Consumer complaint received 2022-09-19
Company: Kikoff Inc.
State: SC
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit repair services
Issue: Confusing or misleading advertising or marketing

Complaint:
Sometime in XXXX or XXXX of XXXX I was going through my credit reports, in efforts to see how to improve them. On XXXX XXXX, they have all kinds of Companies that offer services to help rebuild/ build etc your Credit. One of these companies was " KIKOFF LENDING LlC ''. I did look at their services, I DID NOT sign up, or agree to anything with them, I simply was trying to understand how their system works, what was being offered etc. 
I looked a few other companies like " KIKOFF LENDING LLC '', such as XXXX & a couple others that were on XXXX XXXX, but are NO TIME, did NOT sign up, accept or anything of the sort to be in any of the offered programs. I did the same steps in researching the offers to join " XXXX '', and I never got auto/ forced into an account with them, only KICKOFF did that! 
At some point in XXXX or XXXX, I received a text message, stating my " KIKOFF ACCOUNT " was past due. I had No clue why I go this. They are not able to be reached by phone, and their site says to send an email. Which I did. I explained that I never signed up for this and I don't even understand what exactly it is, what it does, what I get out of it etc. A representative, sent me an email back, explaining " THEIR '' program & services. I said ok, well that could be a good thing, however, I WILL NOT ACCEPT this program offering, if this can not be restarted to this current time, considering, I never agreed to any of this before. I explained that, WHEN and ONLY WHEN, they show me that the program will be corrected and the actual start date will be, once they remove, ANY & ALL " late, missed and or negative Etc '' reporting, they had done to that point. I explained very clearly, that they should have no issues doing this, considering I NEVER gave them permission to do it to being with! The agent sent me back an email stating that they WOULD NOT REMOVE, NOR START OVER '' the reporting of my account being late, negative etc. The agent, said that I signed up for their program, I told her to send me proof of such. She replied with, I did it online, via XXXX XXXX. I again expressed that I had NOT agreed or signed up for anything from them. I told them to XXXX my account that they Fraudulently started, and that they needed to correct my credit reports immediately! It took a few days, and I got an email back, telling me they WOULD NOT XXXX MY ACCOUNT, NOR WOULD THEY REMOVE AND OR CORRECT, My report! I'm not positive, but at some point in these communications, I was told, they are a small newer company, so they have limited, to none telephone CS available, and that all questions etc need to be sent via their email support. Well, right their, I said was a red flag! I said wait!! You guys are such a small Co. You can't and don't have telephone CS and you have limited services over all, but you are allowed to report people to the credit agencies? You do this with out permission, you just take people 's info from XXXX XXXX, and FORCE THEM INTO AN ACCOUNT WITH YOU? HOW IS THIS LEGAL AND OR ETHICAL?? 
I have asked, told, demanded them in several occasions to correct their negligence, and to stop reporting my credit! They refuse! I disputed this with the Credit agencies, and of course, they came back with the Co says its valid! Well, how can a consumer ever really get their reports corrected when the Big 3 are ALWAYS taking the XXXX  word over the Consumers even with the proof I have. If you do a XXXX search, about these guys, you will see, there are TONS AND TONS of people that have had the exact same thing happen to them! Now, I could understand, if they were a HUGE Co, and there was a relative balanced amount of issues like mine and the TONS of others, but when your a small Co. And there are TONS of the exact same kind of issue, of accounts being opened & reported wirb out the Consumers concent and or knowledge!!! That is a serious issues, that is a Way of doing business/ business practices, rather than exceptions to their " NORMAL COURSE OF CONDUCTING BUSINESS '' I Know you guys know that, I'm just very angry, because, my credit is already XXXX due to me becoming XXXX, and hitting some serious financial, health and personal, struggles! 
I am a mom of XXXX, and I don't need this Co. trying to grow their business, by scamming innocent people. They are basically, FORCING people to have an account, and if they don't, or dispute it, because they never agreed in the first place, they report you as late over and over! 
Keep in mind, this is ONLY a {$2.00} per month fee. So, can you imagine, why anyone that actually did sign up, and agree to their account, having an issue paying thr {$2.00}?? So, that should help you see even more clearly, that I, NOR THE OTHER TONS OF ANGRY CONSUMERS, ARE TRYING TO AVOID, paying some high cost program fee. This is A ) Because, I NEVER signed up! B ) They are Illegally reporting this as account I agreed to, but they, clearly Fraudulently obtained it. Again, I keep going back to the fact that, HOW can so many people ALL over the world, have the exact same issues, and it NOT be a MAJOR WRING DOING by the Co. 
Again, if you go through their Companies complaints, all over including XXXX XXXXXXXX. You will see, this is not the exception. These issues are their NORMAL business practices! 


I am a huge fan of the CFPB, because " You guys '' REALLY are the ONLY agency, I have EVER..seen, stay true to your actual Mission, purpose, reason, etc. you were started for etc! That is NOT a " smoke blowing '' statement, that is the GOD 'S HONEST TRUTH! I pray everyday that, you guys are able to take control over more industries, that are as Crooked, Unethical, what ever you want to call it. The Industries, that make the most money, provide the least, or very low services, and pay off most other Govorning agencies, to get away with scamming, hurting, even killing people and " paying off the right people '' and getting away with all of it! YOU GUYS, ARE TOTAL BAD XXXX 'S!!! SORRY, BUT YOU ARE! YOU DON'T CARE WHO THE CO  IS, HOW MANY XXXX  THEY MAKE, IF THEY ARE DIRTY, XXXX $ BULLIES .... YOU GUYS DO WHAT EVER NEEDS TO BE DONE, NO MATTER, THAT IT MAY NOT MAKE YOU GUYS THE " POPULAR KIDS '' BUT, AT LEAST YOU CAN HOLD YOUR HEADS HIGH, KNOWING YOU GUYS ARE NOT SELL OUTS, BC THOSE BULLIES WILL FUND YOUR CAMPAIGN, OR WHAT EVER AS LONG AS YOU LOOK THE OTHER WAY! NO.. YOU GUYS GO HEAD ON, TOE TO TOE!! I'M SUCH A HUGE FAN!! IT IS MY DREAM JOB, TO WORK WITH THE CFPB!!! I HONESTLY, THINK I'D EVEN WORK FOR FREE! REALLY REALLY.. IF I GOT TO BRING YOU GUYS THE CONSUMER PROTECTION ISSUES, THAT ARE BEING SWEPT UNDER THE RUG, VIA BACK-DOOR GOOD OLE BOY DEALS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL 'S GETTING THEIR POCKETS PADDED, BY THESE XXXX DOLLAR BULLIES TO LOOK THE OTHER WAY AND GET AWAY WITH ALL THEIR WRONG DOINGS, INCLUDING, MURDER!! 
SO.. IF YOU GUYS EVER ADD, A " CONSUMER WATCH DOG, OR FRAUD/ SCAMXXXX BUSTER.. PLEADE THINK OF ME!!

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation