Lost $200 on a stupid 'debt consolidation' seminar that was just a sales pitch

Last fall I was drowning in $4k of credit card debt and saw a flyer for a local debt consolidation workshop in Portland. Paid $50 just to get in the door, then they spent 2 hours trying to sell me their $150 monthly 'program' that was basically just budgeting advice I could get for free online. I fell for it and signed up, wasted $200 over 3 months before I realized they weren't actually negotiating my debts down at all. Has anyone else gotten suckered by one of these 'help' services before?

2 comments

2 Comments

felix41417d ago

Hold on. Did you actually read the fine print on that contract? These places are upfront about what they do. They sell budgeting classes not debt negotiation. You paid for a service and got exactly what it says on the tin. That $150 a month was your choice to sign up for. Nobody held a gun to your head. Your $4k debt is your own problem not theirs. Maybe take some responsibility for your own money instead of blaming a business for telling you what you didn't want to hear. Sounds like you got exactly the lesson you needed.

hayden_craig9516d ago

Wait what? They actually charged you $50 just to walk in the door? That's insane. I've never heard of a debt seminar doing that they usually let you in for free and then hit you with the pitch. Sounds like they knew exactly what they were doing from the start.