Debt Consolidation Companies??

Question

I am looking into consolidating my credit card bills. I don't have good credit. I filed Chapter 7 about 7 years ago. And I done really good at rebuilding my credit until this past year. I have gotten behind in everything. A lot of personal stuff happened and I just can't get caught up. My credit cards are 2 and 3 months behind and I get collection calls everyday. I owe about $7,000 in everything. I don't see a way in my budget I can get them caught up. I need some good advice from someone who consolidated and was happy about it. I also need to know some good companies that are trust worthy. I have tried several times at banks and other places to get a loan to pay my bills off so that I would just have that one loan payment but my credit is screwed now that they won't give me a loan. And I don't have any collateral either. Any help would be great. Thanks. Also, I live in Georgia if that helps.

Answer 1

Hi there. Most likely you won't be able to obtain a loan. Here is an alternate suggestion based on my personal experience. If you call InCharge Debt Solutions, they will contact your creditors and get them to lower your APR on things and they will arrange a payment for you (one) and they disburse your payments for you so you only have one payment each month -to them. Also, if you do this, they ask that you donate $40/mo for their trouble, but it's not a MUST, just a nice thing to do if you can.

www.incharge.org

For example, I had one card that was 19.9% interest. They got it cut to 6%. It doesn't hurt your credit score either.

Answer 2

DO NOT USE CREDIT SOLUTIONS.

After having been with Credit Solutions for more than a year now, I’ve come to the realization that the company promises more than it can deliver.

To start, and most importantly, Credit Solutions makes statements during its sales pitch which are not only misleading but downright false. The prospect is lead to believe that Credit Solutions has a relationship with the credit companies and can therefore act as an intermediary to get the Credit Companies to wait while the client puts money into a savings account and thereby compiles money to work toward a settlement some day in the future. I, personally, remember this statement almost word for word as it was one of the most compelling reasons for taking on Credit Solutions.

Nothing is said during this sales pitch about how a credit card company can still go the legal route (Arbitration, and then a Lawsuit) at any time, other than to strictly point out that Credit Solutions will not act legally on the client’s behalf. Though this ‘disclaimer’ is made and made clearly, it is glossed over when the prospective client actually asks if lawsuits are something to consider. “They almost never happen.” is the response. (Of the 12 credit accounts I have handed over to Credit Solutions, 4 have gone to Arbitration. This is a whopping 33% of one client’s accounts!)

Besides the misrepresentation of the legal possibilities, Credit Solutions gives the client the impression of an efficient and professional office only until such time that the client actually needs to contact the company with a problem. Calls are not returned the same day, and most times not at all. When asked about Arbitration, the standard response is “We don’t handle Arbitration.” -thus leaving the client uninformed and ill-prepared. Those 'Client Service Representatives' who do offer to handle this subject tend to again gloss over the legal aspects as if Arbitration is merely a minor inconvenience. Should anything resembling a legal aspect arise, they are quick to lean on their disclaimer so clearly outlined in the contract. "We are not a legal representation." When brought around again to the misleading statements outlined above, their response is "Do you have that in writing?" The statement, of course, is never put into writing.

Credit Solutions insists you fax them all forms and papers received. They constantly say that faxes will be received “into your account” within 3-5 days. This again, is a big problem as many times faxes have not been found in my account for 2 weeks or more! It’s hard to feel comfortable with a company which doesn’t know its own shortcomings. When the fax is a legal letter, it makes things even worse.

When things do come to a legal head, the client is left with a feeling of desperation. No amount of ‘We don’t do legal perhaps you need to get a lawyer’ will alleviate the feelings of betrayal from a company one is supposedly paying for their expertise (as well as the fabled relationships with the credit companies.) Fear and anxiety cannot easily be swept away when the client is left sitting by the phone hoping that SOMEONE from the company will call AND that they will be able to help.

In contacting Credit Solutions, the client is put through a security check and then into the phone maze. Credit solutions’ phone maze is irritating to say the least. Besides being asked to confirm one’s client status not only on every call, but by every person the client speaks to, the phone system will also drop calls, give vague directions and circular forwarding before the client becomes angry and hangs up. Everyone that the client does actually speak to in person promises to pass on phone messages, but as already pointed out: returning calls to a client with a problem appears to be of low priority. The client is left angry, disillusioned and without recourse, as legal problems loom in their immediate future.

Would I have signed up with Credit Solutions had I known the problems? Most likely, not. Will I stay with them now that I am more educated on their practices? Well, since I’m still paying the ‘service fees’ monthly, it seems likely. I will spend my time as best I can doing what I can to educate other prospective clients of this company and its misleading practices and performance problems.

Answer 3

check out www.prosper.com and www.creditinfocenter.com