To file a complaint with your attorney general's office go to their website for your state. Search for a link that gives you the process to file a claim. File the claim according to their directions.

For a claim with the BBB go to the better Business Bureau website. Under search for organization type in Allegro Law. When the information on them comes up go to file a complaint. Give the details of your complaint.

Try contacting your creditors and let them know you are trying your best to get the funds to pay them. Worst case you may need to look at bankruptcy protection. That is where I am at. If I had the money back that Allegor screwed me out of I could settle a couple of my accounts.

Enter Your Samebox Message:

Please advise of any class action activity. I have been paying them over 1700.00 a month since october 08, and they are saying that they only have 3000 in the escrow account.

Enter Your Samebox Message:

Good lord - These scammers are ripping all kinds of people off left and right.

Don't stand for it - File any and every possible complaint against them possible.

Enter Your Samebox Message:

Anyone interested can contact me @ 1(800)810-3390 x4298

Enter Your Samebox Message:

Mark Hammmmond works for these crooks!!! Credit exchange number

Enter Your Samebox Message:

I glad they only got 500 bucks out of me!! These people all need to get their assses arreseted!!! I can only hope and pray that it happenes!!

Enter Your Samebox Message:

So Mark Hammond works for the Credit Exchange huh?

Do you hang out with Nick Williamson and Jeff, Mark? If so I know your game.

Stay away folks - You will be sorry.

Enter Your Samebox Message:

The Credit Exchange makes cold calls to people. Here is what I found on the net as an example:

Dee:
Called my cell 8 pm at night. I have NEVER called a credit agency. So these guys are just cold calling, asking about credit card debt etc. MF'rs.

Dar:
I contacted the Credit Exchange and had them remove my number. hopefully it will work, but here is the number:
1-800-810-3390

Tonya:
Okay, here is the deal. I have been looking to consolidate my debt. I looked around and got some information, spoke with a few companies. well then with in a few days, I was contacted by this number. Started talking and became suspicious when she was pushing for my account numbers. I told her I would have to get back with them. Since then they call me all the time, but what I did find out is that the number they left to call back was 1-800-810-3390 which is a for the credit exchange in CA. Went to the BBB web site and did a phone number search...the credit exchange got an F.....then a few weeks later I received a packet from there attorney which is to be setting up the profile to to the debt consolidation, they had all these accounts listed which were bogus, I even purchased my credit report to verify this. the law firm is called; (Hess Kennedy Charter).....stay away from these people they are scam artist.....block them if you can...I know I have.

THE PIECES TO THE PUZZLE ARE NOW FALLING INTO PLACE HERE.

Enter Your Samebox Message:

I have already started their program and now I see all this what should I do? Please I am at my wits end with all this. I dont really know what to do.

Enter Your Samebox Message:

I am deeply sadden to hear these horror stories for I once worked for The Credit Exchange and once strongly believed what we did was with pure honesty and integrity. I am so glad I am no longer there. After seeing how once we had referred clients to "Hess Kennedy Law Firm/Consumer Protection Law Center" (Now in receivership)I knew something was not right. Now to hear Allegro Law Firm under investigation and now to hear the credit exchange stop using Allegro Law Firm because of it made me wonder wow, really.. the credit exchange is going to get away with another scandal and now 2 Law Firms that they once pushed so hard to convince consumers to go with is now getting shutdown? Not only do I feel bad for the consumers but I feel bad believing I did the right thing and referred clients their way. To make this short. Everyone needs to make a living so it's just a given. But to protect yourself from getting set up for a failure, please just take a step back, DO NOT TAKE words at face value because anyone can sound great just to earn your business, but to really due diligence and research the companies that they are promoting for as well. I love this industry because I know for a fact it can help consumers but if you truely care about the consumers than make sure you set them up with an agency that is going to do the job right and not become greedy. BBB rating does help alot even tho majority of the time if you are dealing in debt negotiation/debt settlement program, its an automatic F unless the company can registered and be licensed with the BBB than they can go as high as a B. Track records. you can't go with a debt settlement company that only been in business less than 24 months because on an average most debtors has been in the program long enough to get results for them. I highly recommend 3 yrs or more in business and can prove results. Also accreditation through highly recognized organization like TASC, USOBA. The screen and monitor members to make sure they maintain state and federal compliance. Make a quick call to the Attorney General within the state the company is in and just simply ask about that company you are looking to do business with to make sure they do not have any pending investigation. Remember you will never meet face to face with any of your agents that enrolls you unless you are within their area nearby to walk into their offices so take that extra time to call around and research a little bit more. I hope for anyone that is in deep financial struggle please do not let these blogs scare you from getting help because there is still honest companies out there that genuinely cares and will do the job right. Not all mechanics are bad and not all of them are perfect but if you take the time to do your research and not buy into the first close you will definitely find the company that will get you the results you are looking for. Once again I am sorry for all the consumers that has been set up with horrible companies like The Credit Exchange which is technically the root of all evil who convince that Hess Kennedy and Allegro Law is the best out there knowing that it isnt true but as long as The Credit Exchange grow in hundreds of sales rep on the floor and getting more residual income each month than greed can get the best of you. Good luck and be smart!

Enter Your Samebox Message:

A civil complaint against Allegro Law LLC, Allegro Financial Services LLC and owner Keith Anderson Nelms was filed in Autauga County Circuit Court last week. Nelms is an attorney (was, suspended for 3 years) ...

Circuit Judge Ben Fuller froze the as sets of the companies and Nelms' personal bank accounts last week, on the request of the state agencies.

Enter Your Samebox Message:

State investigates debt payment company

PRATTVILLE -- The Alabama Securities Commission and the attorney general's office are investigating a debt payment company based in Prattville for alleged deceptive trade practices and operating without the proper license.

