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:10/09/2023

  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.

  On August 1, I received a copy of a settlement letter from a creditor of my father's ********* ID ********** (I have POA due to his dementia.) This letter documents approval of a settlement for account ending in ****. I called Guardian Litigation on August 2, 2023 and agreed to extend his withdrawals for 5 more months in order to pay-off this settlement. I expected to see monthly payments to the creditor in statements from ***************, but did not. I called Guardian Sept 7, 2023 and was told that the negotiating team had not finalized the settlement (which had not been communicated to me Aug 2) and told me I would receive a phone call or email from the negotiating team in the next few days. I heard nothing. I called Guardian Oct 9, 2023 and was told, that nothing had been done and that the agent needed to contact the negotiators. Meanwhile, the settlement amount will be in the *************** account next month but nothing has been paid to the creditor. I did not agree to extend the monthly withdrawals to simply have the money sit in the Global account. I would like the settlement paid out to the creditor or want the money paid back. Throughout this entire process (and others before), nothing has been sent in writing. The only way I can get information is through very long phone calls. I question this business practice of not providing the consumer written communications.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/09/2023

  Dear BBB:
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond and clarify to **************** complaint.  Her fathers file was transferred to Guardian Litigation Group over a year ago.  ************** became involved with her fathers debt resolution program after he was well into the term of the original agreement and she is missing some key background information.  Her father failed to make nearly 20 monthly deposits to his set aside savings account, causing a severe shortage of funds intended for payment of negotiated settlements.  He did not make any deposits from 9/2019-12/2020 and there were multiple additional missed deposits due to NSF.  **************** father has also made withdrawals from his savings account, further depleting the funds available to settle.  We have requested a complete accounting statement from the set aside account administrator and will be forwarding that to ************** ASAP. 
  
  We also spoke to ************** today and are sending her a copy of her fathers original agreement.  Regarding the settlement mentioned in **************** complaint, negotiations are ongoing.  Unfortunately, we have been unable to obtain the correct settlement letter from the creditor on that debt.  There has been some confusion due to previous missed payments towards the settlement on that account (due to NSFs and skipped deposits mentioned above) and we are working hard to ensure **************** father does not pay any more than is necessary to complete the settlement.  We anticipate having this settlement finalized for **************** father once and for all before the end of this month.  We would like to encourage ************** to remain in contact with us throughout the completion of her fathers program. Our commitment to getting him out of debt has not changed.  Thank you,
  
  Guardian Litigation Group

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/10/2023

  Dear BBB:
  Thank you for providing the response from Guardian Litigation Group. I do not accept their response for my complaint with the BBB.
  

  The history on my fathers account is immaterial to my current complaint. There is currently an adequate balance in the ************** account for the settlement that was agreed to in August 2023. However, no payments have been made to the creditor as of October 10,2023 (two months later). As noted previously, I agreed to extend the $500 monthly withdrawals until February **** in order to have this account paid off.I did not agree to extend the withdrawals to have the money just sit in the account with ***************. (Note this is the account ending in **** with agreed settlement of $7,140.)
  

  I am requesting the following:
  1. Payments to the creditor from the ************** account with full settlement paid before Feb. ****. With written communication to me documenting the payments and timing.
  2. Confirmation in writing that my fathers account will be closed and the monthly withdrawals will cease by Feb. ****.
  3. A copy of the contract signed by my father explaining the Guardian Litigation negotiations and fees. (This was promised during my phone call Oct 9, 2023.)
  
  Again, I question Guardian Litigations business practice of not providing the consumer with written documentation of settlement agreements and requiring the consumer to make lengthy phone calls in order to receive any information (verbal only) about accounts and settlements.
  Sincerely,
  *********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/11/2023

  Dear BBB:
  
  As mentioned in our previous response, the account ending **** required renegotiation due to missed payments that resulted in a voided settlement. That history is necessary in understanding the delays that took place when finalizing the settlement. After the voided settlement, inaccuracies in the subsequent settlement agreement impeded the process.  Unfortunately, we are dealing with a large creditor with multiple departments where we are forced to wait for separate departments to validate the documentation we provide to them. 
  
  Yesterday, we reached a verbal settlement agreement with the creditor that meets our guidelines.  Please note that this settlement offer is for a lesser amount than the prior offer.  The creditor has informed us that they are transmitting the agreement in writing.  As soon as we receive the settlement letter, we will be contacting ************** for her authorization to accept this settlement.  In our previous experiences with this creditor, they have taken up to 5 business days to transmit the settlement agreement. 
  
  We cannot provide confirmation that the account will be closed by a certain date because we cannot guarantee the continuity of our clients monthly deposits.  We cannot provide payments to the creditor from the ************** account with full settlement because those payments have not been made yet. 
  
  ************** and ************** have online access to their set aside savings account and they can view all transactions in Globals web portal at any time after the settlement is initiated (all previous transactions are viewable there now).   This access has always been available.  If ************** needs assistance accessing the account online, we recommend that she contact *************** directly. 
  
  Thank you,
  
  Guardian Litigation Group

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/25/2023

  Thank you for this additional information, but the complaint is not resolved. 

  I have not received details about the proposed settlement in writing. Furthermore, when I have called Guardian Litigation I have been told that my verbal authorization will not be acceptable despite the fact that I have POA for my father. As I have explained to Guardian Litigation, my father is now (as of October 6, 2023) in the hospital and has late stage dementia which is declining; coordinating verbal agreement is not feasible. Note that I called Guardian Litigation today for an update on the account; after ********* and being transferred to 3 people I was given no more information than I received when I called Oct 17, 2013. Again, I have not received any details of this settlement in writing. Despite there being adequate funds in the *************** account, nothing has been paid to the creditor on this account. I do not have the ability to initiate payments from the *************** account to the creditor. This BBB complaint has not been resolved.

  I would appreciate direct communication from Guardian regarding updates. It is not efficient for me to call as I do not receive new information and it requires too much time for the agents to access and understand the account.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/11/2024

  Dear BBB:
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to respond and clarify **************** second complaint concerning her fathers account.  Her father began debt settlement with Approximately $50,000 in debt.  To date, nearly $33,000 of that debt has been resolved for approximately $14,000.  In our previous response, we reiterated that missed deposits and a lack of communication led to the delays in finalizing settlement of **************** fathers remaining debts.  Shortly after **************** last complaint in October, she was provided with all the documentation she had requested in writing and the debt she had been asking about was settled.  ************** was provided with access to her set aside savings account, where documentation concerning all deposits and payments to creditors can be accessed online. Her fathers account with us has one remaining debt to be settled, and our understanding is that ************** wishes to address that debt on her own.  As per her desired settlement provided to the BBB in her complaint, ************** understands that this would not be finalized until February of 2024.  A supervisor will reach out to her today to confirm and finalize her requests.  Thank you,
  
  Guardian Litigation Group

• 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:05/02/2023

  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.

  Guardian Litigation Group-ACCOUNT ID # ****************** I received a pre-approved letter from Guardian litigation Group to consolidate my debt. They picked 5 accounts to help me pay them in six months. i paid GLG $299 a month for six months a total of $ *****. They also advised me not to pay the creditors and they will pay them or make a settlement. After six months, my credit score went down, my name in collection and garnishment. Even though I advised them several times creditors harassment call and collections notice. My credit score dropped from 672 to 509. Not one of my account were resolved or paid. I called the company and request a full refund because I was not satisfied, but they refused. They charged me 27% up front to make a settlement after they wait until my name went on collection. I need BBB to help me get my money back. Everything was a scammed. Thank you.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/09/2023

  Dear BBB:
  It appears that ****************** is confusing our firm with another.  Guardian Litigation Group does not mail pre-approved letters for debt consolidation. We are a multifaceted law firm and one of our practice areas is debt settlement.  There is no pre-approved debt consolidation letter because we do not provide loans or consolidate debt.  ****************** hired our firm in September of 2022 to settle 5 of his debts over a 48 month term.  He agreed to this in writing and confirmed understanding verbally on no less than 3 occasions.  We are not aware of any litigation that would have resulted in wage garnishment against *******************

  
  In December of 2022, we settled Mr. ******** largest single debt.  Although he was only 4.2% into his program term we settled 38% of his enrolled debt.  ****************** provided his verbal authorization of this settlement on 12/22/22.  In early April of this year, ****************** applied for a loan through one of our third-party lending partners to accelerate his debt settlement program and became upset when he was not approved and canceled his agreement with **. Guardian Litigation Group provided the services we were hired to and no refund is due.  Our fees are not charged up front; we do not charge a fee until a debt is placed under a settlement arrangement.  Should he have any questions or need additional clarification, we would ask that he contact our office and ask to speak with a supervisor.

• 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.