5 Tips for Avoiding Credit Repair Service Scams
Friday, May 16th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
If you are looking to repair your credit, there are a few things you need to know. It won’t happen overnight; no matter how many times people try to convince you otherwise with their services. If you have poor credit, then chances are you have been contacted by some group who makes huge promises about fixing your credit. These credit repair services are bad news, though. Here are five ways to tell if a scam credit repair service is trying to make you their victim.
An Advanced Results Guarantee
Avoid any advanced results guaranteed by the company which doesn’t bother to look at your unique situation before it offers you that guarantee. Simply put, these are the people who will tell you whatever it is that you want to hear and then run off with your money in the end. It may be pleasant to hear the good tidings from a credit repair service but you just cannot decide on such services that make a grand promise with nothing to back it up. Often this is a warning sign that a company is not as legitimate as it may have seemed at first.
Requires a Large Up-Front Payment
If a company asks you to pay them up front, then you should be very concerned about their validity. This is even truer for those scam credit repair services that want a large payment before they will even begin. It is not a happy thought, but there are people out there who are looking to pull the wool over your eyes. If they can do that under the veil of repairing credit, then they will hold no punches. Before you dedicate a large portion of your money to a scam credit repair service up front, you should consult other credit repair help options.
Changing your Identification Numbers
If a credit repair service comes to you and makes promises of improving your credit score by giving you’re a brand new identity, you should run far away. These companies will often try to tell you that they can help you by giving you a brand new social security number or a tax identification number. Not only will this not help repair your credit, but it is also a crime. You can get into big trouble messing around with those sorts of numbers.
They Contacted You
Most reputable credit repair firms will not advertise by sending out spam emails. If you are checking out a service as a result of some spam that you got in your inbox, then there is a good chance that the company is a little bit less than reputable. Try to stick with a credit repair service that does their marketing in a more traditional way, as these firms are much more likely to end up providing a legitimate service to you.
Use your Common Sense
You should feel good about getting help so if you are nervous then there is probably a good reason for your feelings. This decision is no different than your other financial decisions, all of which should be made with common sense. By now you should be aware of the looks of a legitimate business and a scam. If you sense something is wrong or “off” when dealing with a certain company, it is best to look elsewhere.
About the Author: Richard Lakin’s financial analysis of the credit repair industry with a focus on personal credit issues and credit repair service can be found on his credit score resource site.
Technorati Tags: bank, credit, credit repair services, credit report, credit score, finance, Loan, money
Related Tags: No Tags
Possible Related Posts
