Question:
Dear Steve,
We owe student debt and are talking to The Student Loan Help Center in Tampa.
What do you know about the reputation and success rate of this company?
What is the reputation of BRUCE Mesnekoff and his Tampa based company?
Ben
Answer:
Dear Ben,
I don’t have a clue what their reputation or success rate is.
When it comes to just basic checking out a business, I have these free guides you can use.
- The Ultimate Consumer Guide to Checking Out a Debt Relief Company Before You Sign On the Line
- How to Check Out a Business or Company to Avoid Getting Scammed or Ripped Off
When it comes to success rates, that’s a question you will have to ask the company. But be sure you get an understanding of how they define success.
The company seems to pitch themselves as a document preparation company.
That is something to focus on for a moment. Document preparation companies by their very definition are not student loan consultants, they are companies which hopefully skillfully and accurately help people to fill out the forms the consumer wants completed.
And as far as I know, The Student Loan Help Center could be the worlds best company at filling out the forms.
When it comes to student loan solutions, the bigger issue is always not the form that needs to be completed but the strategy that should be implemented. For example, completing forms just to put someone into a consolidation or income driven repayment plan do have consequences. Read Why Income Based Student Loan Payments Can Be a Terrible Trap.
So is the company advising you on best plans and/or strategies based on your debt and future or are they just a document preparation company. It seems a tough logical leap to say we are only a document preparation company but we can give you best advice on your loans. Which is it?
Look, The Student Loan Help Center does a better than average job in providing disclosures to website visitors. Here are some disclosures on their site which seem open and honest.
- “The Student Loan Help Center assists consumers with federal student loan consolidation preparation and filing services. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the U. S. Department of Education. Like filing a tax return, you can file a consolidation without professional assistance and without charge at loanconsolidation.ed.gov.”
- “We offer Professional Document Preparation Services.”
- “The Student Loan Help Center is a private organization and is not a government entity. The Student Loan Help Center assists consumers by providing professional student loan consolidation preparation services. Like filing a tax return, you can file a student loan consolidation without professional assistance and without charge at http://loanconsolidation.ed.gov. The Student Loan Help Center is Not Affiliated With or Endorsed By The U.S. Department of Education. The contents of this site are not and should not be construed as legal advice. Additionally, it is not a solicitation for debt settlement, debt management, debt relief, or for assistance with any consumer debt.”
- “CLIENT acknowledges that the Document Preparation Fee paid to The Student Loan Help Center is for the preparation of documentation in accordance with the Service Agreement.”
- “The Student Loan Help Center assists consumers by providing professional student loan consolidation preparation services.”
As far as some quick background checking on the company, here is five minutes of research. But you are free to use my link s above to do your own checking.
Company Address: 2660 Cypress Ridge Blvd, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544
Company Name: In Florida, The Student Loan Help Center is a registered fictitious name. The company appears to actually be Brelvis Consulting, LLC.
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Open in new tab Brelvis Consulting, LLC: The company appears to be current with the State of Florida on corporate filings.
There seem to have been or are additional companies. That doesn’t mean anything really, I was just on that page so I took a screenshot.
BBB Information: The BBB currently gives the company a C rating and provides the following alert, “BBB files indicate that The Student Loan Help Center has a pattern of complaints stating that the business does not consolidate loans after the consumer pays an initial fee. Complaints further show that consumers request for refunds go unanswered by the business.
In September 2014 and July 2015, BBB sent a request to The Student Loan Help Center to address this pattern and what actions the business has taken to help eliminate the causes of complaints. As of today’s date, BBB has not received a response from the business.” – Source
Bottom Line
I think I’ve given you some things to consider regarding the service you may be purchasing, some things you can ask and check for yourself, and a five minute look at who the company is. Only you can determine what service provider you want to hire.
Let me know what you decide to do by posting an update in the comments section below.
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