A civil complaint against Allegro Law LLC, Allegro Financial Services LLC and owner Keith Anderson Nelms was filed in Autauga County Circuit Court last week. Nelms is an attorney who has a law office in Prattville. He faces no criminal charges.

Circuit Judge Ben Fuller froze the as sets of the companies and Nelms' personal bank accounts last week, on the request of the state agencies.

Fuller heard more than five hours of testimony in a hearing Thursday afternoon and likely will decide today if all the assets will remain frozen.

The Securities Commission asserts that Nelms has to be licensed under that agency to handle debt payment activities in the state. Nelms' position is that the Alabama State Bar is the only agency that has the jurisdiction to license attorneys in the state, and the Securities Commission's license isn't necessary.

Nelms is dissolving Allegro Law LLC and attempting to form Allegro Financial LLC, another debt payment company, as its replacement, said his wife, Jennifer Jordan, who is also an attorney and is representing her husband in the matter.

"We applied for a license from the Securities Commission for Allegro Financial, but the process has been halted because of this complaint filed against us," she said. Nelms operated Allegro Law LLC out of his Cobbs Ford Road office in Prattville, the complaint states.

The Securities Commission and the attorney general's office say Allegro Law's clients include more than 15,000 people nationwide and "at least 175 Alabama citizens."

Nelms ran afoul of the Deceptive Trade Practices Act in dealing with his clients, the complaint alleges.

Customers of the business "do not understand how much they are charged in fees by Allegro and do not realize that no payments will be made to the creditors by Allegro until those fees are paid in full," the complaint reads. The complaint continues with "Allegro customers do not understand that they will pay a $25 non-legal set-up fee, a $59 monthly fee and a fee of 16 percent of their total debt enrolled in the program up front, before any payments are made to the creditors by Allegro Law." (THIS BUSINESS MODEL IS JUST INSANE)


According to Jordan, customers were informed of how the debt payment plan works through several sources, including phone calls, letters and a contract they are required to sign before entering the program.

Customers would pay Allegro Law a certain amount each month, and the company would negotiate with creditors on their debt. The money would go into an escrow account until enough funds were accumulated to pay the creditors.

"The attorney general's office is basically saying that Allegro Law isn't a viable business," Nelms said after the hearing. "We performed valuable services for our customers. Many of their accounts were settled for half to 30 percent of what their original debt load was. I say that's a very valuable service for our customers."

In a matter unrelated to the civil complaint, Nelms has agreed to a three-year suspension of his license to practice law in the wake of a complaint filed against him by Chase Financial in New York, based on the activities of Allegro Law. He entered the conditional guilty plea before the Alabama State Bar's disciplinary board June 29, records at the bar show. The board is responsible for regulating actions of attorneys licensed to practice in the state. The Alabama Supreme Court accepted the plea Thursday morning, court documents show.

The suspension goes into effect after the high court's acceptance of the plea, said Jeremy McIntire, assistant general counsel of the Alabama State Bar.

The plea states that Nelms represented himself as an attorney to customers in the debt payment business but is only licensed to practice law in the state of Alabama. The plea also states that Nelms took the 16 percent fee up front, before doing any work on behalf of his customers. Lawyers in Alabama can't accept fees unless they do something to earn them, McIntire said.

Nelms also owns two Steak-Out restaurant franchises in the tri-county area. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the District 7 Montgomery City Council seat in 2003.

The accounts for the restaurants and his law firm also have been frozen. Fuller said he wants to release those accounts as soon as possible, if it is proved that there is no co-mingling of money with the debt payment company accounts. Fuller appointed a receiver to handle the frozen accounts.

"The restaurants and law office have employees who rely on those businesses for a paycheck so they can pay their bills and feed their families," Fuller said at the end of the hearing Thursday. "My position is we need to get the auditing of those accounts completed as quickly as possible, so we can have an absolute minimum impact on the folks who rely on these businesses for their livelihood."

This is all I could find on this. I looked yesterday for Keith Anderson Nelms name in the Alabama Bar association site. His name was there. TODAY it is not there anymore.

Enter Your Samebox Message:

Allegro Law, LLC as well as Allegro Financial Services, Anderson Nelms and Associates, and Steak Out franchises within the Alabama area are owned by Keith Nelms. He has been disbarred in Alabama and cannot practice law for 3 years. I have been researching his business practices for the past few months because I have been paying over $1000.00 per month into his debt settlement problam for over six months and have had no success. It seems like Americorp is a processing center in Nassau County, NY. There is no "law firm". When you speak to someone within the "Law Firm", you only speak to a trained nobody that advises you to take care of it yourself within the Court or be referred to a local attorney within your area. The women you talk to aren't even Paralegals! They are not liscensed to give us the information that they are so willing to expel. At one point I spoke to the Bookkeeper - I called back and asked for her title because I did not get it directly from her in conversation about my Court documents. I think that any company owned by Nelms should be investigated. And any company working with debt settlement, debt management, or law should be shut down immediately!

Enter Your Samebox Message:

So how does that work for us unfortunate fools who have paid money to these crooks? In freezing their assets does that mean we will be reimbursed or is it gone ?

Enter Your Samebox Message:

i heard today The Credit Exchange had to lay off over 50 employees because 40% of their profit has now been frozen and lost for good. Greed got the best of them and everyone suffers. They rather partner up with shady law firms to collect high fees and end the end get bite in the rear for it but what is worse now the consumers that had sent to Allegros way are major victims because those consumers had faith and believe in the person at that represented them at The Credit Exchange to lead them in the right direction but the only direction now is the beacon of hell.

Enter Your Samebox Message:

In freezing their assets, how we will be reimbursed :?:

Enter Your Samebox Message: