Complaint Review: FAIRWAY LENDING GROUP BRIAN ELLIS TERRY FINKLER

A Brian Ellis contacted me on 21 Jan 08 stating that I had been approved for a loan of $11,000 with an APR of 7% with a repayment plan of $263 a month for 48 months. I was then told that to "secure" the loan, I'd have to pay 5 months in advance, which I said I didn't have at the time and that I wouldn't be able to take the loan. I was then told that I had 5 days to decide and to call back if I changed my mind. In the meantime, I checked out their fancy website and was impressed. I checked with the BBB and there were no complaints, so I talked to my husband and we agreed to go along with it. I called Brian back on 23 Jan 08, and told him we'd give it a go, and he faxed me some "contract" with all the details that he'd given me on the phone, so I signed it and faxed it back. The next day he gave me the moneygram information: send to a Diane Holton, in Albarta, Canada. I sent the money off with the expectation of getting the direct deposit in 24 hours. I got a call the next morning from a Terry Finkler stating that my credit had been "re-assessed" and that they would need another 5 months payment in advance to secure the loan and to release the funds to me!!!! Of course my husband and I were livid and we were told we have the option of getting a refund of the 5 months payments, along with the $26.30 moneygram fee, but not until Feb 14th, 2008, which is almost 3 weeks away!!!! I'm currently in the process of finding an attorney/lawyer to be prepared just in case we don't receive our funds. I wish I was as smart as the other people who have reported them on this site, I'd never heard of ripoffreport, so I thought they were ok because there weren't any complaints about them on the BBB. I now know this is because they are a fairly new company. I've since reported them to the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.com), and to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov); I recommend that anyone that falls under their prey should also file complaints on these sites so we can get them out of business!!!

Tonya
DENVER, Colorado
U.S.A.