John
Louisville,#2Consumer Comment
Wed, February 25, 2009
Common sense here....deliberately defaulting on credit cards to attempt settlements...either done on your own or if you've hired a debt settlement firm to do it for you...is a risky move that can land you up in court. Think: judgements and wage garnishment.
Stefenys
Orange,#3Author of original report
Wed, February 25, 2009
At the request of the VP of Halo Debt Group I am posting this update. Halo Debt has refunded me the service fees I paid them, an amount of $1,398. I filed a claim with the Better Business Bureau to get this result and they are still keeping the enrollment fee I paid them in the amount of $1,498. My situation and opinion of Halo Debt and their service remains completely unchanged. I am glad that I was refunded my money, but never the less am still extremely disappointed in the end result. As mentioned in my original post, all of my accounts are in extreme default and after just over 1 year I have 2 lawsuits pending and a credit score of 511 (before the program I had a 712)! How did they think I could stay on the program for 3 years??? Anyways, bankruptcy has become my best solution and I look forward to putting this all behind me! Here is my advice to anyone considering help from a company like Halo... first, get educated on ALL of your options. If you feel debt settlement is your best bet, consider doing it on your own! You will be able to save and settle much quicker on your own, and creditors PREFER to work with you directly! Buy a book on the subject, try "How to Settle Your Debts" by Norman Perlmutter (only $13 on Amazon). If you decide to invlove a company like Halo anyways, do yourself a favor and READ THE CONTRACT very very very thoroughly and question anything which is unclear and get those answers IN WRITING! Do NOT trust anyone's words! Best of luck! -Stefeny-
Billcoll01
MESA,#4Consumer Suggestion
Tue, December 23, 2008
THESE COMPANIES CHARGE A RETAINER FEE ON TOP OF THE ENROLLMENT FEES THAT ARE USUALLY 15-20% OF THE DEBTLOAD IN YOUR CASE AT LEAST 4500.00 WHICH MEANS YOU WOULD HAVE PAID ANOTHER HALF YEAR JUST TO PAY THE RETAINER!! ALL DEBT SETTLEMENT COMPANIES ARE RIPOFFS...PERIOD