Consumer complaint received 2022-02-20
Company: FREEDOM FINANCIAL NETWORK
State: NY
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit repair services
Issue: Confusing or misleading advertising or marketing

Complaint:
In XXXX of XXXX I decided I needed to tackle my outstanding credit card debt prior to my XXXX on the XXXX of XXXX. So I contacted various debt services and settled on Freedom Debt Relief. The agent I spoke to, XXXX, promised me that since my credit debt was rather low, a XXXX year payment plan would most likely settle my outstanding debt. I spoke about this topic many times, because I was insistent on paying these cards as early as I could because I was tired of the debt and considered bankruptcy. 

I enrolled XXXX credit cards with roughly XXXX of debt. The first XXXX, a XXXX XXXX and XXXX, settled around {$500.00} each within the first few months of starting the program- so I was feeling optimistic. But then XXXX hit. 

Now, I never missed the payment of around {$330.00} a month - but nothing was happening with my accounts. I figured, because so much turmoil was happening with all lines of business and credit, my outstanding debt would escalate in settlement talks. But nothing was happening. 

I would call the Freedom Debt team and they promised someone would be looking into settlements, but nothing. 

Then I started to get calls from the Freedom team about I could consolidate faster if I entered into a new program- I thought this was shady, why a new program? Isnt this one working now? I refused to enter into a new program because I was afraid my debt would increase more with more bureaucracy. 

Well, after waiting months for Freedom to negotiate with creditors I called up XXXX of my creditors, XXXX XXXX in XXXX of XXXX and on that single phone call they settled with me and I paid them directly, right around {$800.00}. 

So this is XXXX cards settled by Freedom and XXXX by myself ( which they claim credit for on their website ), and now I have XXXX creditors left. 

The next thing is see is the expected graduation date to paying off my last XXXX creditors keeps getting pushed back. First it was XX/XX/XXXX over the phone. Then its pushed back to XXXX of XXXX. Then later on their website to XX/XX/XXXX. Now its XXXX of XXXX! Because I paid off a creditor the program should have escalated to an earlier graduation date, no? 

This program went from a XXXX year settlement term to XXXX years, and XXXX aggravated that my debt continued to climb during the pandemic. 

Example : my original amount of my XXXX XXXX debt was {$10000.00}. They let the amount climb to {$13000.00}. Thats a {$3600.00} increase in debt. My XXXX was {$6500.00}. It increased to {$7600.00}. Thats and increase of {$1000.00}. This is now a {$4600.00} increase in debt. 

This isnt fair. 

Youll see in the contracts they break down my debt, the estimated time to pay off - yet we arent negotiating off the original amounts because??? 

The contract is based on their agents working to reduce debt, not let debt climb. 

I continued in my commitments to Freedom. I also took it upon myself to contact a creditor to settle when Freedom dragged their feet and gave excuses as to why nothing was being executed. 

I have struggled so much since XXXX. I went from struggling to pay off debts prior to now I never have savings. Everything is paycheck to paycheck. 

I dont think Freedom worked in my best interests during XXXX XXXX 

If they or my creditors received benefits and were encouraged to help their struggling clients, there was none of this directed in my case. 

DEBT CONSOLIDATION NEEDS TO WORK IN GOOD FAITH. 

I want to be debt free this year but I cant work any harder than I do. 

My hours are also determined by my back. A back injury has sometimes left me incapable of movement. The pain is intolerable, but active physical therapy has been my savior. 

Im XXXX XXXX XXXX. I desperately want to be debt free so I can have some form of savings or some sense of a life going into middle age. 

Part of me feels I just need to claim bankruptcy now so I can begin savings now. 

Ive wanted to be an American with integrity and good credit who can stand by his word. 

But after seeing so many of my area businesses get XXXX money and close up shop, it seems like everyone is on the take and not taking care of the people. 

Freedom Debt Relief made XXXX accommodations for me during XXXX. They had no sense of urgency. They had no sense of commitment to this contracted customer. They steer creditors to solely contact them. They control the narrative. I need to know what I allowed them to do to me by stretching my graduation date XXXX years longer than what was discussed. 

Oh, and I volunteered for XXXX XXXX. I was very proud that as an XXXX XXXX she helped create this agency from the bottom up. Amazing XXXX.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation