Federal Debt Relief Program - Has it been helpful to consumers?

All of you are going on about the BBB report- have you drilled down and read the complaints and see that most of them were responded to and handled by FDRS?

Excellent idea Willyammer .

Ask and you shall recieve

2 Making a full refund, as the consumer requested
0 Making a partial refund
5 Agreeing to perform according to their contract
1 Refusing to make an adjustment
11 Refuse to adjust, relying on terms of agreement
14 Unanswered
0 Unassigned
33Total

14 complaints were not even answered!!! That is not what I would call " responded to and handled ". But hey thats not all. Lets see what else the BBB says about them.

Complainants allege unfulfilled contracts, misappropriation of funds, and misrepresentation of services. Customers complain they send monthly amounts to the company believing their bills were being paid, when in fact; no bills were paid on their behalf. Other complainants report they are advised not to deal with their creditors, but soon find themselves being sued for the amount of the debt. Most complainants request refunds.

The company responds to most complaints by disputing complaint allegations, and accusing the customer of failing to comply with the terms and conditions of their agreement. The company reminds clients that the contract makes no guarantees to the success of the program.

Hmm. I checked the local (SoCal) BBB and there were only the one's that I mentioned. Which BBB did you check? I'd like to look at them as well. Thanks!

I checked the BBB site again and I saw what you're talking about - a table. Why do they only show 5 complaints/responses and not show what these other 28 issues are about? You can't tell from a table what the actual issues were. Perhaps the 14 unanswered were nuisance complaints?

Another thing of import on the BBB site:
"We know of no government action taken against this company."
That says a lot, no?

Just because a company hasn`t had government action against them doesn`t mean they are not crooked. Credit Solutions of America is a perfect example. They are a settlement company that also has had no government action against its company and yet it has the worst reputation in the industry. They have tons of complaints like fdrs from clients that were ripped off. Just because they haven`t had gov action against them doesn`t mean that it won`t happen either. I check the Federal Trade Commission's web site daily and I see several articales a month where companys were sued and shut down. It takes time for the government to step in and take action some times. The services they offer is borderline legal but as I stated debt invalidation doesn`t work. They have well written contracts that protect their predatory company from being sued and from violating laws. Bottom line is they have a bad track record from reports the BBB, ripoffreport.com, people whom have chimed in here and tons of stuff you can find using any search engine. This is a pattern of complaints. If it looks like a dog, barks like a dog, and smells like a dog than its probably a dog.

Come on now. I just checked ripoffreport.com. There are a grand total of 3 complaints! 2 of the 3 are posted here!

Did you read them? Mark in Seattle, Washington is a guy who says that FDRS worked for him for 3 months. And then he wants his money refunded? Would you refund someone if you worked for them for 3 months?

Sweet treat, in anytown, Ohio, claims that they wouldn't put him in touch with their legal department. I think we all know by reading this forum and others that fdrs hires independent law firms in each state. What they need to do is train their sales people better or give them better information. He also claims that they wouldn't show him any registered letters sent out to his creditors, claiming that was proprietary information. If I had started a business and had a certain way of doing my business, I certainly wouldn't give my trade secrets out to others. Would you? Plus, I believe the same letter from him/her is posted here on this forum.

Complaint from Voice of the people, Cave creek, Arizona, is definitely posted on this forum. This person, like you, has NOT used FDRS. It sounds like he got a flamed out sales person. He might be, like you, an employee of a credit card company or debt collection agency.

What other info are you barking about? I'd like to check it out.

Its obvious that you and I will never see this eye to eye. You think that they are are honest company " despite the horrible track record " . I say that they are a scam. You have made your point and I have made mine. We will let the other memebers and visitors who visit this forum make their own opinions based on the facts I have presented as well as all the other horror stories poeple have posted here who have been burned . I have said what needs to be said .

Eye-to-eye? Perhaps not but I appreciate the education I have received here and on other BBs, education cloaked in eye-opening attacks on the company. These attacks made me research Federal debt relief System MUCH more than I ever would have.

The company, as far as I can tell, is maybe 2 years old. Any company is going to have growing pains. Unfortunately, the type of business that they are put those growing pains on public view as they have attacked a major problem facing families and individuals with a fervor. Hopefully that fervor has now been caught up to with internal support and an informed, mature work force.

Some of what I've learned in my research:
1: people who panic and don't follow instructions, drop out before giving the program the time (18 months) to work its way through the system. These drop outs then become shrill haters.
2: people who have not used the fdrs system are fast to denounce it.
3: fdrs uses a different way of attacking the personal debt problem. And an attack it is, using the law to fight back at the up-to-their-neck-in-lawyers credit card companies
4. fdrs has to provide better communication to its clients, especially as they are clients because they are in a bad point in their financial lives
5. fdrs suffered (past tense?) from poorly trained employees who panicked under questioning instead of getting an answer from someone who knew better.

Yes, you have posted the other "horror stories", but you did so without looking into the stories themselves. The ripoffreport.com, which I posted answers to above, is a fine example of you taking something at face value, which is unfair to the readers of this BB. Of the supposed 33 BBB complaints, only 5 (4 of which were answered) were of enough import for Better Business Bureau to explain at any depth.

And before you put too much weight in what the BBB has to say, use their system to research a credit card company, any credit card company. I just looked up a few and found only 1 complaint (unanswered) for Diners. One! And Bank of America Credit Card Services? None! What does that tell you?

If you want to let people "who visit this forum make their own opinions based on the facts", then give them facts indeed, not repetition of what others have said, most of which is unsubstantiated.

Funny you should put it quite that way... Seems like you're the fellow with the unsubstantiated claims here. I also have to wonder why you're so passionate in defense of FDRS? I have my suspicions, but I think I'll sit on them for the nonce.

