Consumer complaint received 2026-05-13 00:00:00
Product: Debt or credit management — Debt settlement
Issue: Charged upfront or unexpected fees — 
Company: DEBT 0, INC
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
RESPONDENT COMPANY : Debt 0 Inc. ( D/B/A : Deuda Cero ) PHYSICAL ADDRESS : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, FL XXXX XXXX PHONE NUMBERS : [ XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX REFERENCE CONTRACT : Service Agreement executed on XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ACCOUNT NUMBER : XXXX AFFECTED CONSUMER : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Phone XXXX XXXX / Address : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, FL XXXX XXXX DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FACTS AND FINANCIAL DISPUTE The purpose of this complaint is to formally report Debt 0 Inc. ( Deuda Cero ) for unfair commercial practices, unlawful withholding of consumer funds, and a direct breach of contract. After formally requesting the cancellation of the program and the closure of my account on XX/XX/XXXX, and receiving no effective resolution, I issued an electronic ultimatum on XX/XX/XXXX, granting a 5-business-day window for the return of my unearned funds. As of today, XX/XX/XXXX, the company has failed to provide a compliant response. Therefore, I am elevating this dispute based on the following factual, financial, and legal grounds : 1. AUDITED ACCOUNT BALANCE AND DISPUTED FUNDS The actual audited balance of the funds deposited into my Special Purpose Account demonstrates an arbitrary withholding of money by Debt 0 Inc. : Total Program Deposits Made : {$10000.00} ( Consisting of 37 consecutive monthly installments of {$280.00} ). Less Account Maintenance Fees : - {$390.00} ( 37 months {$10.00} ). Less Reserve Funds Refunded by XXXX XXXX : - {$5400.00}. Gross Fees Retained by Debt 0 Inc. : {$4800.00}. NET DISPUTED AMOUNT OWDED TO CONSUMER : {$4500.00} ( Fees withheld for negotiations that were never successfully completed ). 2. DIRECT BREACH OF CONTRACT ( VIOLATION OF CONTINGENCY-BASED FEE STRUCTURE ) Violation of Section 15 of the Service Agreement ( " Program Costs and Fees '' ) : The contract executed on XX/XX/XXXX, explicitly dictates that the flat rate bundled service fee structure " shall not exceed twenty ( 20.00 % ) of starting balances, payable as each individual account is settled, validated and o [ or ] an agreement for restructure or repayment offer of the debt is obtained. '' Grounds for Breach : Debt 0 Inc. is withholding {$4500.00} without having successfully settled or restructured my pending credit account. Per the contractual terms, fee collection is strictly tied to successful results. Because there are no active settled debts, retaining these funds after the formal termination of the contract represents an unlawful appropriation of consumer funds. Under applicable consumer protection standards, unearned fees must be fully refunded upon cancellation. 3. FAILURE TO DELIVER SERVICE AND MATERIALLY UNVIABLE PROPOSAL ( XX/XX/XXXX ) The primary scope of the agreement is to facilitate successful settlements to the benefit of the consumer. In XX/XX/XXXX, Debt 0 Inc. acted in bad faith and with a profound lack of professional diligence by presenting a single settlement offer for the XXXX XXXX - XXXX XXXX account ( Account ending in # XXXX ) that was financially unviable and economically destructive. The terms presented by the company were : Current Debt Balance : {$20000.00} Settlement Offer Amount : {$13000.00} ( A mere 37 % discount, failing to meet program expectations ). Unviable Financial Demand : To execute this settlement, they demanded an immediate, extraordinary payment of {$2500.00} by XX/XX/XXXX, plus an aggressive increase in monthly contributions, raising them from my regular {$280.00} to {$1000.00} per month for 10 consecutive months ( XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX ). This proposal completely disregarded the financial capacity declared and signed in the original contract, seeking to induce financial suffocation and proving that the company failed to perform a bona fide negotiation on my behalf. 4. UNJUSTIFIED ADMINISTRATIVE DELAYS ( XXXX XXXX ACCOUNT CASE ) Following my cancellation notice, representatives of Debt 0 Inc. verbally claimed that the administrative closing process with the creditor XXXX XXXX would take between XXXX to XXXX days. This timeframe is arbitrary, excessive, and serves as an intentional stalling tactic. Delaying the release of my file after a cancellation initiated on XX/XX/XXXX causes ongoing credit and financial harm. FINAL CONSUMER REMEDY REQUESTED : I respectfully request the immediate intervention of this regulatory agency to compel Debt 0 Inc. to perform the following actions : Approve and issue a full refund of the unearned withheld fees for the exact amount of {$4500.00}. Issue a formal corporate final statement certifying the immediate, definitive closure of the program at zero cost and free of any penalties. Cease any further representation and immediately stop the artificial delays in releasing my administrative file to the creditor, XXXX XXXX.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief