Company Name
Student Consulting Group
Marketing Message
“It would be great if I had some extra cash right now.”
Who hasn’t said that more than once? I sure have. Whether it was to pay for a nice dinner, to go on a vacation, or to just buy something I wanted. It really hurts doubly when you say that and you need that extra cash to pay for something unexpected like an illness or emergency. Let’s look at where your money goes. Is there anywhere you could cut expenses and save more? I know one area you could begin saving money in as little as 6 weeks: your student loans!
If you’re currently repaying several different student loans at various interest rates, a great deal of your income is being eaten up making it virtually impossible to save money. Now imagine how great your life would be if you were paying only ONE student loan with a much lower payment. This would be a huge help in resolving those money woes. With a student loan consolidation you can achieve this! You receive lower monthly repayments and the convenience of just having one payment instead of several different ones. Now instead of “It would be great if…” it becomes “Yes I can do that!”
That’s just one of many services we offer at the Student Consulting Group! We can also:
– Help clients get out of default and eliminate collection agency fees!
– Consolidate all your student loans into ONE single monthly payment!
– PREVENTING, STOPPING, AND ENDING wage garnishment!
– STOP federal tax offsets!
– Lower monthly payments, sometimes as low as $25 per month!
– Regain financial aid eligibility to enroll in school by next semester!!
– Eliminate 50%-100% of your student loan debt through various forgiveness programs!
All this and more in as little as 4 weeks! We’ve helped thousands of clients just like you! We get GUARANTEED RESULTS! Read what some of our past clients have to say about us! http://fixmystudentloan.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=4
Together we can make it happen! It’s easy and simple, just call 888-905-1456 or visit our website at www.fixmystudentloan.com or www.defaultloanhelp.com to request a no-obligation personal phone consultation today!
Chris Grillo
Trusted Advisor
888-905-1464
cgrillo@studentcg.com
FIXMYSTUDENTLOAN.COM DEFAULTLOANHELP.COM
Testimonial
I am pleased to add my testimony to the countless others about the satisfaction I received when decided to go with Student Consulting Group!! I was in default on my student loans, and had been in garnishment for over 5 years!! I would get raises at my job, but because of the garnishment, they would never reach my pocket! To make matters worse my garnishments were doing NOTHING to my actual loan amount! I was in a poor financial situation and it was affecting my well-being! I went online and found Student Consulting Group. I was weary at first, because often things are promised w/o any true delivery. These gentlemen (Troy, Jackson and Blake) were OUTSTANDING!! Each played a critical role in helping me understand the process, re-consolidate my loans, release my garnishment and put me on a path to restoring my financial picture! I just picked up my first full paycheck in over 5 years!! I cannot say enough about the wonderful service and care I received at Student Consulting Group! I don’t know where I would be if it weren’t for them!! Thanks again gentlemen and I wish you to be blessed as you all have blessed me!
Timothy S.
Boston, MA
Our Impression of What the Company Offers to Consumers
The company is sending out marketing information to assist people with student loan consolidation assistance. Their website lists no experience or services that match the claims in the email shown above.
When I called the company and spoke to a representative they said they are actually in Florida with an office in Atlanta. When I pressed the representative she said I could go to the Department of Education for free but that other loan servicers would not offer me the free consolidation and reduced payment option.
There is a fee for the services but she was unable to tell me what it was. She said there was no monthly fee.
The company website fixmystudentloans.com appears to be geared primarily to students which are in default.
Address
Student Consulting Group; Inc.
817 W. Peachtree St
Ste 920
Atlanta, Ga 30308 – Source
Student Consulting Group, Inc.,
777 S. Harbour Island Blvd
Suite 280
Tampa, FL 33602 – Source
Additional Contact Information
customerservice@StudentCG.com – Source
BBB Information
BBB has received a pattern of complaints from customers alleging that the business has failed to perform student loan consolidation services after having been paid for such services.
On July 12, 2012, BBB contacted University of One, requesting information as to why the business believes the customers are filing the complaints, and what actions the business has taken to help eliminate the causes of complaints.
University of One does not believe that it has a pattern of complaints, and stated that it may be getting more complaints because of the increase in volume of clients it is serving. The business stated that it explains to all customers the estimated time frame it will take to complete the service (on average 4-8 weeks, sometimes longer). Delays in service can occur when customers do not disclose full details regarding their financial condition. – Source
Company Description
“Student Consulting Group represents a new and innovative concept of assisting people with their educational needs, desires, and goals. With the wealth of information available today, thousands of colleges and universities, as well as educational grants and scholarships, we’ve found it can be both overwhelming and frustrating for most people to be able to effectively use to their advantage.” – Source
Management
Principal: Mr. Scott Klein (Member)
Mr. Michael Crook
Mr. Derek B. Kramer (Vice President)
According to Linkedin Kramer was a car salesman up until 2011 when he became the managing partner for Student Consulting Group. – Source
Mr. Cornelius R. Scott (Managing Member) – Source, 25715937
Company Information
Student Loan Consulting Group was formed on March 21, 2011 as University of One, Inc. – Source
The company changed their name on December 17, 2012 to Student Loan Consulting Group. – Source
Even though the company claims to be located in Atlanta, the State of Georgia has no company under Student Consulting Group that is registered to engage in business.
The State of Georgia does list University of One, Inc. as being registered but it is listed in deficient status.
Services
“The Student Consulting Group professionals offer a wide array of services. Through the building of 1-on-1 personal relationship with our clients, Student Consulting Group can provide both prospective college students and college graduates coaching and consultation. For the prospective student, we make sure to get to know the student individually, and set priorities for his or her college life.” – Source
The Fix My Student Loan website says, “With over 20 years of experience, our professional counselors offer services that can assist you” but the company was only incorporated in 2011. – Source
The company offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee and promises to refund 100% of fees. – Source
The guarantee has significant limitations. For example, “In the event you are deemed eligible to receive the benefits of our services, we retain the right to hold all deposits made to us.” – Source
So it appears that if you change your mind about their services in the four to eight weeks or longer they state it will take to consolidate your loans, you will lose 100% of the money you’ve paid.
Relationships
Interesting Points
The company says they are located in Georgia but their site terms and conditions are governed by Florida law. – Source
The Fix My Student Loan site FAQ page makes a curious statement that federal student loans can’t be discharged in bankruptcy. Unfortunately that is not an accurate statement. Loans may be discharged in cases that can prove a significant hardship. And while there have not been many cases to date, it is possible and you should expect to see more. – Source
For more on this see How to Really Discharge Your Student Loans in Bankruptcy. Many Can. But Never Try.
The FAQ page makes no mention and provides no links to the Department of Education website where consumers can get these same services for free. See StudentAid.ED.gov.
One unhappy alleged consumer posted the following complaint online:
Date Occurred: 01/21/2013Reported Damages: $495.00Location: 777 S. Harbour Island Blvd., Suite 280 Tampa Florida 33602
My name is David LoCurto back in July I gave this company 495.00 to help me with my defaulted student loan to get my payments lowered and get rid of my wage garnishment. I finally got a hold of them after weeks of trying, they called me back but only when i used another phone and number. On my phone all i gt was a answering machine that you can not leave a message. When I got a hold of Michelle Jones my rep.I asked if any progress was made she gave me all kind of run arounds. When I asked for a full refund she said no because she said I did not give ample time to do their job. My last payment was 2 months ago and they have not even started any process because i was told that I did not sign this or fax them that which i did because she magically found what she needed, and tried to blame her processing dept. for not putting it in my file. All I would like is a full refund of 495.00. – Source
Seeking Resolution: I’m Looking for a Refund
Refund Amount: $ 495.00
Website
Domain Information
studentcg.com
Domain ownership is hidden.
Domain was created in December 4, 2012.
