Posted on June 25, 2009 at 12:04 am Is this for real? It seems to me that it's too good to be true. Are there really companies like these that offer their services for FREE???

Posted on June 25, 2009 at 12:56 am These kinds of companies claim that they can give consumers like us debt relief, with savings of "pennies on the dollar," which means that you'll be  paying for a low percentage of the actual amount of the service rendered.That does not really sound "free" to me.

Posted on June 25, 2009 at 1:16 am Well, they may also mean that they are "non-profit" debt settlement companies, but aren't necessarily free.In the first place most of the material on the Internet suggests that debt settlement is the same as debt counseling or debt management, and they're pretty much different things, really. Settlement entails having a settlement company pay for less than what is due by lowering your principal balance; debt management on the other hand reduces fees and cuts back on the interest.

Posted on June 25, 2009 at 1:48 am What you need to keep in mind Wanda is that "Non-Profit" doesn't necessarily mean it's legitimate. Sometimes certain debt relief companies use that tag to entice customers to use their services, to gain their trust, and to attract them for profit--only for the customer to realize in the end that these guys indeed were For-Profit agencies. A non-profit company after all performs a public service, and they may charge you a small fee trhat you can afford, or none at all, if they really were after your best interest. However some "non-profit" agencies ask for "voluntary contributions" up front and do not really provide the educational assistance and counseling that you need. If all they offer you are their Debt Management Programs, and do so right away, it's best for you to steer clear of them.

Posted on June 25, 2009 at 2:49 am if you wanna do it for free besides, the only way is by doing it yourself. it's hard, trust me, most of them creditors don't budge. they didn't believe that i was under medication and that i was not working. i tried to reason with them but they never listened. spoke with a manager and brushed me off.

Posted on June 25, 2009 at 2:57 am Kylie,I'm sorry to hear about your situation. Could you tell us what happened next? You actually still have options in taking care of your debt. As mentioned earlier there are non-profit agencies that can help you. They do after all have your best interests in mind, and normally do not ask for an up-front fee. If you're not comfortable sharing your discussion on this public forum, feel free to fill out a form on DestroyDebt.Com, and you will be matched with a qualified provider. The service is also free, so you will have nothing to worry about.

Posted on July 8, 2009 at 5:09 am There are a lot of debt relief companies that offer free consultation and even assessment of your issue but when it's time to hand out recommendations and when one of their recommended services needs to be employed, then it should be understood that those would require service and professional fees.

Posted on July 8, 2009 at 5:14 am I agree with you there itsnatasha..in fact I'd go as far as say that most, if not all, debt settlement companies or groups are actually, free debt settlement companies--at first. It's a recruitment/promotion/marketing strategy.

Posted on July 8, 2009 at 5:17 am are you both saying that when a consumer sees "free debt settlement companies"--that it is safe? A good thing?

Posted on July 8, 2009 at 5:21 am Not necessarily, all I'm saying is that the phrase "free debt settlement companies" is very attractive: 1) to consumers who are seriously seeking debt relief--and have chosen debt settlement as their solution. 2) to debt settlement companies that need smart advertising 3) to debt settlement/debt relief scammers that always need smart advertising.