Complaint Review: Debt Mediation Services

The company claimed to be a mediator for an open debt related to a payday loan they said that I had opened back in 2010. I had never opened a payday loan from what I can recall, but had inquired about a payday loan around that time. While I may (although unlikely) have taken out a payday loan and forgotten about it, I am 99.9% sure that I never opened a payday loan (and never have in my life, for that matter).

The person I spoke with, Ryan Thompson, said that the company he works for, Debt Mediation Services in Jacksonville, FL, was a last resort for a company trying to pursue action against me for a payday loan I took out but never paid back. He told me I could either accept a settlement of $252 to settle the matter out of court or contest the matter in court to avoid having to pay the full balance in excess of $800. I just wanted to be done with the matter and paid the settlement amount.

After the fact, I looked up Debt Mediation Services via Google. They were not affiliated with the Better Business Bureau and had an "F" rating from numerous complaints. In addition, I looked up my credit report from Free Credit Report's website and saw nothing on there related to a pay day loan. That raised a red flag that I may have just been scammed. I am not positive that I have been, but I have a strong enough feeling to file this report. In addition, I read several complaints about them online of people telling strikingly similar stories.

I am filing this report to explore whether or not I possibly was scammed and if so, what action I can pursue. The person I spoke with on the phone left me his name and the phone number to his direct line.