Consumer complaint received 11-03-2016 about Other financial service (Debt settlement) with ClearOne Advantage, LLC (KY).
Issue: Customer service/Customer relations

Complaint: I contacted Clear One Advantage XX/XX/2016, I spoke with a young man named XXXX XXXX about some credit cards I needed help with. He assured me he could help settle my debts, I had a loan with XXXX XXXX XXXX, it was an unsecured revolving line of credit in which I did not want to include. but XXXX told me I could get a cheaper payment if we included this one so I did. You know when you call these companies you expect them to be honest and upfront with you but they was not. XXXX told me to quit making my monthly payments and that for 3 months my credit score would drop but they would have my debts settled in 6 months and then my credit score would go back up. Since XXXX XXXX XXXX was my largest debt I wanted them to work on that one first and he assured me he would put that top priority. After I signed some papers that they emailed me, they said they would mail the original one to me but I never received it. They did not put XXXX XXXX XXXX at the top of the list, I started getting phone calls from my creditors of course, so I contacted Clear One much to my surprise I no longer had XXXX to speak with but a totally different place and phone number. this representative advised me not to answer any phone calls just to let them leave messages and I could contact a company called XXXX and they would help me with the phone calls. Needless to say, for 7 months they deducted {$400.00} from my checking account which totaled $ XXXX settled XXXX account during this time and it was with XXXX and they had n't even contacted me about a payment. they settled {$820.00} and they kept {$350.00}. I was served a summons by our sheriff from XXXX XXXX XXXX and I had 20 days to respond, I contacted Clear One, they said to fax the summons in which I did and I got an email explaining to me they was not an attorney 's office and they could not give me legal advice. Had they told me from the beginning they were not going to settle my debts I would not have signed up with them. Another man named XXXX called me later in the day and assured me they would contact XXXX XXXX XXXX but I had to give them 5 to 7 days, I decided I was not going to wait for them to contact anyone, I called XXXX back that afternoon and told him I wanted out of the program. so he said that was fine, they would send me the money I had in my account which was {$960.00}, a far far amount from {$2800.00} minus the XXXX account..I feel as though I should have {$1600.00} remaining in my account. If this XXXX XXXX would have told me in the beginning that there was a chance I could be sued I would have never eve signed up with them. when I called them my credit score was XXXX, now it 's XXXX and I 'm having to contact my creditors and set a payment arrangement up myself. Thanks to Clear One Advantage my credit score will never be what it was and I called them several times and they never reacted to anything except just kept telling me I had to wait until I got money in my account before they could settle the big ones. What a joke, I could have lost everything I have worked for dealing with these people and I still may lose everything I have.

Company public response: Company believes the complaint is the result of a misunderstanding
Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief