It is not always easy to find a good product or service on the internet nowadays. There are so many companies offering the same services and products that you are often buried with search results trying to find the best. Finding the best debt relief company is no different. With so many of them out there, who do you know who to trust? This article will explore a few things to look for to determine which debt settlement company to use.
Online Reviews:
When it comes to online reviews, it is getting harder and harder to trust them. Just about anyone can put up a website and write good reviews about their own products and services. In fact, National Debt Relief published a recent report showing that 70% of people trust reviews from websites such as Yelp and Angie’s List; however, the report also showed that 40% of these reviews were fake. That means that you are taking a big chance when reading a positive review about a company or product. National Debt Relief is the nation’s largest and most trusted debt settlement company. They are accredited by the Better Business Bureau and a member of the American Fair Credit Council.
Once additional thing to be aware of is that reading a negative review is not always true. Many competitors attempt to smear each other and will leave negative reviews in an attempt to do so. Also, more people are willing to leave a negative review than a positive one so a negative review cannot always determine the worth of a company or service. When evaluating online reviews, you really have to be your own judge. Does the review sound trustworthy? Is it one of many that took place back to back (could be someone increasing their stats)?
Accreditation:
Now let’s talk accreditation. It was already mentioned that National Debt Relief is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and a member of the American Fair Credit Council, but what does this mean? Well, obtaining an accreditation takes more than an application and a few days. Anyone without an accreditation means that they either are not that established or do not feel it is important to be transparent. Here are a few accreditations and memberships that debt settlement companies could obtain to help them be transparent.
- American Fair Credit Council – The AFCC is an association of consumer credit advocates that fight to help consumers deal with credit and debt problems. They investigate complaints from consumers and also promote and enforce best practice policies for debt settlement companies.
- International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators – The IAPDA is an association that trains and certifies arbitrators who work for debt settlement companies. An arbitrator who receives certification from the IAPDA has been given the knowledge of laws, best practices, and credibility needed to negotiate debt on a client’s behalf. A company who does not employ IAPDA certified arbitrators could be hiring anyone to negotiate debt on your behalf.
Time in Business:
If you are unable to find reviews or do not trust the ones you do find, you can always look at the length a company has been in business. A company that is reputable is more than likely one that has been established longer than others in an industry. For instance, a company that just started up will not have the track record of a company that has been in the business for ten or more years. This does not mean that the company is bad, it just means that there are others that are established and have been in business longer. A company that has been in business for 10+ years has to be doing something right in order to still survive.
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’][/author_image] [author_info]Martin Smith is a former bankruptcy attorney from California. He has over 20 years experience and now uses his time to help Americans who are struggling with debt. He is a speaker at numerous colleges and universities where he encourages students to pay with cash as opposed to racking up debt on credit cards. He is also the author of the upcoming book “College Made Me Broke.”[/author_info] [/author]
