;
  • Report:  #1118902

Complaint Review: Direct Business Lending - Salt Lake City Utah

Reported By:
Elizabeth - Virginia Beach, Virginia,
Submitted:
Updated:

Direct Business Lending
1050 E. 3300 S. Ste. 205 Salt Lake City, 84106 Utah, USA
Phone:
855.908.9088
Web:
www.directbusinesslending.com
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good? What's this?
Report Attachments

REVIEW UPDATE: September 27 2018: Direct Business Lending remains committed to increased customer satisfaction and has improved their business practices over the years to better serve their customers. Direct Business Lending is truly dedicated to making sure their customers are satisfied and that any complaints which do arise are addressed promptly and fairly.

To date, Direct Business Lending has made good faith efforts to resolve all complaints reported on Ripoff Report. Based on our experience, the member business has proven to be among the top members of the Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program as a Verified Safe Business™.

Over time and since becoming a member, Direct Business Lending has remained actively engaged and improving the way they address customer service complaints. As an active and current member of the Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program we are happy to report that now more than ever Direct Business Lending remains committed to improving customer satisfaction.

Remember, no company or individual can ever satisfy 100% of the people 100% of the time. There are no products or services that will always be perfect for everyone and even the best companies will receive complaints from time to time. However, by participating in the Corporate Advocacy Program, the member business has made a commitment to working with its customers to resolve complaints quickly and fairly whenever possible.

Please keep in mind that as a consumer you have some responsibilities as well. Success has many definitions that based on your past experiences, current situation and your perceived expectations. Success with any product or service is always based on the proper application and understanding. The fastest car will not run if you never turn the engine on. Look at how you used the product or service that was provided in relation with the instructions that you received. The Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program will help you get your voice heard but please be prepared with documentation and fair representation of your concern, also have an idea of how the company can fix your concern. Can they offer additional services, extend warranties, offer a fair refund or just get you talking with someone that can help. ..let them know and let us know!

*Any consumer not receiving satisfaction from a member of the Corporate Advocacy Program should email us at [email protected].

Ripoff Report Verified™ REVIEW:

EDitor’s UPDATE: Positive rating and recognition has been given to Direct Business Lending for its commitment to excellence in customer service.

Ripoff Report’s discussions with Direct Business Lending have uncovered an ongoing commitment by the company to total client satisfaction. Direct Business Lending is a rapidly growing organization that has helped thousands of small businesses navigate the complex process of achieving funding for their business. Direct Business Lending has built it’s team around it’s core values of going the extra mile for it’s customers. While continually investing in it’s Client Services team, Direct Business Lending has shown a continual commitment to exceeding it’s client’s expectations. Clients can expect full transparency in the loan process as well as continual communication with the Direct Business Lending team. Any issues with clients are promptly resolved with a mutually agreeable solution that is endorsed by the CEO himself. Direct Business Lending welcomes client feedback, both positive and negative and strives to turn around any negative scenarios with continual improvement to become more efficient as a company in the services it offers it’s clients.

Direct Business Lending CEO, Mr. Jantzen Fugate, has informed us that his business is an extension of his personal beliefs on how to correctly treat people. Mr. Fugate personally knows about all clients that are concerned and is personally involved in making sure they have an amazing experience with Direct Business Lending. As a successful entrepreneur who once started as a small business like many of his clients, Mr. Fugate feels it is critical to always be connected with his clients to understand their concerns and work hard to respond properly. By always putting his customers first, Mr. Fugate is confident that Direct Business Lending will continue to help millions of small businesses across America realize their dreams.

Top executives of the company told us that Mr. Fugate’s biggest fault is that he cares to much about his staff and clients and is continually going the extra mille. He inherently provides a service above and beyond anyones expectation and puts client happiness above all. Direct Business Lending's core values of: 1) Go The Extra Mile; 2) Excellent Client Service; 3) Pursue Growth & Learning; 4) Be Passionate Everyday; 5) Build a Positive Team Environment have allowed Direct Business Lending to build an organization that is customer centric from the top down. “Direct Business Lending truly communicate all aspects of the job in a timely and effective manner. We are very pleased with the responsiveness that he and his employees show us. They are serious about meeting commitments, and deliver on all their promises.”

The information provided in this report below is based on comments made by Jentzen Fugate during an on-site inspection held by a third party verification company with no biases toward Direct Business Lending.
Ripoffreport Report Image
Ripoff Report Verified™ .. part of Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program.A program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business..

Direct Business Lending is a company specializing in helping start-up companies and entrepreneurs get access to capital. “We want to help the individuals who can’t get approved for financing get approved to qualify for financing. If they don’t qualify for capital, help them understand why and get them in a position to qualify for funding eventually, whether they use our services or someone else’s,” states Jantzen Fugate, CEO of Direct Business Lending.

Leads are primarily acquired through Internet searches regarding small business information, how to start a business, small business loans, etc. “Also, lenders will send us their declines and will live transfer over their start-up leads. These are customers that banks won’t lend to since they don’t have good credit or are in business for 2+ years,” states Mr. Fugate. A typical sales experience for a customer starts with the customer finding Direct Business Lending’s website and then filling out a general information form. At that point, the customer will receive a call from the company to welcome them and give them some information.



DIRECT BUSINESS LENDING ONE-ON-ONE CUSTOMER CARE

"Each individual customer is unique and has different services or products tailored to their individual needs,” explains Mr. Fugate. "For instance, one customer’s experience might involve them signing up, and at that point, Direct Business Lending’s matching technology identifies that they have funding resources available to the customer, so they then send the customer directly to the funding source. In contrast, if the customer is not identified as having funding sources available to them, Direct Business Lending will then have their funding analysts talk with the customer to learn their background and other information to determine how they can qualify the customer and what the customer wishes to accomplish. Once the customer is pre-qualified, they are set up with a consultation with a Senior Funding Advisor to review the client’s fundability, strengths, weaknesses, funding opportunities that are available, and what they can do to increase their chances of funding.”

At times, customers may not feel they are satisfied with the services they are receiving. Two primary examples of complaints involve the response time of the staff at Direct Business Lending, or not being able to receive funding. “We experienced 400% growth, bringing in 15-65 clients per week. With that, we had some growing pains. A couple scenarios [occurred]: not being able to answer calls, voicemails, and e-mails in a timely manner because we had a short staff due to the tremendous growth; [the] response time [ranged] from about 36 hours to about 30 minutes,” explains Mr. Fugate. “Another scenario: occasionally people don’t get funding and we try to explain that we are not guaranteeing funding, we are letting them get in the best possible position to qualify for financing. Sometimes people misunderstand the contract terms and think we are guaranteeing funding,” states Mr. Fugate. Both of these issues are common complaints.

STATED IMPROVEMENTS FROM DIRECT BUSINESS LENDING.

Direct Business Lending has grown is Client Services team 5x in less then 1 year to keep up with the demand. Adding a Quality Assurance department, recruiting a top level client services manager and rebuilding it’s technology platform to better track client communication is part of the ongoing process to providing amazing service to each and every client.

Direct Business Lending recognizes that complaints posted on Rip-off Report (whether true or not) are issues that need to be addressed, not ignored. If handled correctly, complaints can be valuable learning opportunities. With the feedback generated by Ripoff Report’s review Direct Business Lending has made organizational changes allowing its clients and employees a more streamlined approach to problem resolution and a commitment to a great client experience.

Since receiving complaints, Direct Business Lending has taken a few steps to try to avoid these issues in the future. “We have hired more staff to increase response time. We [also] have a funding advisor explain our services and then they go to the compliance department, making sure that they are moving forward on the right foot,” explains Mr. Fugate. The team at Direct Business Lending also now employs the use of a “welcome call” to explain the process and align all expectations to avoid any misunderstandings of the services provided. Additionally, a Client Services Manager has been hired to help prepare the company for future growth.

Once a complaint is resolved, Direct Business Lending does not have a follow-up process in place. “Once we part ways with an individual, we don’t follow up with them once the situation has been resolved. We also send them a settlement statement agreement. We do take all of our complaints very seriously so that we can use them to propel our company forward and learn from any mistakes we may have made in the process,” explains Mr. Fugate. However, if the customer continued to use their services, there is a slightly different process that takes place. “We do have an Escalations Manager who handles the complaint, then we flag this in our CRM which then notifies the Account Manager, who can also take care of the client and make sure their complaint is taken care of,” explains Mr. Fugate.

If a client wishes to cease business with the company, Direct Business Lending does have a cancellation policy in place. “Each client has the ability to exercise their 3-days’ right to rescind and get 100% of their money back,” explains Mr. Fugate. “After the 3 days, it depends on each case, on how much they get back depending on what services we have provided to them already. Sometimes we have already performed an extensive amount of work on their profile, so we have to take this into consideration.” Customers have the ability to cancel their contract at any time, but whether or not they receive a refund, and how much they receive, is determined on a case by case basis.

Direct Business Lending recognizes the value of working with Ripoff Report and the Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program, and the platform it provides for businesses and clients to interact and resolve issues. “It is very important to us; we want clients to understand we are very serious about customer services, our reputation, and sustainability for the long term and we want to build a corporation,” explains Mr. Fugate. “We don’t want questions out there as far as online complaints and not being able to take ownership over them. We take them in as learning experiences. We want to be a part of the Advocacy program so that we can address any complaints immediately and remedy the situation to the best of our ability.”



DIRECT BUSINESS LENDING SUCCESS STORIES

"Things happen fast in the restaurant business. Had I waited for a traditional bank loan to come through, I’d very likely be out of business right now. DBL really helped me out of a tough jam by securing funding in three days.” ~ Matt Richmond, Restaurateur, Secured $65,000 In Funding

"I thought landscaping was hard work. Trying to find funding in this economy for a start up is not just difficult, it’s almost impossible. Even when the funds had been deposited in my bank account (in four days!), I still couldn’t believe it.” ~ Skip Church, Landscaper, Secured $23,000 In Funding

"My shop badly needed equipment upgrades. No matter what I tried I just couldn’t get the funding I needed on my own. When I found DBL they matched me with a lender right away and I had my funds in days. What a huge relief!” ~ Sharon Lawrence, Hair Stylist, Secured $38,000 In Funding

DIRECT BUSINESS LENDING DEDICATION TO CUSTOMER SUCCESS

"We work with thousands of small businesses each week and we take great pride in being able to assist so many American’s realize their dreams of owning their own business. The support and assistance towards business funding we provide has provided millions of dollars in business funding front he humble start up being run out of the basement on evenings and weekends all the way up to VC funded multi-million dollar businesses. The amount of calls, emails, thai you cards we receive is a constant reminder of how our team impacts the lives of so many people. Thank you for all your kind words, they are appreciated!

Direct Business Lending strives to be the very best in the industry and provide a funding solution for every business. For even the toughest files, it is our responsibility to be creative and find the best solutions.

Direct Business Lending client services team have expressed that they love doing their jobs and helping business owners achieve funding. The project manager at Direct Business Lending stated “Mr Fugate is the ultimate leader, he personally gets involved with clients, taking the time on evening or weekends to ensure a client is happy and successful, he makes all of us want to provide even better service to our clients. His attitude is infectious and we are all better because of him. Our clients know this as well, it’s great to receive this approval emails, that still brings a smile to my face and I’ve lost count of how many I’ve received.”

Direct Business Lending takes employee satisfaction seriously as well. Employees are encouraged to continual improve, go the extra mile and always support the client. Feedback and surveys reveal comments such as this: "Direct Business Lending is one of the greatest place to work. I have built lifelong relationships and have brought several friends to come work here. The openness of communication is like nothing I have ever experienced, it’s amazing that everyone has a voice, not just managers. As the company has grown so quickly, promotions happen quickly of the right people, I couldn't imagine working anywhere else. Jantzen is amazing to work for; he takes the time to listen and communicate with all employees and customers no matter the time of day." Ripoff Report was pleased to learn that Direct Business Lending’s past and current approach to business is focused on its pledge to total commitment towards client and employee satisfaction.

In summary, after our review, which included discussions with Mr. Fugate and many of his past and current associates, Ripoff Report is convinced that Direct Business Lending committed to quality delivery of services resulting in total client satisfaction.

Read more about why consumers should feel confident when doing business with a member of Ripoff Report's Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program. Yes, it’s a long name for a program that does a lot for both consumers and businesses alike.

Read about Rip-off Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program, a program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business. this program works.

As a matter of policy, when a business becomes a member of the Corporate Advocacy Programthey agree to allow Ripoff Report to contact every client who filed a complaint so they can make things right with them. In order to confirm that the complaints were resolved, Ripoff Report is copied on all responses so we can insure that the member business did right by their customer.

NOW TO THE ORIGINAL REPORT THAT WAS FILED

--------------------------------

Direct Business Lending Cammers Salt Lake City Utah

 I went online on December 26, 2013 to apply for a start-up loan of $10,000 for a business I'm in the process of opening. A representative from Direct Business Lending regarding our loan application contacted me. I explained to him that I do not have a good credit and as a result, I have been turned down by different banks. He assured me that this company would be able to get me a start up loan regardless of my credit.  

He scheduled an appointment for me to speak with my account manager the next day (12/27/13) and another one for the following Monday (12/30/13) with an underwriter named James.  On the 27th, about 30 minutes before my appointment, I received a call from a representative that the account manager had an ear infection and did not make it to work. The rep then rescheduled the appointment for Monday December 30th with the same account manager. The appointment with the underwriter was scheduled for the earlier part of the day and the one with the account manager was scheduled for later part of the day (5:00P.M) I believe.  

The underwriter James called me during the day on 12/30/13 for the scheduled appointment. He pulled my credit report and told me that my score was 640. However, the credit report needs to be cleaned up. They also need to build my business credit and give me a business email address although I already had one. They will also write a business plan for me. There were other services included in the package that were not necessary to me because I already have them all. I was told that the services would cost $3000.00. I needed to make a down payment of $152.00 and $148.00 per month. He suggested that we ask for $40,000 instead of $10,000 and that will make it easier for me to get the loan.  

I asked how long it would take for me to get the loan because I need it right away. He told me approximately five weeks because of my credit score being 640. I went ahead and made the first payment and signed the agreement.  I waited for the account manager to call me for my scheduled appointment, but I never heard from her.  I called back to find out what was going on and I was given all kinds of stories.  Now that they got my money, they do not care. James had no problem calling me to get money from me, but they cannot get an account manager to call me to start the process. 

I was very upset and I asked to speak with a manager. Jantzen came on the line and tried to help me. He had no idea of what was going on in my case.  He asked me all kinds of questions including my credit report that was just pulled by James.  It appears none of them are on the same page. The right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.  He told me he was going to serve as my account manager until they assign me another one.

I told him to ask James for a copy of my credit report since they all work for the same company, but conveniently, James was gone for the day and nobody could locate my credit report.  That in itself was very upsetting.  I asked him about the duration of the process and he confirmed that it would take approximately five weeks.  Now, there was nowhere in that conversation did he mention he is the owner of the company, so I thought he was just a supervisor.  When I asked him how they are going to build my business credit, I was told that the monthly payments I am making to them would build it.   

He scheduled an appointment for January 3, 2014 with a credit manager named Stormy.  The appointment was scheduled for 6:30 P.M. Stormy is assigned to work on my personal credit report.  Stormy called me at 6:15 P.M. on 1/3/14 to ask for my credit reports or she would not be able to proceed with the appointment. I asked why she did not gather all her facts before calling me. She had 4 days to prepare for this appointment.  I explained to her as I did to Jantzen that James has it. Between December 30th when I spoke with Jantzen and Jan 3rd, somebody should have obtained a copy of my credit reports from James by then.  

So it was ridiculous for her to call me 15 minutes prior to our scheduled appointment and asked for the reports as if I was told to provide it and failed to do so.  I made it clear to her that I did not pay them money for them to play stupid games with me. She put her supervisor (this woman) on the phone, who was extremely rude. I gave her a piece of my mind and I ended up pulling copies of all three-credit reports with her specific instructions. Somehow, she was able to access one, but not the other two (all part of the games they play).

Stormy went ahead with the appointment and asked me to email the rest to her. During the appointment, I was told that I would need to provide a copy of my credit reports every 30 days. They were going to be writing letters to the credit bureaus and email me the letters, so I can send them out. Apparently, the $3000.00 I am paying to them is not enough for them to pay for my credit reports every 30 days and stamps to mail the letters. Here I am in a cash-strapped and they keep taking the little bit I have left. They prey on the weak, which is extremely sickening.

I told both of the ladies that I was informed that I will get a loan within 5 weeks, which means they should be able to clean up my credit report and build my business credit within 5 weeks. The other lady said, "I am sorry if that is what they told you, but that is not how it works."  How is it that everybody has a different story and they all work for one company? Although every conversation is recorded, nobody seems to know what the other person said.  I cannot wait till a court subpoenas every conversation they have recorded and sees the discrepancies among them.  

James or Jantzen never told me that I would have to send in credit reports every 30 days until my credit is cleaned before I can receive a loan.  That would contradict with the promise that I will get a loan within 5 weeks. If I were told that at the initial stages prior to making the payment and signing the agreement, I would not have done it. I know I need a loan right away and I do not need to pay somebody money for several months to clean my credit before getting a loan.  This whole thing was misleading.

They never tell you the actual process until you enter into an agreement with them, as they know telling you the truth will turn you away.  As a matter of fact, there was nowhere in our conversation that James or Jantzen informed me that I am not guaranteed a loan. They both assured me that I would get a loan through them.  Trust me, I don't have the money to waist, so there was no way I would have sign on with these scammers if they had not guarantee me a loan.  I am so mad at myself for not reading the reviews on them before signing up with them.  But let me tell you, they are good at scamming. They know what to say to get you.

I sent all three reports again via email to Stormy the next day. I had to continue to leave her messages plus email before she finally responded that she was able to view two of them, but not the 3rd one. Go Figure! They had set me up for this thing called credit repair portal with user name and password. In the portal, there is a spot to upload files to the company so they can access them. I uploaded all three reports and notified Stormy, but she claimed she had no access to the portal. Only I have access to it. How Interesting!  

What is the point of me uploading files into the system if nobody, but I can access it?  I left a message for Jantzen to call me, but I did not hear from him until 1/11/14. When he called, he asked if I was aware that he is the owner of the company and I said "no".  Apparently he is very busy and that was why it took a while to get back to me. I made it clear to him about how unhappy I am with their customer service and the way they run business. He informed me that he was aware of it and that he is in the process of making changes.

It's been 4 weeks since I signed up with them so I called to find out when I will start receiving loans and I was told my credit score is not good enough. It is less than 640, which is different from what James saw. I have not done anything to it since then. I got angry and asked to speak with Jantzen, but he is always in an executive meeting, so he is not able to talk. On 1/24/14, he told a rep to tell me he will call me back, but I still have not heard from him. I have left several messages.  When they needed my money, everybody was there ton talk to me. Once they got it, it did not matter any more.  The reps are very rude and unprofessional. I sent them an email to close my account today and I will follow up until it is done. 

Every time I call, a new person answers the phone and asks me the same stupid questions I have been asked before. The ones who are assigned to my case never returns phone calls.  In a nutshell, these people are major scammers and everybody needs to stay far away from them.   



1 Updates & Rebuttals

Elizabeth and Laverne

Virginia Beach,
Virginia,
Direct Business Lending has resolved the issues I had with them

#2Author of original report

Fri, January 31, 2014

The owner of the company(Jantzen) personally called me this afternoon to find out why I was so upset. He had been very busy and that was why he could not get back to me until this afternoon. He was very nice and professional. He took the time to listen to my concerns and promised to handle my case personally from this point on. He was able to send me some funding resources, which seems very promising.  I have never had an owner of any company calling me to resolve my issues before. Jantzen takes pride in his work and business.  As a small business owner, I understand it's not easy to handle it all and sometimes it's difficult to find the right people to work for you.  I really appreciate him taking the time to work with me. I am confident that he will fulfill his promise to help me find the funding I need for my business. I let my emotions get the best of me and sent a negative review earlier out of anger.  I am sorry Jantzen for that. 

Sincerely,

 Elizabeth Oppong

Reports & Rebuttal
Respond to this report!
Also a victim?
Repair Your Reputation!
//