Debt Relief Scams and How to Avoid Them

Author: sethfears | Posted: 28.07.2012

Debt relief basically aims to provide a reduction in the total amount of debts that people owe to different parties. Debt settlement and debt negotiation are usually used for this purpose but sometimes debt management and credit counseling are also employed. Firms which provide such services to clients usually do so for a fee or commission. However, not all of these firms are genuine. During the recent recession, when many people were trapped under a huge amount of debts and looked for different ways for relief from debt, many scams in this field were recorded.

Many firms claim to reduce the debtors’ debt burden for a reasonable fee. Unfortunately, a large number of such firms do not fulfill their promises and the people who opt for their programs have to face more trouble. For example a firm might claim that they can reduce the amount of debts of their clients by half but they do not honor their claims and charge a very high amount. In other cases, there might be hidden costs associated with the program or there may be negative effects of the debt relief program on the debtor’s credit score. Whatever the case, the end result is that the debtors pay a large sum as the firm’s fee but do not get the promised services.

The debtor should follow a few simple steps to avoid these scams. Firstly, consumers should look up the Debt Relief company and check its track record by contacting the relevant authorities. Secondly, the consumers should read customer reviews of these companies and ask people for their views through online forums. Thirdly, they must read the terms of the agreement carefully and ensure that the services and fee is clearly stated. All these points are merely imperative. One needs to address such activities to actually discern between the legitimate and the illegitimate.

Alternatively, a debtor can try do-it-yourself debt relief. In this way, they will be aware of what is going on and will not have to shell out a hefty sum for the service. There are many steps which debtors can take by themselves to relieve their debt burden. These may include reducing expenses and increasing income, negotiating with creditors directly, cancelling credit cards and so on. For guidance, a financial counselor can be consulted.

Debt relief aid doesn’t just reduce your current debt sum but also gives you a margin of proper summation. You also get to learn not ti make any more repayment mistakes in the next session. You need to just exchange the debit woes and therefore it is the creditor’s duty to fulfill the chore. However a wee bit of your concern will also be appreciated after all it’s your obligation and the dilemma as well.

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