Quick Answer: US Legal Service Group appears to front-load fees heavily, with one example showing a client paying $700-800 monthly but having only $1,200 in their settlement account after 20 months. The company operates through recruiters like Ryan Amir and works with USCR Processing as a middleman in their attorney-based debt resolution model.
The following email below was sent in by a tipster (send in your tips here).
Tipster Submission
I got this email after filling out an affiliate request for info from www.merchleads.com. This email is disturbing.
The email comes from a guy named Ryan Amir whose direct number is 818-822-4800. He does recruiting for US Legal Services Group who works with USCR Processing out of NJ.
Every weekday I read the enforcement actions, filings and fine print the outlets skip, and turn them into the one or two moves that actually improve your position — a rate worth moving for, a fee you can refuse, a deadline to beat before it costs you.
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They seem to be a middle man and a total [Redacted]. You have written about USLS before. I allowed Ryan to “pitch me” the program. They do a face to face model, that is not the issue.
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The issue is that on the test client they showed me, the client with 40k in debt pays about 700-800 per month for 48 months. At month 20 of the program, they only had like $1,200 in their SPA account. They front load more now than they did before October 27th, 2010.
They need to be exposed. I did a little research. Ankur Patel and Dennis Canlas are the registered owners of USCR Processing out of NJ. Here is the recruiting email:
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Ryan – Affiliate Manager
Date: Feb [Redacted], 2011
Subject: Hi [Redacted}, Attorney Based Debt Resolution Wins Over Debt Settlement Affiliates.
To: [Redacted]
Attorney Based Debt Resolution Wins Over Debt Settlement Affiliates.
Immediate Assistance (800) 677 – 1194
If you are not with one of them already, you’re likely to join the debt settlement affiliates who are quickly transitioning to the attorney-based debt resolution model, as it has prevailing advantages over the “green state” model (the States that don’t require an attorney to settle consumer debt).
Both models are quite similar. The key difference is that, with the attorney-based model, attorneys resolve the debt versus just anyone (literally) getting on the phone as a representative of the consumer. This is better known as a “back-end debt settlement wedding factory” which, unfortunately, might know what to say, but doesn’t know what to do.
Curiously enough, back-end debt settlement companies are popping up like wedding factories, offering their services – “you sell, we’ll settle”. It’s all just marketing, and the wrong people can be found working in the debt settlement business. This is a result of the fact that there is no barrier to entry, and it’s an unregulated industry. These companies are proving to be sloppy, inaccessible and not consumer-friendly.
These factories advertise religiously on Google to lure the “first time” sales offices into their marketing web. Just like the couple looking to get married for the “first time”, and who enter into a marriage not knowing what to expect or what to ask, so have sales offices entered into a debt settlement affiliation, also not knowing what to expect or what to ask.
So, the downfall of the debt settlement industry has begun as pending legislation looks to particularly favor the attorney-based debt resolution model versus the non-attorney debt settlement model. The thought process is that an attorney has a far greater professional stake at hand should errors be made, whereas the salesperson utilizing the unregulated model will suffer no professional consequences should mistakes and harm to the consumer occur.
Clearly, the answer is to partner with an attorney-based debt resolution company. However, it is of utmost importance to choose one which has stood the test of time, and caters equally to veterans of the industry as to those who are new at offering debt resolution to their clients.
First and foremost, and as any industry veteran will advise you, watch your cash flow; be sure to work with a company that has made a commitment to pay you accelerated commissions within the first 3 to 5 months. This is a vital component in deferring the expense of leads and client acquisition, as well as covering sales representative’s commissions. Keep in mind that the number one reason new businesses go out of business is because they have exhausted their working capital. Use these recommendations, and you can make life- altering money as a debt resolution affiliate in perhaps the biggest debt arbitrage this Country has ever seen.
In conclusion, debt resolution training for your sales force is paramount to your company’s success. You might think you know what you’re doing and saying – but until you have successfully pitched it yourself, such that you can immediately reply to the client’s questions with cogent answers, training would prove highly beneficial to your bottom line.
Moreover, with the proper debt resolution training, you will begin to close a deal each day per agent. With 10 sales agents, you should be closing 200 transactions a month. Many don’t, but just as many do, so affiliate with a debt resolution company that offers an organized training program that will:
1) Provide complimentary, ongoing introductory training for your new sales agents – this allows you to remain focused on your own deals and/or producing agents, recruiting, etc.
2) Arrange interactive conference calls – this enables your sales force to ask questions and get answers, increasing their comprehension of the industry and therefore their success
3) Offer ongoing sales training via webinars and conference calls
4) Commit to world class customer support.
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