Latest Posts
Home > Rate and Review > Credit Counseling / Debt Management > Apprisen Financial Advocates – Scam, Complaint, Review, or Praise?

Apprisen Financial Advocates – Scam, Complaint, Review, or Praise?

Posted by: Steve Rhode April 10, 2010 in Credit Counseling / Debt Management

Please share your experience with this debt relief company and provide your review and feedback, in the comments section below.

The goal of this page is to allow people to share information that may be important to help others to make a more informed decision regarding their experience with this debt relief company. Here are some potential questions you might be able to provide feedback about.

  • How did you feel about the customer service experience you received?
  • Was the company easy to communicate with before or after you became a client?
  • Did the company respond to your communications promptly?
  • What were the fees charged for the services you received?
  • Did the company give you the terms and conditions for the program you were interested in before you gave them any personal information?
  • Was the program successful for you and accomplish the goals you had when you entered the program?
  • Did you have a really good experience you can share?
  • Did you have a bad experience you want to share?
  • Is there any other information you’d like people to know that might be considering the services of this company?

It is important to understand when reading comments below that they are the opinions of the individual posters and may not be representative of the overall impression of all consumers that may have or have not used the debt relief services of this company. But everyone does deserve to have an opportunity to express their opinion, even the debt relief company itself, be it good, bad, or indifferent.

Get Out of Debt Free Hotline

morehelp1
Choice1
Choice2
Choice3
Get Out of Debt Guy – Twitter, G+, Facebook

[poll id=”285″]
Get Out of Debt Free Hotline
debt settlement helpstudent loan help

Tagged with:

About Steve Rhode

Steve Rhode
Steve Rhode is the Get Out of Debt Guy and has been helping good people with bad debt problems since 1994. You can learn more about Steve, here.
  • Toni from Ky.

    I was surprised when I received the 13 page stuff that I had tried to read and understand, before signing the pages–even my mother had a difficult time reading and understanding it!! I felt I was signing my life away!! I haven’t signed these pages yet–I’m not sure I will.

  • Ti Hewitt

    Been working with them for several years with no complaints until yesterday when I encountered a terribly rude contact representative. I flat out told her that she was being rude. I did not make a formal complaint and assumed she was having a bad day. Read reviews that reveled that they are horrible to their employees.

  • Memasherry

    I started my debt program with Apprisen 3 1/2 years ago, I almost had my debt paid off when I lost my job. I am now back on track and looking at only a few months left of being debt free. I have never had a problem with the Apprisen staff, always a phone call or email away.

  • Megan_wolfe

    Hello. I live in Kentucky and have completed one year of DMP payments. I have had no trouble contacting Apprisen as anytime. I am able to email or call and they have always been patient with my many questions. I have been sure to contact my debtors and ask about my account status to make sure funds were paid. In fact, one 5/3 customer service rep said that she was very familiar with Aprrisen and had seen many accounts paid off from 5/3 customers who used them. My experience has been very positive and I would reccomend Apprisen to those who need financial guidance. I’ve paid off one credit card this year with a 5,000 balance and plan to pay off two more as well as two hospital bills in the next two years. I do pay a monthly fee BUT Apprisen negotiated with my credit card companies to lower my interest rates (something I could do but don’t want to do) and Apprisen communicates with the hospital credit bureau people. In the past, the hospital credit bureau has been down right nasty to me. For instance, due to my daughter’s weak immune system I was unable to work (she was in isolation). No daycare, no playground, no grocery, no mall–you get the picture. It was a rough year. My husband and I survived on his one paycheck while trying to pay our school loans, rent, car payments, insurance, credit cards, and hospital bills. At one point my hospital bureau system worker asked me how I was able to pay my cell phone and told me, not recommended me, to turn my phone off so that I could pay my bills. She knows my daughter’s health issues. I have to have a phone. After that, Apprisen talks to this woman for me. I am so thankful for this.

    • http://www.consumerrecoverynetwork.com/ Michael

      Hi Megan,

      I consider myself a perpetual student of debt and credit. I am always learning and seeking a better understanding of relief available to those of us struggling with debts.
      Can you help me understand how your debt management program with Apprisen is structured in a way that allows for pay off of a 5k account in 12 months? Did you provide extra money to them in order to pay this off quicker? Did you send additional money yourself to the credit card lender?

  • Mimi

    I live in Kentucky. My local counselor was helpful, seemed well educated and was very easy to contact. I’ve been in the program for about six months now. There were a few minor issues in the beginning r/t getting my debtors to agree to the plan, but Apprisen was always right on top of things and the plan is running smoothly now. I have never had any problem making contact with the company. They have always been very prompt with their responses, even if I had to leave a message. I will have my debt paid off in less than three years. Admittedly, the monthly payments have been very challenging, but in the process I have learned to manage my finances much more realistically. I’ve had to sacrifice many things that were important to me, but have learned to appreciate what really matters. I can’t think of a single negative thing to say about my experience with this company or the people I’ve worked with, both in person and over the phone.

  • Mimi

    I live in Kentucky. My local counselor was helpful, seemed well educated and was very easy to contact. I’ve been in the program for about six months now. There were a few minor issues in the beginning r/t getting my debtors to agree to the plan, but Apprisen was always right on top of things and the plan is running smoothly now. I have never had any problem making contact with the company. They have always been very prompt with their responses, even if I had to leave a message. I will have my debt paid off in less than three years. Admittedly, the monthly payments have been very challenging, but in the process I have learned to manage my finances much more realistically. I’ve had to sacrifice many things that were important to me, but have learned to appreciate what really matters. I can’t think of a single negative thing to say about my experience with this company or the people I’ve worked with, both in person and over the phone.

  • Guest2

    Why are they greedy? I met with them Monday for the first time. They wanted me to do a $50 “thing” to help prepare me for bankruptcy. Is this necessary or will legal aid do this for me? They told me they would waive $50 for the counseling certificate due to my low income.

  • Guest

    They have very unethical business practices. I used to work for them. Believe me when I say you should not trust them with your money. I have never worked for such money greedy people in my life.

  • Guest

    They have very unethical business practices. I used to work for them. Believe me when I say you should not trust them with your money. I have never worked for such money greedy people in my life.

    • Guest2

      Why are they greedy? I met with them Monday for the first time. They wanted me to do a $50 “thing” to help prepare me for bankruptcy. Is this necessary or will legal aid do this for me? They told me they would waive $50 for the counseling certificate due to my low income.

      • Non

        They are greedy because they charge their customers a fee even when they know that they cannot possibly afford it. When I worked their they fee was on a sliding scale, but some people might not meet the income requirements to have it waived…but in my opinion they still couldn’t afford it. In terms of the bankruptcy counseling the US Trustees actually require that they charge a fee(or at least that is what I was told). But the fee for their monthly DMP is unreasonable in some cases. And make sure you keep track of everything you pay them! If there is a remaining balance left with them after your debt is paid off THEY WILL KEEP IT unless you ask for it back!!!

      • http://GetOutOfDebt.org Steve Rhode

        Some groups do not charge a fee for their bankruptcy counseling. I even wrote about one group that gives it away for free. See http://getoutofdebt.org/34513/pre-bankruptcy-credit-counseling-certificate-need-one-i-found-the-cheapest-class-online-here

      • ED

        The US Trustees office does not require that they charge a fee.  It MUST be waived if the income level of the client is below 150% of the poverty level for the size of the family.  Greed has definitely become a factor in how this once great organization determines it’s so called….best practices.  Non-profit….I have my doubts.

  • Bbooth6

    Outstanding company! All employees were polite, unerstanding and patient to my needs.

  • Bbooth6

    Outstanding company! All employees were polite, unerstanding and patient to my needs.

  • Sandra

    How much did they charge for their help and was it monthly or weekly,etc?

    • Beth

      I live in Washington State and my counselor has been very receptive and helpful. We are setup to pay $25 for their service and it is until the balances are paid off which is approximately 3 years. And even though an account gets paid off they roll that amount of money into the next accounts payment so help to get it paid off sooner from what was explained to me.

    • Patricia

      They charge $25 once a month. It is a sliding fee based on income with the max set at $25/mo.

      • Anonymous

        I am just getting started with them and they said the max rate is $35 for setup and $35 per month, total (not per creditor or anything like that) New rates for a new year perhaps but still very reasonable.

  • Kyle

    + Lost my job, and now cannot afford the massive DMP payment. I cannot reach either the office in Ohio, nor my local guy that set it up. I’m going to have to place a stop payment on the ACH to prevent overdraft fees.

    + Idiot financial advisor “forgot” to include a couple of my debts in the DMP, so Citibank just didn’t get paid for the last 2 months. I now owe over $100 in late fees and back interest on a $500 balance.

    + Don’t bother calling their offices, because you don’t have the option to hold, but only to leave a message which NO ONE will return.

    • denise

      I’ve had a similar experience with another company but through a project at work I researched Apprisen and have been very pleased with their services. I’ve actually never waited more than 1 day for a return call or email from their office.
      I would like to recommend my contact person at Apprisen in Ohio who has been very reachable. She even offered her personal cellphone number to our network of over 60,000 women! Her name is Mary Hurlburt and if you call her I’m sure she would be interested in hearing your concerns so she can help. Her number is 513-366-4500 ext. 1398. I hope this isn’t too late to help you. Good luck!

    • ED

      It’s the way they operate.  DMP pushers, whether it’s in your best interest or not.  Don’t blame the counselor though, they were only acting on orders from the top or take the risk of losing their jobs.  The Ohio office you are referring to is Apprisen…..they take over smaller, great customer service offices, downsize them, and then shut them down.  All clients must then report to Ohio….the central location . I know, I was one of those smaller agencies that they took over and closed.  Many of my clients have found me through facebook and are absolutely appalled at their deplorable tactics.  Non-Profit…I have my doubts.

Site Terms - Copyright, 2015, Myvesta Foundation, All Rights Reserved

Get My FREE Get Out of Debt Guy Newsletter

It is the smart thing to do.

I promise to keep your email safe and secure.

Close

I want to keep you posted each weekday with just one email about the latest get out of debt news, scam alerts and information to beat back debt.

You can unsubscribe at any time with just one click.

After you subscribe, check your email to confirm your subscription. If the confirmation email does not appear in your inbox in a few minutes, check your spam folder for it. Sometimes it likes to annoyingly hide there.


  • It will keep you posted on the latest scams.
  • You will be alerted to the latest articles.
  • You will wind up smarter than everyone else dealing with debt.

Get My FREE Get Out of Debt Guy Newsletter

It is the smart thing to do.

I promise to keep your email safe and secure.

Close

I want to keep you posted each weekday with just one email about the latest get out of debt news, scam alerts and information to beat back debt.

You can unsubscribe at any time with just one click.

After you subscribe, check your email to confirm your subscription. If the confirmation email does not appear in your inbox in a few minutes, check your spam folder for it. Sometimes it likes to annoyingly hide there.


  • It will keep you posted on the latest scams.
  • You will be alerted to the latest articles.
  • You will wind up smarter than everyone else dealing with debt.