DEFAULTLOANHELP.COM
created: 16-Sep-2011
last-changed: 16-Sep-2012
registration-expiration: 16-Sep-2013
registrant-name: Scott Klein
registrant-organization: HAMDRS
registrant-street1: 777 S Harbour Island Blvd
registrant-pcode: 33602
registrant-state: FL
registrant-city: Tampa
registrant-ccode: US
registrant-phone: +1.8134683449
registrant-fax: +1.8134643138
registrant-email: sklein@uof1.com
FIXMYSTUDENTLOAN.COM
Created on: 14-Oct-11
Expires on: 14-Oct-14
Last Updated on: 13-Sep-12
Registrant:
University of One
777 S Harbour Island Blvd
Suite 280
Tampa, Florida 33602
Administrative Contact:
Sam Courtright hpballer@gmail.com
777 S Harbour Island Blvd
Suite 280
Tampa, Florida 33602
(888) 905-1464
Additional Marketing Emails Received
Just look at what some of our past clients have said about or company!
I found Student Consulting Group out of a desperate search for a solution to a defaulted student loan. When I contacted them, my representative Tom Walker asked for very minimal information and assured me that they could help me out of this situation and stop a wage garnishment due to the defaulted student loan. I was even able to choose my own repayment plan. Tom was in contact through the whole process answering any questions I had and also following up with me to insure that the wage garnishment had ceased. I now have a new loan that’s out of default with a payment amount I can live with. The customer service with them is amazing, so friendly and helpful. The whole process was fast and convenient. Processed in only about 5 weeks. I had contacted at least four other consolidation companies but none were as helpful as Student Consulting Group.
Clint R.
Jonesboro, ARI would like to thank you Troy and your co-workers for all your help and support with my school loans. I am a struggling mother of five that has been recently divorced. I attempted to go back to school to try to make a better life for my kids and myself. Then things seem to continuously go wrong. My job cut my hours, my daughter decided to make me a grandmother, and I was on my own with the bills. I found myself very worried about what to do with my school loans. Luckily, I found your company on the internet. I sent my information and within moments you called to find out my situation and offer your help. The ease I felt after talking to you was astounding. Someone who finally understood, and was willing to help offer a solution to my problem. Now taking care of my student loans seems easy with a payment that I can ACTUALLY afford and no more harassing phone calls to me and my family. So once again THANK YOU Troy Logan. I would recommend your company’s services to anyone with the same issues. Sincerely,
Dusty R.
Bellefontaine, OHFor 3 years, my paycheck was being garnished for my student loans I had taken out to attend college. It started out as only one of my lenders taking 15% percent, which is very tough on a teacher’s salary. Then 9 months later a second lender I had student loans with also started garnishing me, and I was now being garnished 25% of my paycheck! For 2 years I tried everything I could to get the garnishments to stop to no avail. I spoke with the lenders and they offered little assistance other than for me to pay even more money on top of what they were already taking. There was no way I could afford this option, so I just settled into thinking I would just have to live with it until they were paid off. As you can imagine losing 25% of my income caused a huge financial burden on me and made it almost impossible for me to even afford the basics of life. I was constantly behind on all my bills. This past July, I was searching the Internet to see if there were any options left and I came across your company. I was somewhat skeptical because of all the companies that say they can do one thing but are really just a scam, but I decided to take a chance and contact you. I reached Blake Chandler and explained the situation I was in. He started out by saying he was going to sugarcoat the situation and be straight-forward and honest about whether they could stop the garnishments. He made no “sale-sy” promises or guarantees about their services. No high pressure sales pitches, just real and truthful answers. That in itself built some trust on my part in him. After reviewing my loans, Blake explained the 2 lenders I had were some of the toughest to deal with but not impossible. It would just require some assistance and patience on my part, because it wasn’t an overnight process to getting the garnishments stopped. Well to make a long story short, Blake was able to stop the first garnishment in 6 weeks, and the second garnishment 4 weeks later! For the first time in 3 years, this past October I received my FULL paycheck for the first time in 3 years! But not only did he get the garnishments stopped; he took further steps to get me into a repayment on my loans I could afford and be able to live a normal life without the fear of having to face this kind of student loan problem again. I would just like to thank Blake and his staff again for all their help by turning what I thought was a hopeful situation into a bright reality. Thanks!
William D.
Atlanta, GAI am pleased to add my testimony to the countless others about the satisfaction I received when decided to go with Student Consulting Group!! I was in default on my student loans, and had been in garnishment for over 5 years!! I would get raises at my job, but because of the garnishment, they would never reach my pocket! To make matters worse my garnishments were doing NOTHING to my actual loan amount! I was in a poor financial situation and it was affecting my well-being! I went online and found Student Consulting Group. I was weary at first, because often things are promised w/o any true delivery. These gentlemen (Troy, Jackson and Blake) were OUTSTANDING!! Each played a critical role in helping me understand the process, reconsolidate my loans, release my garnishment and put me on a path to restoring my financial picture! I just picked up my first full paycheck in over 5 years!! I cannot say enough about the wonderful service and care I received at Student Consulting Group! I don’t know where I would be if it weren’t for them!! Thanks again gentlemen and I wish you to be blessed as you all have blessed me!
Timothy S.
Boston, MADear Jenn, I really want to thank you and Student Consulting Group for helping me to stop the garnishment of my payroll check. From April 2012 until July 2012, through garnishment, I paid $2772 to a company called Account Control Technologies. Because of this large amount, I have been struggling to pay my rent, make my car payment and take care of my son. Today, I received a call from Account Control Technologies to place me back into the consolidation program and to lift the wage garnishment. I want to thank you personally because everything you told me is true. Your company is not a hoax! It has only been about 35 days since I signed up with the company, and my greatest issue has been resolved! Please feel free to share this with everyone! Student Consulting Group is a true, honest, and reputable company that will help you resolve your defaulted student loan issues! I look forward to completing the consolidation of the remainder of my loans and I look forward to receiving the loan forgiveness that we discussed. Thank you with all my heart and soul. You and Student Consulting Group are the best thing that has happened in my life in a long time. Now, I can get back to living my life and paying off the remainder of my student loans. Thanks again, Jenn!
Sincerely:
Jo Ann
Hudson, NJMike, I wanted to say thank you for your assistance in this defaulted student loan issue. You were very PATIENT with me, helpful in explaining things and expedient in getting this matter back into a non-critical mode. I will be writing on a website about my experience and wanted you to know I will be happy to recommend your company to my family & friends. I just needed to know do you only handle defaulted student loans or can you help my son & daughter get better interest rates to refinance their existing student loans or can you refer them to someone. Again, thank you for your past & continued assistance.
Gwen
Ft Lauderdale, FLMy consultant Rod was very polite in helping me understand how the services of the Student Consulting Group worked. I am so glad they were able to help me. It lifted so much weight off of my shoulders! I didn’t like having something like this hanging over me like that, and they helped relieve that! I greatly appreciate what they do!
Danielle
Ft Lauderdale, FLYou all provided a good, friendly, and courteous service to help me with consolidation of my student loans, and most of all also helped me save money! I will recommend you to anyone seeking professional help with student loans.
Zulfiqar
Jersey City, NJDear Mr. Hamilton, I recently contacted your company after researching online for student loan consolidation. I called and got connected with Eric Brown. My past work experience has always been in customer service. I just wanted to let you know that Eric Brown represents your company very well. He is not only very informative, but he is efficient and very helpful. I have emailed him several times throughout this whole process and I always get a response with a solution the same day, most of the time in the same hour! I’m a firm believer in giving someone credit when credit is due. You guys are doing a great job and you are worth every penny! I truly appreciate all of Eric’s help and all your company did to help me consolidate my loan and get me back on track! Thank you again…. And keep up the GREAT WORK!!! Sincerly- Satisfied Customer
Jamie
Lacrosse, WII received my first paycheck Monday of this week (8/1) and the wage garnishment had been removed. It appears the consolidation was approved and funded. I would like to thank you for your diligence and sense of urgency in making this happen! I was in a desperate situation because of the financial impact this had on my living expenses and didn’t know which way to turn. It just so happened that I did a Google search on the internet looking for legal advice on wage garnishment and I stumbled over your organization offering to assist folks like me. To be honest, I was somewhat skeptical at first because there are so many scams and games being played on the internet to get personal information and use it for identity theft. Then I spoke with you guys and I could tell that you were a legitimate organization that knows your stuff.\
Anthony S.
Austin, TXI wanted to say thank you for your assistance in this defaulted student loan issue. You were very PATIENT with me, helpful in explaining things and expedient in getting this matter back into a non-critical mode. I will be happy to recommend your company to my family & friends. Again, thank you for your past & continued assistance.
