Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/23/2023

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  TRYING TO SEND NOTICE OF RIGHT OF RECISSION - within 3 BUSINESS DAYS - GIVEN 4 FAX #s that DO NOT WORK - BEING UNETHICAL AND GIVING ME RUN AROUND - NO VAILD FAX TO SEND THE NOTICE TOO... HOW TO CANCEL? As written " To cancel this transaction mail or delivery signed copy by telegram within 3 business dayys" FAX ************ Does not work called ******* - she said NO HONEY - THIS IS OUR FAX # ********** DID NOT WORK EITHER.UNETHICAL BS

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/23/2023

  Dear BBB,
  
  We do not know why Mr. ****** fax machine is stating that our fax numbers do not work (we have several, and both numbers he mentioned are operational) but we did receive all the notices of cancelation that he sent over.  We would also like to note that Mr. ***** called our office less than an hour ago and was verbally informed that his cancelation was already being processed.  He was also sent a text message confirming same. Thank you,
  
  Guardian Litigation Group

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/22/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I asked to cancel my account with ********************** over a month ago. They stopped the payments from being taken out of my account but I still havent received the money back that was already deposited with them. They called me last week to again confirm that I wanted to cancel and I said yes that I wanted to cancel my contract and that I needed the money released back to me that Ive already sent to them. Im just extremely frustrated with this company and I still havent received any cancellation notice from them or have been told when I can expect my money to be returned. I need this money back asap so I can make payments on my credit cards that have late fees on them now. I dont know what else to do so here I am.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/23/2023

  Hi ****, we are very sorry about the delay in processing your cancelation request. It appears that your first call was not flagged correctly due to a software glitch, triggering follow up calls to you in order to confirm the closure of your account. When we were not immediately able to confirm your cancelation, the withdrawal of funds was delayed. We have corrected that and directed Forth Pay to return the balance of your account immediately.

  Thank you,
  

  Guardian Litigation Group

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/24/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/15/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My credit card accounts were charging high interest rates and I was only able to pay minimum monthly payments. I received a debt consolidation letter in August 2022 but it was not from Guardian Lit. I thought maybe I could call this company and get rid of my five credit card debts. The contract I signed was with Guardian Litigation Group. They settled the smallest account I had and is in the process of settling a second. I have low monthly income and was being charged $274 per month to fund my deposit account with ******************** Lit a two year contract to pay off my debt with a current balance of $1,000. A family member of mine could not believe the contingency payment percentage that Guardian Litigation is charging when they settle one of my accounts. My family member told me to call Guardian Litigation and get a payoff amount to pay off all of my remaining accounts. They were calling every month and asking for larger payments to add to my account to pay my accounts off sooner. I asked them what one-time payment amount could I pay to settle my remaining 3 accounts quickly so I wasnt continually be charged late fees from my remaining 3 creditors. Guardian Lit. requested a payment close to $5,000. They said that they would settle the 3 accounts and I would get a refund. I made this payment in August and it is October. On October 3, I returned a call from Guardian Lit. and the person I spoke to said they would contact the negotiators for my 3 accounts and get the settlements as soon as possible. I returned a call from Guardian Litigation again last week. They said the $274 that was being debited from my checking account would end and that no additional monthly payments would be required. Strange thing is, that was discussed when I made the deposit payment in August. No one had noted that in my account. I was told last week that the creditors of my 3 remaining accounts had not even been contacted for a settlement! WTF! I dont know what to do so I filed a complaint.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/16/2023

  Dear BBB:
  
  We appreciate this opportunity to respond to Ms. ***** complaint.  By way of background, our firm was hired to negotiate and settle approximately $9000 of Ms. ***** unsecured debt.  To date, we have already settled nearly 40% of that debts.  The additional funds that Ms. **** deposited to her set aside savings account became available at the beginning of September and no additional deposits have been debited from Ms. ***** checking account.  Furthermore, we have already initiated negotiations on all her remaining unsettled debts.  Unfortunately, certain creditors require additional time to process the documentation that we send them.  When working with some of the larger creditors, we are often required to send different documentation from one department to another until it is correctly processed.  Ms. ***** our commitment to getting you out of debt has not changed. Please bear with us while we work to get your remaining accounts settled. If you are at all unhappy or dissatisfied throughout the process, please ask to speak with a supervisor.  Thank you,
  
  Guardian Litigation Group

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/16/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  
   
