Did you watch any television last night? If so, then you probably saw at least one ad for some type of debt relief. And with all these companies making bold promises to help consumers, it’s no wonder people are confused when searching for help with debt. Which makes them easy targets for debt relief scams.
Photo by Orin Zebest via Flickr
Now, most companies are honorable (or at least not intentionally dishonest), and will help those who sign up for their services. And some people claim “scam” when in fact it was partly their own fault for not reading the fine print. But you can never be too careful, because the scammers are out there. And so are those companies who are not scammers, but don’t properly educate their clients well about the various types of debt reduction programs.
So if nothing else, all these ads must be confusing — debt settlement, debt management, tax debt relief, debt consolidation, credit counseling, etc — makes my head spin! So I can imagine how the average consumer feels, yikes.
If you check out the online forums, these are the issues that most people talk about:
Sometimes it’s true. And sometimes it’s just because the consumer not understanding how debt settlement or credit counseling works. So how does this happen? Why do people get ripped off? Or why do they not know what they are getting into when they sign up?
In most cases, they simply fall for the bold “get out of debt quickly and easily” false promises. And they don’t truly understand what they signed up for. And they have no idea who they hired. Sure, they know the name of the company. But if you were having work done on your house, wouldn’t you do a little investigating before opening your door to some stranger? When it comes to debt relief, its no different. There are no magic pills. No quick fixes. But there are options that can really help you.
If you do it correctly.
The key to successfully getting out of debt is to take action. So if you need help, don’t sit back and do nothing. You won’t get out of debt sitting on your butt and complaining. But how do you go about getting the help you need without ending up in worse shape than when you got started, and avoiding the scams?
Here are 3 simple steps to follow so you won’t get ripped off when seeking help with credit card debt:
Learn the difference between debt settlement, debt consolidation, and the other programs. Contact 2 or 3 companies and see how their services and fees are different. Yes, it’s a jungle out there in world of debt relief. So get as much info as possible before you make any decisions that could hurt you. Here’s a quick overview of the most popular debt reduction programs:
Ask lots of questions. Do some research. Check out a company’s Better Business Bureau rating. Go to Google.com and type in the name of the company and see what people are saying. The following are good questions to ask to learn more about the company, and increase the odds of finding a high quality company to assist you:
For most people, it’s a lot easier to get help than to do it yourself. But it isn’t all that hard to create a plan for getting out of debt, with all the information available on the Internet. The key is to actually follow it. Here are some steps for handling your own debt management plan:
Whichever path you choose, just remember one thing — you must stick with your plan until you are successful! Don’t ever give up, no matter how many “curveballs” life can throw at you. Otherwise you’ll just end up on the same path back to a life with debt.
Here’s another way to avoid debt relief scams: don’t get into debt in the first place.
@ keith I say that all the time! another one to watch for are the little home made signs that say ” credit repair $49 “. Those are major scams!
Yeah, there are lots of them out there. Sadly, most people don’t realize it.
Do you know anything about the use of “restrictive endorsements” to clear debt. There is a company called ” Consumer Mediation Services” (CMS) that advertise this method. There are feeder websites such as “integrity debt options group” among others that promote the same method. Thanks for your time.
Bob
Very pertinent article. It’s sad that many companies out there try to rip of folks who are already knee deep in debt. But it’s also true that out of desperation to quickly get out of debt, many times people neglect to read the fine print, or ask the right questions. Doing your homework, pays!
@keith
so true. just don’t make debts.
of course there can be con-men and scammers everywhere but i think it’s probably worse in the debt-relief business, simply because most people looking for their services have already made some pretty bad decisions money-wise and will likely continue to be ignorant and act out of a sense of false entitlement
unfortunately it are the people who need Kris’ above tips the most who are least likely to read and/or follow them.
o and good point that people might be bitching about a company only because they didn’t understand what they signed up for.
in fact, any GOOD company is bound to have some dissatisfied customers who are angry that their debt didn’t magically disappear.
whereas con-men are usually good at manipulating online reviews and such, making them appear legit (for a while at least)