Gwendolyn B.
Fort Lauderdale, FLI went in today to check my Sallie Mae account, thinking I would have to make at least one payment and take the money out of savings, but the payoff came through. Needless to say I was very excited. Making paychecks stretch during the summer is tough and I was planning to use the extra money I normally would pay to Sallie Mae, to payoff another bill. Now that will be more possible. Thank you so much. I feel so blessed to have been able to do this and lucky that you were the kind soul that helped me through the process. Thank you again. God Bless You.
Linda M.
Jacksonville, FLIt has also been a pleasure working with your company. As hard as I thought it would be to get the garnishment stopped it was as painless and quick as the day I spoke with you guys about it. I would DEFINITELY recommend you guys and your company to anyone looking to consolidate or get a garnishment stopped from a student loan. It would probably be a crime for anyone to bicker about the small fee you guys charge for your services. That fee was nothing compared to what I still would be paying from garnishment and the way you guys work with me on the fee payment was outstanding. Again the way you stayed in touch with me and the outstanding professionalism you showed to me will impact and last for a lifetime. Thank You Student Consulting Group you guys and I will still keep in touch.
A LONG TIME COMING THANKS SINCERELY
Phineas G.
Conway, SCNot sure if you remember me since you serve so many clients, but my name is Ieyale Morris and just recently you helped me get out of default on my student loans. I just wanted to tell you that I have started school again and am doing great in it. Thank you and the others that worked on my case. You have no idea how much I appreciate the work you did. Also, if I find anyone in my same situation I will be sure to forward your number to them. Just wanted to show my gratitude again.
Yours truly,
Ieyale M
Topeka, KSChris Grillo
Trusted Advisor
888-905-1464
cgrillo@studentcg.com
FIXMYSTUDENTLOAN.COM DEFAULTLOANHELP.COM
Make the best decision for you and your family regarding your student loans.
At Student Consulting Group we do not believe that any one program fits the financial needs of every customer. When seeking advice on your student loans, it is important to consider several factors before making your final decision. We believe in finding the best program for you and making sure that it is customized to fit your needs.
Here’s just a few of the services we offer at Student Consulting Group:
– Help clients get out of default and eliminate collection agency fees!
– Consolidate all your student loans into ONE single monthly payment!
– PREVENTING, STOPPING, AND ENDING wage garnishment!
– STOP federal tax offsets!
– Lower monthly payments, sometimes as low as $25 per month!
– Regain financial aid eligibility to enroll in school by next semester!!
– Eliminate 50%-100% of your student loan debt through various forgiveness programs!All this and more in as little as 4 weeks! We’ve helped thousands of clients just like you! We get GUARANTEED RESULTS!
Read what some of our past clients have to say about us! http://fixmystudentloan.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=4I welcome the opportunity to earn your business and look forward to speaking with you soon. Contact us today at 888-905-1456 visit our website at www.fixmystudentloan.com or www.defaultloanhelp.com to receive a FREE no-obligation consultation! In addition, you’ll receive other useful information regarding your federal student loans!
Sincerely,
Chris Grillo
Trusted Advisor
888-905-1464
cgrillo@studentcg.com
FIXMYSTUDENTLOAN.COM DEFAULTLOANHELP.COMTestimonial
For 3 years, my paycheck was being garnished for my student loans I had taken out to attend college. It started out as only one of my lenders taking 15% percent, which is very tough on a teacher’s salary. Then 9 months later a second lender I had student loans with also started garnishing me, and I was now being garnished 25% of my paycheck! For 2 years I tried everything I could to get the garnishments to stop to no avail. I spoke with the lenders and they offered little assistance other than for me to pay even more money on top of what they were already taking. There was no way I could afford this option, so I just settled into thinking I would just have to live with it until they were paid off. As you can imagine losing 25% of my income caused a huge financial burden on me and made it almost impossible for me to even afford the basics of life. I was constantly behind on all my bills. This past July, I was searching the Internet to see if there were any options left and I came across your company. I was somewhat skeptical because of all the companies that say they can do one thing but are really just a scam, but I decided to take a chance and contact you. I reached Blake Chandler and explained the situation I was in. He started out by saying he was going to sugarcoat the situation and be straight-forward and honest about whether they could stop the garnishments. He made no “sale-sy” promises or guarantees about their services. No high pressure sales pitches, just real and truthful answers. That in itself built some trust on my part in him. After reviewing my loans, Blake explained the 2 lenders I had were some of the toughest to deal with but not impossible. It would just require some assistance and patience on my part, because it wasn’t an overnight process to getting the garnishments stopped. Well to make a long story short, Blake was able to stop the first garnishment in 6 weeks, and the second garnishment 4 weeks later! For the first time in 3 years, this past October I received my FULL paycheck for the first time in 3 years! But not only did he get the garnishments stopped; he took further steps to get me into a repayment on my loans I could afford and be able to live a normal life without the fear of having to face this kind of student loan problem again. I would just like to thank Blake and his staff again for all their help by turning what I thought was a hopeful situation into a bright reality. Thanks!
William D.
Atlanta, GA
Our Opinion After Review
We previously wrote a guide on what companies should offer in a fair and consumer friendly student loan service program. Please read How to Run a Clean Student Loan Assistance Program. In addition we provide the following guides to check out debt relief companies:
- 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
- Program Fees Clearly Stated on Site: No
- Client Agreement Clearly Available on Site: No
- States Consumers Can Contact Department of Education Directly to Consolidate and Reduce Payments for Free: No But did say it was possible when pressed on telephone.
- Provides clear link to Department of Education Loan Options: No
- Provides Historical Performance Statistics: No
- Clearly Identifies Management/Officers on Site: No
- Company is Clearly Registered to Business: No
It is our opinion the program reviewed here DOES NOT MEET OUR RECOMMENDED STANDARDS.
Scam, Complaint, Review or Praise
Consumers:
If you’ve had experience with this company, good or bad, you would like to share, please post your comments in the comments section below.
If you have a client agreement or paperwork you can share which this company gave you, you can do so here.
Owners:
If this is your company, please read the site review policy and feel free to post information in the comments you would like to share about your company.
If you feel something reported in this review is incorrect, please report it here so we can fix the error.
For Those Looking for Student Loan Resources
Before you pay any company for assistance with your student loans, be sure to check out our free student loan assistance links and guides below.
This is Micheal Crook with Student Consulting Group.
I would like to begin with stating the Student Consulting Group is dedicated to providing world class service to a group of consumers that is truly being taken advantage of by a system rigged in favor of large corporations. We are well educated advocates for those in trouble with their student loans and our goal is to help borrowers and the Federal Student Loan system as a whole. We are not a “Student Loan Consolidation company” although that is part of the total service packages we offer. We offer great service at a reasonable cost and guarantee that our clients will be in a better situation once we have completed all of our work on their behalf. SCG recognizes it, like any company, is not perfect and when issues arise we actively work to resolve those in the quickest and most fair manner possible. While I do not find any false information in your review I would like add context and inform you that some of the information in your review is now outdated.
OUR IMPRESSION OF WHAT THE COMPANY OFFERS TO CONSUMERS
In this section you stated “The company is sending out marketing information to assist people with student loan consolidation assistance.” and while this is true we also offer several other services which were in the marketing emails but you did not touch on. We also help clients stop Administrative Wage Garnishments (AWG), stop Federal Tax Offset, receive refunds for over-payments, negotiate affordable payments and receive loan forgiveness if they qualify for one of those programs.
As far as stating that we did not list any experience or services that match that claim I am a little stumped at how you made that claim. While the screenshots you have are of a now outdated website (check out our new one at fixmystudentloan.com) they do clearly state the aggregate years of experience our management team has dealing with student loans, how many clients we had serviced up to the previous update, the amount of student debt those clients had and the services we offer. Maybe this is a matter of definition but regardless we believe our new website addresses these in a more direct and concise manner.
The reason fees are not listed on the website is simply because every situation is different and resolution may require several of our services in combination. Additionally because some of our services have similar procedural requirements, such as documentation, total services fees may be discounted when services are combined. All of our fees are one-time and there are no monthly charges although for clients who cannot afford to pay our fees upfront we do offer payment arrangements. Unlike many companies we begin services immediately; we do not wait until a client has paid the fee in full. We understand that time is not on the side of our borrowers and we do not want to delay.
BBB INFORMATION
As you know the BBB is what it is, a private organization that maintains its existence through “accreditation and mediation fees”, and while we did sought and received accreditation we quickly found out what accreditation really is and how much it costs to maintain. As you also know consumers in difficult financial situations sometimes forget to look before they leap and start raising cane before they seek answers from the source. While I can say our original response to the BBB Alert was lacking it is also a little out of context. At the time the BBB contacted us we had helped approximately 4000 clients and had only received 12 complaints. At that time there was no observable pattern. Since that time we have continued to monitor issues and do postmortems on each. After collecting enough information we offered a new response to the BBB but to date it still has not been updated. I am providing that response to you below. Additionally, if you review the complaints filed against us with the BBB you will see that we responded to every one of them and that in call cases the BBB found that we resolved or made good faith effort to resolve them. We are not perfect but we try.
Dear BBB,
Student Consulting Group would like to directly address with the BBB why it believes it receives the complaints shown on the BBB website. We have researched and broken the issues down to timeframes, client responsibilities and billing. We do address each of these directly in our Service Agreement as well as in our phone consultations with potential clients but would like to also address them here on the site for people doing research. Each prospective client receives a copy of our Service Agreement to review before retaining our services and they also keep a signed copy for themselves to refer to if needed after retaining our services. Each of these issues typically comes from a minor misunderstanding that compound as time elapses.
First, we would like to address timeframes. When we quote timeframes there are several stipulations and caveats. The Service Timeframe estimation is based on signing of Service Agreement by client, receipt of first payment towards the Service Fee if a Payment Arrangement has been set-up and receipt of any necessary Client Documents. Some very excited clients sometimes believe the Service Time begins the moment they hang up the phone with us but unfortunately we cannot even begin work until these three (3) things are completed. Additionally, when we quote Service Timeframes we base them off of regulatory requirements. Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of Education as well as its contractors do not always adhere to these timeframes which on occasion extends the Service Time and is beyond our control. Although we cannot control response time from these aforementioned organizations we do tenaciously pursue them until satisfactory resolution is obtained.
Secondly, the client does have some responsibilities in our process. The responsibilities of the client are clearly stated during our consultation and in our Service Agreement. These responsibilities are the client’s because they are key to reducing the Service Time and cost to the client. If a client would like to abdicate those responsibilities to SCG there would be additional Fees, as well as an extended Service Time frame and would need to be discussed with management before retaining SCG. The extent of these responsibilities typically only involves documentation readily available at the client’s hand, but could be slightly different based on a potential client’s actual situation. Regardless of situation each prospective client is completely and concisely explained their responsibilities and given the opportunity to ask any and all questions they may have before retaining our services. If a client ever feels like they do not completely understand their responsibilities we invite them to speak with a manager or a representative in our Client Services department.
Next, we want to address our billing process. Before retaining our service a prospective client who cannot afford to pay for our services upfront may be offered the opportunity to set up a payment arrangement. This payment arrangement is not a loan and does not carry any interest. SCG does offer PAID IN FULL discounts and other discounts to qualifying clients. When making payment arrangements SCG has only one (1) requirement and all other decisions are made by the prospective client. The only requirement SCG has is that the entire Service Fee is paid by the end of the Service Time. Actual Payment Dates and Payment Amounts are determined by the prospective client and are incorporated into the Service Agreement which they review and sign before retaining our Services. Also, SCG understands that at times payment dates need to be changed due to unforeseen life events and we gladly accommodate those requests with proper notice which is outlined in the Service Agreement.
Lastly, Student Consulting Group offers a 100% Money-back Guarantee on its Services. SCG has helped over 10,000 Federal Student Loan Borrowers resolve their issues and we can do the same for almost anyone.
By directly addressing these 3 areas of concern here on the BBB website we hope that shoppers will have all the information necessary for them to make a well informed buying decision and we hope they choose Student Consulting Group to resolve their issues with their Federal Student Loans.
MANAGEMENT
Not sure how my name ended up on here but it is misspelled. Also while maybe not the intention it seems you try to belittle or diminish Mr. Kramer’s qualifications. If you look deeper into Mr. Kramer’s previous experience you will see that he was not just a car salesman and LinkedIn should not be the only source you used to verify previous experience. Our management team is well versed in Federal Student Loans, has many years of experience and provides continual education to all employees regarding the Higher Education Act and any changes to policies and procedures implemented by the Secretary of Education so we can offer our clients the best advice and service.
COMPANY INFORMATION
Student Consulting Group did begin as University of One in March of 2011 but had to change its name, i.e. create a DBA, to avoid confusing it with an institution of learning. This is the reason you will not find a company under the name Student Consulting Group in GA. As far as the deficient status indicated on the GA Secretary of State Corporations Division it appears to be an internal issue as we have contacted them and have been told that their records show we are in good standing.
SERVICES
We 100% Guarantee all of our work. If we do not perform, we give the client every penny their money back. We also offer a 3 day right of rescission to all clients after signing our service agreement. Once our work begins a client may cancel and we will stop future billings if they are on a payment arrangement but we cannot get back the time and effort our employees spend working on a client and therefore we do but only retain fees for services performed up to the cancellation date. Unlike many companies we begin services immediately;
we do not wait until a client has paid the fee in full.
INTERESTING POINTS
In this section you state that we claim to have 2 locations but our terms of service are governed by FL law. Obviously we have 2 locations but the answer to your point is simple; we started in Tampa, FL and that is where our operations center is located. Our Atlanta office is an additional location where some of our consultants work.
While the statement on our previous site about discharging student loans in bankruptcy was inaccurate it was not meant to be intentionally misleading but most certainly could have used further explanation to avoid any confusion. It is true that in some circumstances Federal Student Loans can be discharged through bankruptcy but the 3 prong test that must be reached in order for Federal Student Loans to be discharged is almost unattainable, especially by able bodied borrowers. The typical result is that once all other debts are discharged bankruptcy courts find that the Federal Student Loans will no longer be a long term or overwhelming burden. One of the major pitfalls of trying to include Federal Student Loans in bankruptcy is that although it is nice that collection efforts cease, interest, penalties and fees do not stop accruing and if the loans are not discharged the borrower is in a much much worse situation. While I do not have an up to date or what I would consider an accurate estimation the most recent number I saw from ECMC indicated that about 60 out of 72000 filers had their student loans discharged.
Again Student Consulting Group is dedicated to helping those seeking help with their Federal Student Loans. Any of our clients always have the ear of our management team and when concerns or issues arise we promise to resolve those as quickly as possible. The point is to help and we believe we should all leave things better than we found them.
Oh…and one of those student loan companies that advertise on your site is them same one you wrote this article about…you need to do quality control on your own site first before passing judgement on everybody else.
See my other answer to your similar comment. If an ad for one of these companies appeared and you object to the company, may I suggest you not click on it.
I personally have read about all of your articles on student loan consolidation companies and how you feel that they need to follow a certain ethic code which i absolutely agree with with. There are too many people/companies out there looking to hurt a consumer instead of helping them and should be shut down. What i don’t agree with is the fact that you try to pick apart companies and try to find all of the dirt out on them. I find it funny how not one article is about any of the student loan consolidation companies that advertise on your site. Whens the last time you have looked into one of them? because if you have you would see that none of them follow your “recommendations” from your How to Run a Clean Student Loan Assistance Program article but still i always see the same companies on your site who are doing the same thing as those companies you write about. Is that because you get paid to have them on there? Maybe you should look into your own site before you go digging through everybody else’s.
Please feel free to read the extensive description of advertising on the site, how it works, and why we have nothing to do with who appears. https://getoutofdebt.org/terms/
Generally no two people see the same ads since they are based on sites you may have visited before, time of day, geographic area, etc.
If you previously visited student loan consolidation websites you are more likely to see ads for them.
If you felt there was something in error in the article posted, please let me know using this form. https://getoutofdebt.org/report-an-error/