By Ryan C. Wood
No. Hell no. Absolutely no. Just spend some time on the Federal Trade Commission website and read all of their warnings. It is more than likely just a scam. You have no idea who you are doing business with and when they rip you off you are not going to sue them in the state they are doing business in. You are going to call me to file bankruptcy for you and have wasted anywhere from $1,000 – $6,000 of your hard earned money. That is what we see, as bankruptcy attorneys, time and time again. Here are four simple rules of thumb to avoid ever getting scammed by a debt relief company of any kind.
1. Do not do business with any company you hear about on the radio or has a television commercial regarding debt relief;
2. Do not do business with any company that is not doing business in your general area; that means never ever do business with a debt relief company that is from another state;
3. Do not do business over a website with a company that does not even list what state they are doing business in;
4. Do not do business with a debt relief company that will not put in writing when you will be 100% debt free; and if you are not 100% debt free they will give you all of your money back.
Fortunately the Federal Trade Commission continually fights for your rights and shuts down these fraudulent debt and mortgage relief companies. The FTC recently shut down some companies from Florida that ripped off people in need of debt relief for millions of dollars. Go to: https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/160907paydayorderirby.pdf the stipulated judgment. The FTC charged PSC Administrative, LLC f/k/a Payday Support Center, LLC, Coastal Acquisitions, LLC d/b/a Infinity Client Solutions, Infinity Collect, LLC, Jared Irby, an individual, and Richard Hughes, an individual with violation of the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act; 15 U.S.C. Section 6101. The defendants in this case, instead of admitting fault, entered into a stipulated settlement agreement with the FTC. The agreement provided the defendants are permanently restrained and enjoined from advertising, marketing, promoting, offering for sale, or selling, or assisting others in the advertising, marketing, promoting, offering for sale, or selling, of any secured or unsecured debt relief product or service. The laws regarding debt consolidation just be to be more stringent.
California State Attorney General
Student Loan Debt Consolidation Scams
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-issues-consumer-alert-student-loan-debt
Telemarketing Fraud
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-lockyer-announces-189-million-settlement-telemarketing-fraud
Your Credit Rating
https://oag.ca.gov/consumers/general/your_credit
Coping With Debt
Based upon my real world experience and a bankruptcy attorney involved in thousands of bankruptcy cases I do not agree with everything in this list. But it is sure better than getting ripped off. https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0150-coping-debt
Advertising and 2016
Every time I hear a commercial on the radio or a commercial on the television about debt relief it makes me sick. The station airing the station is making money off of airing the criminals commercial and the criminal advertising their fraudulent services makes money because advertising like that unfortunately works. If you have never been told this before here we go: “The worst attorneys and businesses have to advertise their services over and over again to get new clients.” They do not build a real business based upon the goodwill of their past clients. There are none to be found. So these criminals have to spend thousands of dollars a month to get new people to rip off to stay in business and make money. Sadly it works. Every now and again there becomes a critical mass of ripped off people and the bad reviews on the internet and possible prosecution from the angels at the Federal Trade Commission or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau shut down the criminals forever. Many times unfortunately, before the heat gets too hot, the criminals just change the company name and contact information to keep the ball rolling. It is just horrible.
What We Do For People In Need of Debt Relief
Not every case is easy for different reasons. At least all we have to do IS BE HONEST WITH OUR CLIENTS AND HOW BANKRUPTCY CAN HELP THEM TO OBTAIN A DISCHARGE OF THEIR DEBTS OR REORGANIZATION OF THE DEBTS BASED UPON THE LAW, THE BANKRUPTCY CODE. How wonderful is that? Some debts are dischargeable. Some are not. Some debts can be reorganized to make the terms of repayment more favorable for our clients. It all depends upon your income, expenses, assets and debts. All you have to do is be truthful and honest about your income, expenses, assets and debts and you are entitled under the law to have debt relief. It is wonderful. Debt consolidation is completely unregulated and is the wild, wild west. There is little recourse when you are fooled out of your hard earned money.