you ever find yourself in a position to utilize a payday loan, don't just type "payday loan" in your search engine. Type in "Payday loan direct lender" and you will have at least a fair shot at getting the funds you need.