Submitted: Sunday, April 22, 2007
Posted: Monday, April 23, 2007
Gerald
Mattydale
U.S.A.
There are some holes in your story that lead me to believe that you actually screwed up and are putting the company as the scape goat.
Let me get this straight, you have at least 15 credit cards that you activley used?
The company told you to ignore your credit card statements? That is a load of bull stuff. Even if they did tell you to ignore the statment balances, a SANE person would look at them anyway.
They told you to ignore any telephone calls from the creditors? And you didnt even try telling the creditors that you were using this company to consolidate your debt when they had you on the phone??? Again, a SANE person would tell them this information as it would benefit them, not harm them.
This is what you did, you opened an account with the credit counseling company, started to make payments to them, then stopped paying them when you found your self deeper in debt because you didnt do the math of what it would cost to have their help.
No one, and I mean no one has 15 credit cards, without some form of disease of the brain.
Oh, and you know enouph to come here and complain, but not smart enough to look here too see if there were any bad reports on them PRIOR to signing up with them??
Your stuck buddy... your fault to begin with any any bankruptsy judge will see it the same way.
Submitted: Thursday, August 23, 2007
Posted: Thursday, August 23, 2007
Mike Lawler
Columbia
U.S.A.
CareOne Credit Counseling is the largest brand of credit counseling services in the nation, having helped over 4 million people to date. The Credit Counseling Agencies (CCAs) offering the CareOne service adhere to strict quality standards designed to ensure that customers can get out of debt and stay out of debt. Nearly all of what has been written here about CareOne Credit Counseling is inaccurate and we appreciate the opportunity to provide corrected information:
The key to success on any debt management plan is consistency. Making payments on time, especially in the first 3-4 months is critical. This is why CCAs offer the EasyPay system to allow customers to have the option of using their own checking accounts to make their creditor payments electronically to ensure they are made in accordance with the plan. There is no fee for this optional program and the majority of those who enroll choose to use it. Payments are debited monthly only for the agreed to amounts. These amounts can go up in the first 1-2 months, however, by small amounts (<$10 per account), if creditors state that they require a larger payment to accept a customer onto the plan. If the amount they request is larger than $10, the customer is contacted for approval first.
Regarding creditor statements, customers are advised to read their creditor statements every month, not ignore them. This is the only way to verify that creditor benefits have been enabled on their accounts. It would be counter-productive to ignore them, as this is the benchmark for their success.
CCAs (across the industry) charge a monthly fee to cover the costs of payment and proposal processing, call center support staffing, online access, etc. Many other agencies charge exorbitant fees, sometimes more than amounts being paid to creditors. CareOne Agencies, on the other hand, are required to keep fees reasonable so that payments remain affordable. All fees are always disclosed up front, before enrollment in the program.
There is not enough information provided in this complaint for a follow up on this specific incident, but any time there are issues or concerns about performance, we are eager to address them. A Customer Care representative is available M-F at 1-888-888-CARE to discuss concerns at any time, and further information is available about CareOne Credit Counseling at http://www.careonecredit.com.
Mike Lawler
Director of Product Management
CareOne Credit Counseling
Submitted: Monday, September 29, 2008
Posted: Monday, September 29, 2008
Whatsupmrcheezle
New York
U.S.A.
I've been with COC for almost two years now after getting in financial trouble after a job layoff. I only have a few months left before everything is paid off in full.
When I signed up, their fee was optional. Since they were a non-profit agency, I zeroed out the fee, only sending money to my creditors. Maybe they've changed that since then - I don't know.
As long as you keep the same date for your payments and stay current, there should be no issues. There could be some hassle at first if the creditors feel you aren't paying them enough, but everything can be negotiated. If you switch around the payment date and/or skip payments, you're technically reneging on your agreement.