“Dear Steve,
Hi Steve, do you know anything about a Consumer Advocacy network that consists mainly of attorneys and are assisting in the settlement of unsecured debt?
I was contacted by an individual who claimed to be with the network and told me that a representative from Karger Consulting Group would be contacting me. It all sounds good in that my debt would be paid off in 23 payments should I choose to accept their assistance.
Do you know anything about them?
Kay”
Dear Kay,
There are a number of companies that use the phrase Consumer Advocacy in their name. It’s wildly generic. I’d need to know more information about the company, like the full name or web address to make any comment about them.
But from what you describe it sounds like someone is trying to sell you a debt relief service and they sound like a marketer or intermediate sales person.
I did take a look at the Karger Consulting Group website and I can see they are selling a debt settlement program. – Source
The negotiations page on the website makes some statements that concern me. For example, they say:
Based upon what you are able to pay each month into your settlement account, we can determine how many months you will be part of the program, and ultimately be debt free.
Generally, we estimate we can reduce your debt by 40% to 60% of the current total.
And you’ve already been told that a 23 month program will do the trick for you. But there are some important facts you need to gather.
- What is their track record and what percentage of all people enrolled in the program have eliminated all of their debt through debt settlement while in the program?
- What percentage of people eliminated all of their debt in the estimated length of time?
- What is the specific percentage of savings achieved by people that eliminated all their debts, including program fees?
The Federal Trade Commission provides very specific advice for companies making such performance claims and warns the estimates must be backed with facts. Read Debt Relief Services & the Telemarketing Sales Rule: A Guide for Business.
The Karger Consulting Group debt website also says:
We have seen numerous people file for bankruptcy when their debt problems could have been solved in less than half the time a bankruptcy would stay on their record.
When you settle a debt the amount of debt forgiven shows as a bad debt for seven years on the credit report. In a chapter 7 bankruptcy the debt is fully discharged in about 90 days and the bankruptcy notation will remain for ten years.
So it appears their statement says it will take five years to settle and eliminate your debts but in a chapter 7 bankruptcy it would have taken just 90 days.
The front page of the site says:
Please don’t panic, you’re working with a law firm. If court becomes a necessity, we will go to court on your behalf and defend your rights!
William Karger Mystery
William H. Karger, Esq. is listed as the founder of the Karger Consulting Group which was formed in 2001. The website points to a Florida telephone number and makes references to Karger being located in Florida. – Source
According to the Florida Bar Association there is no William Karger licensed in Florida to practice law.
Additionally, the State of Florida reports the Karger Consulting Group, formed in 2001, is not registered as a business in Florida after it was voluntarily dissolved in 2011 along with Erik Woodbury as a member. The dissolution document states the company folded because “multiple occurrences of state and federal regulation changes that had created insurmountable business hurdles.” – Source
Karger also says he is a member of the bar association in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. A search of the DC Bar Association website could not locate him. A search of the Virginia State Bar was able to locate him as an active member and eligible to practice law.
A search of the Maryland State Bar Association was able to locate him as well.
So unless you live in Virginia or Maryland then Mr. Karger could not represent you as a lawyer and I have significant reservations if he is going to fly from Florida to Virginia or Maryland to represent you in court.
Karger Consulting Group
In researching your question I cam across a different website for Karger Consulting Group that appears entirely real estate focussed on seems to promote mass joinder types of actions that have been discredited. This Karger Consulting Group says it is located at 10411 Motor City Drive, Suite 750, Bethesda, Maryland 20817. The State of Maryland reports there is no company registered under that name.
The address is for a virtual office space. – Source
But apparently Karger himself describe Karger Consulting Group in such broad terms it seems hard to believe his focus is debt resolution.
Strategic Small Business Consultant
Assisting small businesses in a vide variety of areas such as: Financial analysis, marketing and business plan preparation, staff augmentation, vendor/supplier contract negotiation, RFP drafting and response, SBA and angel financing, asset purchase and sale, real estate purchase and sale, intellectual property and software licensing, leasing, corporate formation, trademark and copyright registration and prosecution and all legal issues associated therewith.Also versed in all manners of financial and insurance planning, including but not limited to, business succession estate planning, trusts, life insurance, disability insurance, long term care, college planning, retirement planning and full service business consulting, such as, transaction and vendor contracting.
In addition, we are a full service law firm with offices in Maryland. Our firm concentrates on small business advisory services. – Source
Bottom Line
I invite you to do your own research and see what you can find out using the guides below.
- 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 Credit Counseling or Debt Settlement Company for You
- How to Check Out a Business or Company to Avoid Getting Scammed or Ripped Off
But when it comes to your debt situation, we don’t even know what is the best solution for your situation.
I’d suggest you first read How to Get Out of Debt. The Honest and Unvarnished Truth and The Truth About The Success Rates, Failure Rates and Completion Rates of Credit Counseling, Debt Settlement, and Bankruptcy. They will give you a great overview of what we need to deal with to get you moving in the right direction.
Then use the free How to Get Out of Debt Calculator to review your options.
Once you’ve identified a company you want to work with, then follow my step-by-step guide on what you should look for and expect from a good debt relief company.
Bonus Video Answer
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Karger consulting llc2 is a total ripoff they took 800$ from me and never paid none of my debt and I could never get my money back from them I contacted everyone I could think of but no one could help me get my money back and that was in 2016 if anyone can help me I would greatly appreciate it
I just had a bad experience with this company. I had started with them a couple months ago, and was paying at first about $600 a month, than due to my finances down to $400 a month. They won’t go less than this. I didn’t realize I was supposed to be talking to my customer service rep, whose name was Pat until half way through this process. I always spoke to a man in Negotiations named Craig. At least he was decent and gave good customer service. Whenever there were issues and there were he would help smoothe it over. However, if I didn’t have his extension to reach him by you may not be able to speak to him. I had an experience where I was trying to resolve an issue and was told by Craig to call another number for another department to check the status the following week. When I did call, the man I spoke to came across with an attitude and told me that he didn’t know what I was talking about. I told him Craig told me to call him to check how things were progressing, and he put me on hold to call him then came back and told me that he just spoke to him and that he didn’t know what I was talking about. So, I called Craig and was upset wondering why I’m being lied to. He told me they would take care of this guy, and from now on just to call him and he gave me his extension to use from than on. Than another time I didn’t have Craigs extension and called the direct line and was switched to Pat, who I was told later by Craig was the guy I was supposed to talk to to begin with. However, this guy did not seem to know what was going on. He kept putting me on hold to ask questions. Finally, I said is Craig there and was transferred to him. I just stopped working with this company this past week. I had one loan company that had always been good to me in the past, and I originally wasn’t sure I wanted to include them. This loan company called me once and asked if I could just go back to paying them even a small amount each month-which I agreed to. Craig called me to tell me they called wanting to settle for an amount and asked he asked if I wanted to put them back on the case. I said that was fine. The following week, this past week, I received a letter from this loan company which I had paid a small fee to this past month, saying they were going to take me to court for failure to pay the loan. I didn’t understand this since I received a call from Craig that they were going to settle and I had made a payment just in the past month. So I called this loan company, and they left a message saying that a month ago they called about the settlement amount to Karger and never got a response, and when they try to call no one answers. They even did a check on this company and were concerned for me about what they discovered-they even told me to be careful of what they were doing with payments I gave. I was upset so I called Karger’s at Craig’s extension, which he tends to answer if his extension is used, but I only got his answer service which was odd since he usually answered it n the past. I told him he needed to call me about an issue. He never did that day. So the following day I called again and he didn’t answer, and so I left a message saying, I’m giving this place an ultimatum that they either call by the end of the day or I’m going to drop their services. He never responded to this. But, the next day when I called through customer service, not his extension, I was transferred to him. He told me he didn’t listen to his messages from the previous day, but I told him I left messages from the last two days. He really didn’t have an answer for this. I told him I decided to go with another company and to please not take out a fee scheduled for the end of this week. He said it was already pending. I told him if it goes through I will put a claim against at my bank. So, he told me they would reverse this for me. I told him I would not pursue getting my money back since he seemed to be good about things, but I wasn’t happy with services overall. After I got off the phone, the main lawyer, I believe it was Karger called me and told me that the firm decided not to work with me because I was not going to be able to pay my fee. So he was calling to cancel my services. I told him I did this cancelled, not him. So please I would tell anyone who is considering their services to think twice. I eventually did more research online and found a firm called Care 1, that had a rating of 9/10, they do debt consolidating. They have an A rating from the BBB. They are going to work on all my debt, they deal with loans, credit cards and unsecured debts. I feel so much better now that I have their services. I’m not sure but this place may not be legitimate.