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/23/2023

  I filed a complaint recently regarding the process and phone calls that I have received from Guardian Litigation Group. I got a call from a supervisor from Guardian Litigation Group last week after I filed my complaint apologizing for the inconsistency in the calls I was getting from the account managers. I asked if I could get my calls from a supervisor each time since she had the correct and updated information on my account and she said no. That being a supervisor, they dont want to be on the phone all day. Wow OK. I got a call from Guardian Litigation Group on Friday and returned their call today. The person I spoke to brought up the issue about my monthly drafts and I thought that was resolved in August and was assured by the supervisor that I spoke to last week not to worry about the drafts. It seems like all they care about is more drafts. WHY? I am not happy doing business with this company anymore and I want my draft of $4,795.66 that I made on August 25, 2023 to be refunded to me immediately. There is enough in my deposit account with Forth to cover my current settlement with Chase.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/23/2023

  Hello *********,
  
  As mentioned in our previous response, we have already negotiated settlements on 2 of your 3 remaining debts and are waiting for the offers to be received in writing.  Please bear with us while we finalize them.  Regarding the call you received about the drafts, this did not apply to you.  Unfortunately, your file was placed in a status that notifies us to contact you because no deposits are being made.  We are sorry that ***** informed you that she cannot follow up with you on each call, but we are happy to assign your file to a highly experienced account manager while we complete the settlement of your remaining debts.  We have also already initiated contact with Affirm and are working on that account also.  If you have any other questions, please contact us.  You can also feel free to message us here, but please allow some time for the delay of communication through a 3rd party.  Thank you,
  
  Guardian Litigation Group

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/25/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  
   
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/15/2023

  A Guardian Litigation Group supervisor, *********, followed up with me after my last complaint. I told here that I wanted to payoff all accounts as soon as possible. A payoff amount for my Chase account ending in **** was settled for $1,443.00. But in my Forth deposit fund portal, where Guardian Litigation makes the settled payoff payments, $2,017.11 is listed as my ********** payoff amount. $2,017.11 is the total payoff amount for my two *********** accounts. My *********** Quick Silver account ending in **** was settled for $1,642.08 and my *********** Walmart card ending in **** was settled for $375.03 which totals $2,017.11. I received two text messages asking me to accept these payoff amounts so that Guardian Lit could proceed with the payments. I of course accepted. I contacted Forth online portal as I was concerned with the numbers being documented wrong and asked about a couple other Chase payments that were made that did not make any sense to me. Ive heard nothing. Then last Thursday 11/09/2023, I got a message from *********, the supervisor at Guardian Litigation and she said that she had an update for me. I missed the call and when I called back, the account manager was argumentative about the numbers. For 20 minutes! He said he would take some notes, but I told him that my concerns were documented in the Forth client portal and were sent as three messages and that he didnt need to take notes. I called today and asked For *********, the supervisor. The account manager was rude and said she was busy and would call me right back. Ive heard nothing. Guardian Litigation are holding $1,458.08 of my remaining available balance after all payoffs were made. The numbers in my Forth portal need to be corrected and the remaining funds need to be refunded to me as soon as possible.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/16/2023

  Dear BBB,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Ms. **** once more. We are pleased that our firm settled all of Ms. ***** debts in accordance with her agreement.  Unfortunately, Ms. **** left a message for ********* when she was out of the office.  We asked that she bear with us while we confirmed her creditor settlement payments had cleared the settlement payment account.  We could not see Forths employee notes in our system, which necessitated our representative taking detailed notes of her concerns. We are sorry that one of our other supervisors was not allowed the opportunity to address her call.
  
  As of this writing, we can confirm that all of Ms. ***** creditor payments were made as agreed and we have scheduled a withdrawal of her savings account balance, after payment of all settlements and our earned performance fees, in the amount of $292.09. This withdrawal will be sent to her via physical check from Forth Pay within **** business days.
  
  Regarding Ms. ***** comments about her Forth Pay portal online, she is confusing her enrolled balance with Chase with the combined settlement amounts of her *********** accounts.  It is purely a coincidence that the settlement amounts of her 2 *********** accounts add up to the same amount.  *************** have any other questions, we ask that she call us and ask to speak to the next available supervisor.  Thank you for your attention.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/25/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Guardian litigation takes there payments through forth bank so i was charged for the first two months of my debt relief program as sent below with the two withdrawals from my bank i had canceled with them but they have been giving me the run around for a week all i want is my refund they are telling me all different times and different cancellation periods i just want my account canceled and my refund issued for those two payments. this is a time sensitive matter cause i must give this money to my creditors so my debt accounts wont be closed.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/26/2023

  Hello ****, it looks like we talked with you yesterday and addressed this.  You confirmed that you had spoken with Forth and that a check was on its way to you.  Should you have any questions in the future please contact us.  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/31/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I contracted them to handle 2 credit card accounts past due. They settled one, then they were suppose to be working 0n the second one. When i got the summons in the mail. i contacted them. They told me that the lawyer handiling that case filed bankrupcy, and they tried to get hold of me but could not. I live at the same address, and have the same phone number. They said my file was closed and could not be reopened. They are a rip off. They get the money up front, and then stiff you when it is time for them to do there part. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THESE GUYS THEY ARE RIP OFFS

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/05/2023

  Dear BBB:
  
  This individual has never been a client of Guardian Litigation Group.  We have no agreement with them and have never represented them.  Please make sure that this complaint is not posted on our BBB page. 

  Thank you,
  
  Guardian Litigation Group

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/15/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have been dealing with Guardian Litigation for over a year. At first they had been taking my money and doing the services as agreed upon. Found out a month ago that they have been taking my still but have not paid on the debt that should have been. I have been asking to cancel my services with them and get my money back. Every time I call they are either in a meeting or never there. When I did get someone they told me it would be an urgent request to cancel. However it has been 7 days and I am informed they never canceled it since they have been trying to contact me to make sure I want to cancel Now I have to wait another 5 to 7 days for it to be processed. I also was told I needed to wait 5 to 7 days to process my refund and it woukd take another 7 to 10 days to get my money back even though I filled out the paperwork for direct deposit. This company has no respect for people ans their money. They are not here to help you lower debt. They are here to cause you more debt. They keep taking the ***** out of my escrow but refuse to give me my money back that should have been going to Truist to pay off my debt. Now I have a lean against my house because of this.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/16/2023

  Dear BBB,
  
  Thank you for providing a venue for our firm to respond to Mr. ****** complaint. Our firm was hired in April of 2021 to settle over $60,000 in debt during an estimated program term of 48 months.  To date, we had successfully settled approximately 75% of that outstanding debt while providing a substantial savings. Any lien placed on real property would have been satisfied once all settlement payments were made.  Unfortunately, due to errors made by Mr. ****** savings account administrator (Forth Pay) some payments were not made to a creditor on time.  While we were in the process of rectifying those errors, Mr. ****** escrow company contacted the creditors attorney directly. This caused them to refuse to honor the negotiated settlement because they knew they could then collect the full balance out of the proceeds of his pending escrow.  We have already communicated to ************** that we will be providing a partial refund of our earned fees despite that fact that our firm performed its duties as per our agreement.  We would like to ask ************** to please make sure to remain in contact with our management team to ensure that we finalize his refund prior to terminating the engagement.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/17/2023

  It is hard to remain in contact with a company who calls and asks for the best time to contact you and then they never call. They wait for days in end to call and then blame the customer for not responding. I have job I can not answer my phone when it is convenient for them to call. When you call back you get rude people who want to go over account again which cause another 5 to 10 day delay in getting my money back from my escrow account. I will not settle for partial return of my money that was never paid to the company it was owed to. I was told on the phone once before that I would get refund on the extra money I owed since I was also told that the company who the money was to go refused my money. Which no one can give me proof of. I asked for paper work that I am no longer with Guardian so I can talk to the company who I owe the money to. But no one has done that either. I have to work on getting this taken care of instead of sitting around and hoping someone else will. I want to know when my money from my escrow will be sent to me in full. And what is going to be done about the extra money I now owe for the court agreement that was once ****** but is not ******. When asked about the lein on my house I was told by Guardian that there was no lein. However in this respond you all buy admit that you knew about the lein by staying lein would be resolved once the balance was paid in full. Again a not very truthful and up front company. 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/18/2023

  Dear BBB,
  
  ************** requested a call back yesterday at a specific time and our customer service manager will be calling him back today at that time to finalize a refund, even though our firm performed all its duties according to the agreement.  We did not charge ************** a fee for the account in question because the settlement was not completed. At the time ************** mentioned a lien on his property, we were not aware of it.  Our responses here were made after initial conversations about this.  We ask that ************** communicate directly with us about this so we can resolve his concerns today.