Your reply is a perfect example of what I am talking about. You make an inflammatory statement with nothing to back it up! Please point out where I have stated anything that is unsubstantiated. It would have been easy enough to do in your previous post, yet you prefer to blather with nothing to back it up.

Unlike some on this forum (you?), I have drilled down into the listed complaints to see what they are really about.

I look forward to your reply.

I will no longer debt this with you. You made your arguement . Move on. Heck perhaps you should enroll with them despite the facts I have provide......unless you are en employee of fdrs. Nah . Couldn`t be. I am sure that a brand new member who hasn't posted any other posts on this entire web site except for this particular subject to argue and to defend this company no matter what negative info is out there about them. Its gotta be just a coincidence.
This web site is not intended for people to argue . It is meant to help people . I have wasted enough time debating this with you. I have other subjects I could be responding to help others. My job is done here . The TRUE facts and negative info I have posted has done the job. No one in there right mind would sign up with them now after reading all the negative info on this company . Keep in mind no one here at this web site who has been a member for a long time has chimed in on your side . Why is that ? Could it be that perhaps I could quite possibly be correct. I guese time will tell. I encourage everyone shopping with FDRS to look up the BBB report and google their name and make your own decision and see if you agree with me.

Mobile, I appreciate that you once again prove my argument. You say negative things without backing it up and relying on what others have said, without researching the negative comments. You say there are TRUE facts, you say "despite the facts I have provide", yet you have not brought one "fact" to light.

The BBB has 5 "Significant Complaints". Click on "view" and read the actions. Don't go on about the BBB until you do so, otherwise you sound shill and silly.

A lot of the googled complaints are the same ones posted over and over.

And I agree. This forum is to help people. Yet you "help" by being negative without fully investigating your source material. Who are you helping, other than the company you work for, whom you have already stated is in this industry?

I am NOT an employee of FDRS but after learning what I have from people like you, I am certainly considering it.

And please. Use the spell checker. The forum has one built into it (the red underline). As far as grammar, I guess you're on your own with that.

Evenin' Willy -

It's not my place to teach you how to conduct unbiased research. Try your local community college for that. And you ought to know that the BBB does not equate to the whole of the Internet. There are other sources that are at least as credible, and far less artificially-sweet. Think government agencies and legal resources here...

As for my research, I'll spend hours running down information to help somebody who needs it. But I'm not interested in wasting time debating a shill who won't listen, no matter what I say or what links I post.

Did I just call you a shill for FDRS? Damn skippy.

Why do we think you're a shill? Because you act so much like one. You see, you have a couple of things working against you here.

You're brand new, a flash in the pan who busted in and posted a flurry of glowing reports in defense of a company that we all know is crooked. In short, you lack credibility.

You're strident in defense of a company with, frankly, a shitty reputation. And you have no interest in hearing other points of view. You just get louder. In short, you're shrill.

There are some other factors at work here, as well. But I think I'll let you puzzle them out. As I've already pointed out, I have better things to do than educate you. I'm not interested in debating you, either.

A spell checker? Really?? I don't suppose you'd mind pointing it out to me then, would you?

BTW, that 'red underline' button, top/right in the tools, is a tool that closes open BBcode tags in your post. There you go with your unsubstantiated claims again. Thanks for proving my point.

Oh... As far as thinking, I guess you're on your own with that.

Maybe you should go work for them. Here is a recent add they ran looking for employees. Looks totaly legit.

10K A MONTH IS ONLY CONSIDERED AVERAGE HERE ($$$HUGE MONEY$$$)

Reply to: see below
Date: 2008-05-09, 11:04AM PDT


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Warm leads, no cold calling, paid training and weekly paychecks!!! $120,000 a year is only considered average here and it just keeps getting better. GREAT commission+bonus+spiffs+MASSIVE residuals and awesome company outings with the best crew you've ever seen! Forget mortgage, auto warranties, gold etc. THIS IS WHERE THE REAL MONEY IS NOW!!! A rapidly expanding company that promotes all management only from within. Closers will find this the easiest money you've ever made in an incredibly positive and supportive environment. Full time. Mon.-Thurs. 10am-7pm Fri. 10am-5pm PROFESSIONAL DRESS FOR INTERVIEW//// MUST BRING YOUR RESUME...OR BE ABLE TO SELL ME ON WHY YOU DIDN'T!!
If you are dependable, punctual and have a great attitude, come work at a job you love that really pays!!!! Sell a product you believe in to people who really need it and have requested your call. We are expanding from a room of 30 seats to eighty. If you're not in one of them,THE growth industry is passing you by. Everyone is a potential manager trainee.
APPLY IN PERSON DAILY at 6362 Hollywood Blvd, 4th Floor Hollywood (between Ivar and Cosmo) 11am-6pm Federal debt relief System
Convenient to: Sherman Oaks, Studio City, North Hollywood, Glendale, Burbank, Los Feliz, Santa Monica, Orange County, Culver City, Hollywood


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Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
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unclewulf, the spell checker comment was not for you. Don't be so paranoid.

I don't doubt that you are a good person and that you have helped and will help people. You're a rare breed and we all appreciate that about you.

That being said, I'm not sure why your replies denigrate me. I have not "posted a flurry of glowing reports" on FDRS. What I HAVE done is looked into the negative comments. I'd like to see what this company has done that is so bad. My search into the posts have shown that the majority provide little factual information.

Have you looked more deeply into any of the negative posts yourself?

I'm like Joe Friday in Dragnet. "Just the facts, ma'am, just the facts." And I'm NOT calling you ma'am. Just quoting the show.