Quite a bit of reviews are out there concerning debt settlement companies. Consumers should be careful with their choice and do a bit more research prior to your debt settlement route.
the following is a review written by someone participated in the past.
if you have similar experience in the past please email us customerservice@808citycard.com so we can post your article to share with others.
--------------------------------------------
I saw an online ad about debt settlement. it was from Creditsolutions.com I called in and talked to a real nice guy who gave me the run down on the system. I wasn't intending to make a decision right then and there and I told him that. He said that I could wait and let him know next week if I want to go ahead or not...
and he set me up with an account on their website.
The website is very slick and nicely done.
However, as I reviewed the paperwork more and more, my wife and I went online and decided to see some reviews of creditsolutions.com. A simple google search brought us to this site were we saw a lot of negative feelings. The reports seemed genuine. While there were some positive reports, the positive folks didn't seem to have been in the program for very long. One guy had been in for 13 months but only settled one account... so he/she prob didn't have the IRS earned income problem that others reported.
Truth be told, Creditsolutions.com did mention that any money you save through their system may be considered Earned Income by the IRS. However the representative didn't go into details nor disclose how much of an impact that would be. I read on here one fellow had all his accounts settled then the IRS came after him and now he owes them all that money saved. he just traded one lender for another.
After reading these reviews, I checked the BBB - and they rated Credit Solutions with an F. So I call in to cancel. It may be a good system, but I'm not comfortable with a company with a rating of F with the BBB. I call on a Saturday and talk to a woman who decides she needs to save me from leaving. She argues, argues and argues. She even gets rude and obnoxious. Basically her point is, "we're not part of the BBB system, so when people complain our expert customer service handles it outside of the BBB - so the BBB will give us an F because we don't do the arbitration with them." I didn't buy it.
When I made a couple comments she got rude and obnoxious. Really hostile and combative. At this point I had to just interrupt her and go "hey hey hey... just close the account already."
Finally she says, "I can't do that. You'll have to wait till Monday."
so she wasted my time, and was combative and rude to me. I called in on Monday and talked to another person... who basically forwarded me to an account specialist. Basically someone trying to keep you from canceling. He gives me the big show. How great his company is. Everyone else is peanuts compared to Credit Solutions. No one else compares.... it's so over the top it has to be false. Their ego is just too big. He goes on and on about how the BBB isn't relevant and reiterates what the lady said a couple days prior. After he talks he wants to know if I agree with him, I say I don't and that I did find a debt settlement company that had a A- rating with the BBB... he got quiet. I mentioned I still want to leave.
He then asks the typical, "what will you do with your debt situation without us?" I reply it's not his concern... and he puts me on hold. He comes back to throw a jab about how there are big companies like walmart, and small peanut companies that try to compete... and how no one can really compete with a giant like Walmart ( i.e. Credit Solutions is the Walmart of debt settlement.)
Here I'm thinking, if your so damn big why is it so important for you to retain a single customer? If I want to close an account with Walmart they don't try this hard to retain me. They don't care. because they're so big.
My gut feeling with this company is: a) they may do what they say b) their egos are huge c) customer service is a crap shoot. you can get a nice guy, or a hostile employee d) they are desperate to retain customers - which means to me, they are small timers e) if another debt settlement company can get an A- rating with the BBB then they could to. saying "we're not BBB certified" isn't an answer... as they should be able to get certified! Esp. if others have done it. f) I wasn't "impressed with their amazing customer service" since I was treated with hostility and rudeness by one employee and over ego by the last one I talked with.
All of the above makes me nervous to use this company. If it is a legit and great opp. then I'm passing on it for the reasons above.
