Question:
Dear Steve,
I have multiple payday loans. A company offered me debt relief.
Is First Choice Advocacy legit?
Jamaal
Answer:
Dear Jamaal,
I have written about First Choice Advocacy before and I would direct you to these posts.
The term “legit” is always problematic. I have no idea what that means to you.
As I generally say, only you, the customer and purchaser of services, can determine if any company is right for you.
I would recommend that anyone considering using such a company should read the following free guides.
- The Ultimate Consumer Guide to Checking Out a Debt Relief Company Before You Sign On the Line
- 10 Must Do Steps to Find the Best Counseling or Settlement Company for You
- How to Check Out a Business or Company to Avoid Getting Scammed or Ripped Off
If you do your research, closely read and understand any client agreement any company asks you to sign, and become a customer of any company, then as far as I’m concerned, you have made an informed decision about using their services.
There is not one data point that should determine if you should become a paying client of a company or avoid one.
If a company is being open and honest with you, a good indication involves the consumer asking questions and getting honest answers.
For example, what percentage of customers have eliminated all of their debt using the service? Have any experienced any negative consequences like being sued? Would a $2,000 consumer bankruptcy that eliminates all debt legally in about 90 days and silences creditors be a better fit?
I did notice that First Choice Advocacy has an F rating with the BBB. However, that alone is not a clear sign of trouble since BBB ratings have been all over the board.
However, one fact that caught my attention on the BBB page was that the company had had 30 complaints closed in the last three years, and 14 of those were in the last year.
I would encourage you to read the complaints to see if they might raise some questions you’d like to ask the company before paying for services.
Not every complaint is fatal. Some are the result of a misunderstanding of services to be provided.
But an issue that concerns me is that the consumer complaints submitted to the BBB have gone unanswered by the company. Why?
People can have one issue or another, but from the BBB complaints, it appears most of the unhappiness surrounds “Problem with a Product or Service.”
Let me know what you decide to do by posting an update in the comments section below. In addition, I’d be interested to know what you ultimately decided to do after doing your assigned homework.
You are not alone. I'm here to help. There is no need to suffer in silence. We can get through this. Tomorrow can be better than today. Don't give up.
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