  Thank you,
  
  Guardian Litigation Group

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/19/2023

  Set up a time to call. Never call. Call yesterday and get the same answers with no real solution. I will stand by it this company is not a *********** to deal with. Blame the customer for his issues because he tries to sell his house and find out from the loan company there is a lein. The VA did its job by finding out who and why there was a lein them we get told it is our fault that we have to pay the full amount since the loan officer called the company we owed.  How else would have known why it was there. And how else would be able to move forward with house if we did not contact them. Wait for you guys to get around to paying it off. Yeah okay. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/26/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This Company is destroying the cunsumers Credit and damaging our score.I signed up for a *************** Plan, with ************** and operated by Guardian Litigation. The company DebtPayGatewat is actually no longer in business.Guardian Litigation took control of 6 of my credit debts and was suppose to contact each of them in order to reach a settlement amount for closing each account.They were also suppose to manage my payments to them.This is their problem:rather than dispersing my payments to each creditor, they only paid one of my creditors.And ignoring the others. This created 'no payments' for 30days, 60days, and 90days to my other creditors.What on Earth??? If i had known they was going to ignore all but one of my creditors,I would have sent them Minimum payments at least, in order to protect my Credit Rating.I actually notified and was offered a settlement for one of my creditors, I sent the offer to ********, and they did absolutely nothing. they called me 6 months later and said,hey we got an offer from one of your creditors do you accept? I was furious and demanded to know why they ignored the offer i got 6months ago.This company has destroyed my credit. *** worked full time for 30years to establish a good credit rating, only to have it destoyed by them in 2months time.I cannot even apply for an apartment and am forced to rent a room, because of them.Their business plan is wrong and deceitful, as well as damaging.I demand to know why they only pay one creditor at a time!!!!I also demand they inform all their consumers of their tactics and neglect.Thank you *********************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/05/2023

  Dear BBB:
  
  Unfortunately, it appears that ******************** misunderstood what he hired us to do. In September of 2022 he engaged our firm to negotiate and settle his unsecured debts.  We do not offer debt management or credit repair services.  We confirmed his understanding of the facts that we do not make monthly payments to his creditors and that his credit would be negatively affected.  ******************** acknowledged his comprehension of these statements verbally and in writing, on multiple occasions.  **************** is the 3rd party that acts as the administrator for his set aside savings account and they recently underwent a name change to Forth Pay.  They are still administering creditor settlement payments on behalf of ********************.  
  
  Approximately one month ago, ******************** obtained a loan to accelerate his debt settlement program.  The funds needed to settle his remaining debts are already in his savings account and we are actively working to settle all his debts.  To date, our firm has already settled 1/3 of Mr. ********* enrolled debts.  We ask that he remain patient while we continue our work. We anticipate having all his debts settled within the next 30 days.  We will continue to stay in contact with him to obtain his final authorization for payment of his remaining debts. Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/05/2023

  Todays date is June 5, 2023.  Their response to my account is "all debts settled in 30 days?".  

  How can they possibly state that, its an absolute LIE.  Wow, can they explain how exactly the remaining balance of $6,600

  will be setlled in 30 days???  I can;t believe they stated that.  It just proves how misinformed their organization is.

  Can I appoint a lawyer to follow up their statement in 30days? 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/06/2023

  Dear ********************:
  
  It is important that you stay in contact with us (not the BBB or other parties) so we can complete the job you hired ** for. Yes - we estimate that the amount in your savings account from your recently funded debt settlement acceleration loan will be sufficient to settle your remaining enrolled debts within the next month, assuming you have not added charges to those accounts and that you will communicate with ** to approve the settlements we obtain.  It is important that you take our calls and remain in contact with **. If you have any questions while we finalize negotiations on your remaining unsettled debts, please call **. Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/08/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************************
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/23/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I received this letter from Guardian Litigation Group LLC about a consolidation loan when I called about the loan they decided to put me in a debt relief program I thought well I want to pay every one and just have one payment so why not and I enrolled they told me that after my 6 payment I can qualify for a fresh start loan and pay every one which was what I had in mind that's the only reason why I enrolled so when the time came to apply for the loan they told me that I didn't qualify because my debt was higher than 35k and I told them well you guys knew from the beginning why I wasn't informed about that before having me enroll in a program that It wasn't going to work theysaid well is not guaranteed you will qualify and I told them all you guys asked me to do to qualify was 3 things which I did and now you guys making all this excuses and laying to me when I asked about a refund they refused to return my money 6k and on top of that thanks to them I had to go banckrup because my payments were to far behind because of them. I was 80 points away from an 800 credit score and now I can't get anything because of my situation all because a lie and false advertising about a program that they know from the beginning that is not going to work. All I want is my money back

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/24/2023

  Dear BBB:

  
  Thank you for the opportunity youve provided for us to point out the falsehoods in Mr. ****** complaint. Guardian is not a lender and does not offer loans. We are a law firm that provides debt negotiation and other legal services. It is not possible that ************** received a letter from us about a consolidation loan because we do not send any such letters. 

  
  Regarding the Fresh Start Loan that is offered by one of our lending partners, we suggested ************** listen to the recordings where we explained that obtaining a loan is not guaranteed. We also informed ************** on multiple occasions that engaging in debt settlement would have a negative impact on his credit. We offered to play all these recordings for him and it is regrettable that he became irate and refused to listen. 

  
  As we explained to **************, there are many factors that come into play with these loans that we are not apprised of (because our firm doesnt offer loans and we have no control over them). One of our lending partners approves nearly half of the clients that are referred to them and it is unfortunate that they did not approve his loan application. Many clients also get approved when they reapply. Sadly, ************** decided to cancel his agreement so we will not be able to explore that option for him. We also explained to him that our firms contingency fee is worked into his monthly deposit amount. This is unarguably true because there is nowhere else our fee could come from. Although we are sorry ************** decided to leave, we are happy that he now knows debt settlement does work and it is a viable alternative to bankruptcy. Regardless of what he decides to do we wish ************** the best of luck in getting debt free.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/20/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This is a debit resolution program which I am paying monthly, which they have settled some of my accounts, but now since the program is ending they asked me for $1,000.00 to settle a account ( Target Account / ******** which I agreed too. The withdrew the money on March 8th, 2023 and up until this date the account still has not been settled. every time I call and question it they say i still have this account opened it has not been settled. I feel that they took the money and have done nothing with it. They also stated that my program should run about 4 years, now they are saying that I need to increase my monthly payment which I do not understand being my debt is less then when I started the program. Every time I call about my account it has been the same answer for the past months, they have my $1,0000.00 addition and nothing has been settled.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/21/2023

  Dear BBB:
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to respond to Ms. ********* complaint.  We would like to first clarify that Guardian took over her file from another attorney and her situation is significantly more complicated than what she has stated.  To date, 20 of Ms. ********* 29 debts have been settled in full.  The debt that she references in her complaint was in litigation prior to her engagement of our firm and the creditors attorney has initiated bank levies and wage executions against her. 
  
  To settle this debt, we needed to know the balance still owed after her creditors attorneys applied any funds they may have received from garnishment or levy to the balance.  This is something that the creditor must do after levied funds are released to them.   We had a duty to ensure that ******************** would not be overpaying.  This process was recently finalized and we have since negotiated a settlement.  At this point, we are simply waiting for the settlement letter from the creditors attorney to ensure it conforms with our requirements.  Once we have the agreement we will review it and contact ******************** for her authorization.  Thank you for your attention.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/21/2023

  If they are waiting on the debtor to tell you how much is owed or payoff figure is, WHY did you ask for $1,000.00 additional from me if you don't know the payoff figure from ******** Where did the $1,000.00 that you took from me come from? was it a number you pulled from the air? Also I was told once you took the $1,000.00 that it would be paid off, it has been since March 8th and it still has not been settled. Also there was another credit that I kept sending you the court papers and you did nothing about it, I had to go to court myself and settle out of my own pocket. What are you doing for me?

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/22/2023

  Dear ********************:
  
  We attempted to call you earlier today but were unable to connect. That figure was an estimate, similar to the estimates that were provided to you when you enrolled.  We cannot provide guarantees on settlement amounts, especially on accounts that were in litigation before we took over for another law firm.  The opposing law firm recently verbally agreed to a settlement amount of $1700.  We anticipate having that offer in writing from them within the next 72 hours.  Thank you for your patience.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/07/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I used Guardian to pay off my debit with their program. I paid ****** a month for 11 months for a total of ****.they start to pay my Discovered card they paid ****** for 4 months. they got the debit from 12K to 8K. I found out this month they were charging me 21% up front free and I was never told they charge you this up front. I closed the account and only got $203.00 back into my checking account.***** was the loan officer that called me and it was never told me to about the hiding frees. phone number ************. I would have never did the program if they told me about the free. So, I paid almost ******* and they paid 400 to discover card and for back only 203. They just took out ****** from my checking account. I would like to get a bigger portion back from my ******* approx. they received from me.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/08/2023

  Dear BBB:
  
  Thank you for providing a venue to allow us to respond to Mr. ************ complaint.  Our firm did not charge ************************** until a settlement was negotiated, then reviewed and approved by him.  The fee amount that was charged was also significantly less than the amount stated in Mr. ************ complaint.  There are no up-front fees in our engagement agreement and we would be happy to speak with him again to clarify this fact.  Our agreement is clear and conspicuous as it pertains to the contingency fee we charge.
  
  Although many attorneys require payment up front in the form of a retainer before providing services, we defer collection of our fee until services are provided.  However, once those services are provided we expect to receive compensation in accordance with our agreement.  Our contingency fee was explained to ************************** verbally over the phone, and once again in writing upon execution of his contract.  Should ************************** have any other questions we would welcome the opportunity to speak with him again.  Thank you. 
  
  Guardian Litigation Group

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/10/2023

  NO, it was not a settlement.  I only got back 203.00.  Thats not even close to a settlement.  they own me a lot more money.  they never told me about the 21% up front frees.  they ********* out ****** from my checking account in January and only give me 203.00.    So, you take ******* from me and only pay ****** to my Discover Card.  I want a fair amount from a settlement.   See if they will give me 1500.00.

  thanks,

  ***********************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/10/2023

  Dear BBB,
  
  There appears to be some confusion here. We will have someone from our customer service team reach out to Mr. ****************;via telephone to provide some clarification. He can expect a call from a (714) area code, please request him to advise and look out for the call. If he misses the call, please request him to return the call at his earliest convenience.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/10/2023

  Dear BBB,  I am not sure what Guardian trying to do.  I am only accepting the phone call.  This case is not closed at all.  I would like to receive money back for there was very little Guardian did to help credit cards and I was never told about the 21% up front fees.
  thank you
  ***********************************
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/22/2023

   ******,

  
  

  I haven't heard back from Guardian Ligation group after they offered me only ****** to settle the account.  I paid ******* and they charged me ******* after my Discover Card account which was in charge of to settle for *******. from 10,000.

  They really didn't do anything to help me to date other then get my credit score down to 500 for 9 months. 

  
  

  ***********************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/22/2023

  Dear BBB:
  
  Our customer service manager spoke with ************************** and explained to him that he did not pay our firm $4,000. He is conflating amounts paid to his creditors with amounts paid to our firm; he can confirm the amounts we provided him with by looking at a statement from his set aside savings account administrator. Guardian performed all its duties in accordance with the agreement ************************** entered into and is entitled to 100% of its earned fee, yet we have still offered a partial refund in order to ensure his satisfaction. ************************** was informed verbally and in writing on at least 3 separate occasions that settling his debt would have a negative impact on his credit. Should he have any other questions please ask that he contact our office and ask to speak with a manager.

  Thank you for your attention.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/24/2023

  I started payments on 5/20/2022 and they went to 1/20/2023.  I been paying ****** each month for a total of 3******.  I reviewed my bank records.  I did ask from them to put my last month payment back into my checking account. I got only ****** i believe after they took out ******.  Can you please specify what letters and when I was supposed to have them mailed to me.  I never got any notification you are charging 21% fee up front.  I would have never joined Guardian knowing that.  I am calling my loan office to see what's going on her for Guardian.   Still want a portion of my money back.  Guardian didn't produce any results with Discover card and still charged me more than the settlement amount of ******* off the ****** I owed them, and Guardian charged ******* for their fee.   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/24/2023

  When I initially spoke with **** ***************, they made it sound like it would take 8 months to see anything. My Credit score was at rock bottom for many months.  I finally caught on.  I spoke with customer service AKA paralegals.  I found out they were paying 100 a month on Discover card and later on ****** a month.  At ****** a month its approximately 21 months to pay off.  I still have ******************* and *********** to pay off.  So, this program Guardian is telling people their credit will better in a year and in reality 2 to 3 years which they didn't disclose when I was being briefed on the program.  A lot of critical details had never been told to me and I only found out after 8 months and asking questions.

  They hide alot of information from there customers.