Internet's first get-out-of-debt community - 134,000 members

Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 7:16 pm Subject: Number for cds and john

You can visit their website and they have a contact number on there on the Our Firm page. There is also a link there to wvbar.org/barinfo/mdirectory/detail.php?ID=2168 which gives his contact information also. Just search for the company name you are mentioning and you can easily find their website.

Good luck,

Fred

----

Link deleted as per forum rules - Mike

PARK · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 7:00 pm Subject: CDS and John Leaberry

I am currently enrolled in CDS and am worried about if I have made a mistake. Anyone out there that has had positive or negative things to say about them?

Debs2005 · Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 10:25 am Subject: Counsel for Debt Solutions

We are customers of this company and are very dissapointed with the way our accounts are being handled. We went from having a credit score of 720 or so back in August to having two very derogotory accounts listed on our reports. WE paid CDS their initial fee back in October, which is the monthly payment that comes out of our bank account to pay creditors after that. CDS also takes a substantial chunk of our deposited fees for their maintenance, infact to this date JAN 5th.. they are the only ones taking money from our account. None of the creditors have even closed our accounts as requested. Our credit just continues to deteriorate. WE still get calls from our Creditors and collection agencies here 3 months in and CDS is very hard to get a hold of. I sent mail to them and had it returned as undeliverable and all email comes back. The only way we can contact them is by phone then we have to wait usually a couple days for someone to return the call.
Getting fed up. This money and time we have spentt on this company could have been going to the original creditors and we wouldn't be in the shape we are today. I checked the company with BBB before we went with them and couldn't find negative info but there are different companies with the CDS name and that makes it confusing also.

Debs2005

If you got a quick response you are one of the few I believe. Have you ever tried to email them back? When we get emails we can't email them back. Calling is the only way we can get a hold of someone. It took them 2 months just to notify 2 fricken creditors. They have taken 100.00 of the 700.00 that has gone into our trust account. No offers have been made. We are still getting notices and calls from credtitors and collection agencies. I could have hired my attorney to do this stuff and it would have costs us less and we would have some results. I tried to send CDS paperwork that a collection agency sent us and it was returned as undeliverable. If we don't see some results within a month or so.. We will be cancelling our account and having them refund the trust account monies if they haven't used them all themselves that is. We are stressed more now than when we were more worried about getting sued by the creditors for their full balances. I want offers and REal offers, not my full balance with huge payments. I went to CDS and stopped paying because I couldn't afford the doubled minimums on my cards and the creditors weren't willing to work with me and Bankruptcy laws now are screwing the little guy once again. We are stuck!!

JFB · Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 6:02 am Subject: CDS

i have been working with cds for 2.5 years, they are legit, i think. we have settled one account. of course my credit is trashed, and will be for a long time. thats what happens, so forget about credit, thats what got you here in the first place. you have to live within your means.

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:22 pm Subject: Thanks JFB

All these comments are really confusing. After reading your comment I do feel a relief. If you've been with them for 2.5 years, then they must be doing something right. Like you, I'm not concerned with my credit score since I am done with all this credit crap. I noticed some of you haven't even been with CDS but for only a few months. My counselor has his own extention to where I can reach him. My emails are promptly answered. Are we all talking about Counsel for debt solutions, John Leaberry PLLC? They're who I'm commenting on.

Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 3:38 pm Subject: Counsel For Debt Solutions

I signed on with them about four months ago. They took a one time fee of $892. which is the monthly payment to my trust account. They also skim about $90. off of that each month. I guess that is a "service fee." They claim to have sent "cease and desist" notices to my creditors but so far, they continue to call. My guess is that they won't stop calling till a formal settlement is reached. In most cases the creditors won't offer a settlemnt till the account is 3 to 6 months delinquent.

So far, my only concern with this company are the "fees." I recently settled for a $3400. reduction on a account. That was about a 40% off the original balance. My trust account had about $3600. CDS sent me $2000. to pay my creditor and took about $1200. in "fees" leaving $400+ in my trust account. I have about eight creditors. Multiply $1200+. by 8 and that's a hefty profit for CDS. Chapter 13 would cost about $1500. once to a local Attorney and it's all done. So, I am still trying to figure out the advantage(s) to staying with CDS. My credit is still ruined but I will have paid several thousands of dollars to CDS for the privlidge....The Attorney is looking better and better and he'll get me .30 cents on the dollar owed not .60!

CDS is a very polite and professional company. They do return calls and respond to E-mail promptly. The only problem is that they may be too expensive an option for the average family.

Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:03 pm Subject: Counsel For Debt Solutions

Did they tell you everything upfront? I was only told that I would have to pay $211 each for the next 48 months and I would be completely debt-free. The counselor also told me that any fees are already added to the total of my debt.

I'm becoming quite concerned about them because the lack of trust everyone has with them. If those fees were applied to me than I would rather go with Chpt 13, have a one time fee added to my debt and get out in less than 5 years. They haven't debted my account, so maybe I should cancel. Any other advice? My initial $211 will be debted next Friday. With each comment I read, I'm becoming more and more skeptical of them.

Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 4:24 pm Subject:

They were not forthcoming with all their costs. They skimmed around the issue using words like "interest." I only recall being told about the first month payment going to them and the rest would be mine for the "trust account." They did not tell me they would take $90.00 from each payment as a service fee. That was a surprise. They also did not explain what "interest" meant or how their Attorneys "negotiators" earn more money by getting the lowest "settlement" possible. All I know is that upon reaching a "settlement" with one of my creditors, they sucked 1000+ dollars from the "Trust" account. That was a complete surprise. I E-mailed them about it and asked for a fee breakdown but they have not responded. When I reported a few days ago, that they do respond to E-mail and return calls, it appears now they only do so when it's legally necessary to get their hands on your money in your trust account, which they can't get unless you agree to the proposed shitty settlement. Considering that most of my accounts will "charge off" to credit collections companies at 2 to 7 cents on the dollar owed. I was told I could have negotiated personally with my creditors for much better than the 60% CDS just got me on only ONE account in five months. I am re-evaluating my business relationship with this company. Unless I hear from them by tomorrow and they can answer all my questions, I am getting out of their program and pursuing other options like Chapter 13. So, I understand what you are feeling. I will post CDS's response (if any) after tomorrow. Hope this info helps.

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 7:50 am Subject:

Contrary to my previous post, I have to report that CDS is doing the job I am paying them to do. If you have a large amount of debt, the process of settlement will take a long time. So far, I am experiencing that most of my creditors will "charge off" due to government regulated time constraints. ("7 mos") The settlement firm can't do anything about that. They can only wait and deal with the subsequent collection companies that assume the debt. Since settlement is in the best interest of all concerned, the collection companies will work with companies like CDS. It's important to give CDS and the setlement process time to work. Again, contrary to my previous opinion that Chapter 13 is better, I was wrong. It should only be done as a last resort. Our entire financial survival is attached to the "credit report."

I was recently told by one of my creditors that even my car insurance could be effected by a negative credit report. Congress has/is allowing credit reports to be the life and the death of us all. Even employment is tied to credit reports. Although you may have always been a law abiding person of strong moral character, you can now be treated like a criminal when looking for work; even if you have never broken the law...thanks Uncle Sam!

Anyway, try not to be paranoid about the process. When we are under financial stress (the worst kind) it's easy to only expect the worst and mistrust people working on your behalf. CDS is an expensive program and at times, they do not communicate well with their clients but be patient and stay with your program. It's the only hope you have till life deals you better cards.

Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 12:35 pm Subject:

I came to this forum in November 2006 after having been with CDS for 11 months. I was starting to doubt my decision, and based on conversations I had with my agent there plus comments made on the forum, I decided to cut my losses and leave the program. They DID return my money to me as I directed them to.

My issue with them was/is the fees they take out, and I did not understand how their settling method worked. I have a range of creditors with accounts from $200 through to $$3000 each; I thought that at least the smaller accounts would have been settled already. Basically, if I am giving them the money and they are banking it, why should I not bank that money myself where it can at least grow interest, rather than where they take out a portion and the rest just sits there? It was getting too expensive for me to use them, so I am back banking it solamente for now.

deb · Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 4:12 pm Subject: Freaking out

Got a phone call today from a collection agency already listed with CDS and already gotten the Cease and Desist and power of attorney. They don't care. They told us that our house will be liened by the original creditor and it will happen quickly. They told me also that CDS or even bankruptcy couldn't help me.

Guest

I use to work for John Leaberry, prior to him destroying another credit counseling company....Question you need to ask youself, is why is a West Virgina Attorney practicing Law in Florida. Why would anybody pay a Set up to a West VA attorney to handle their debtsby a Firm in Florida. Especially when it is Illegal to charge a setup fee above $75 in Florida. My suggestion, is to wonder why you have Daniel Mahanger in Florida, as the registered agent of a Law Office located in West Virginia. Mr. Leaberry owes IRS 3 Million in Back taxes from a failed coal mine, he also was suspended from the practice of Law when he was accepting bribes on behalf of the then Govenor of WV. These guys are bad news!!

APAIN21

I am currently in the program and nothing is being doen to settle my debt. Creditors have been calling me for the past 3 months. I receive more than 10 phone calls a day from creditors. I signed up with CDS in Nov. and have been paying them Over $300 dollars a month since then and $49 of those dollars is to pay them to settle my debt. I don't even think they have contacted my creditors at all. It doesn't seem like they are doing anything but taking my money. This is absolutely ridiculous. I thought they would help. I say go somewhere else.

Pat O'Brien · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 6:25 pm Subject: how

How do i go on line and get into my account to see what my satus is

Cherish Hursh · Posted: Fri May 04, 2007 6:46 am Subject: Worried about grandmother

I signed my grandmother up with CDS last October and as of yet have seen no results and I have a hard time getting them to call me and then the other day she got a summons for court from one of her creditors and I called they had me send it to their legal department and when I called to find out what to do they told me that there was nothing we could do except let it go to court and hope that the creditor would not take all the money she gets each month to pay it. Or maybe we should file bankrupcty. I am very upset and don't know what to do. My grandmother is now in the hospital on dialysis and a breathing machine and I really don't know what to do. Please help suggestions welcome.

*Name:
*Email:
*Phone:
*Zip:
*Debt

	* denotes required field

Internet's first get-out-of-debt community - 134,000 members

Need info about Counsel for Debt Solutions and John Leaberry

Members Area

Free Debt Counseling

Ask the community

Featured Discussions

Featured Articles

Question of the Month

Also See

Recent Forum Discussions

Recent Blog Post