ComplaintsforTimberline Financial

• Initial Complaint

  03/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  In 2021 I entered the program. May of 2022 vesara sent the funds to timberline to pay off my 2 debtors. 1 debtor did not get paid after the agreement to pay 100 dollars a mont until the debt agreement was paid 32 payments In all in I paid off the agreed money in December 2022. October 2023 I was sued by the debtor for non payment from June 2022, 5 months of calling and I am not any further that when I started . This company is horrible. I get the run around every time I call. I will probably have to repay the original debtor since they will not resolve this!!

• Initial Complaint

  02/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I have constantly called and experienced extreme wait times to speak with a representative. I have requested a payoff amount for my account and inquired about where all of my payments are being applied. I was told almost two weeks ago that the extra money was being "banked" or held for me. I asked the representative to apply any held money to my remaining balance to satisfy the amount owed. I was told nearly two weeks ago that I would receive a refund for any money owed to me within 3 business days. I did not receive a refund and my account was debited for a payment on February 21, 2024. I have not seen any updates to my online account. I also emailed Timberline (***** **** ******) and have not gotten a response. I want any extra funding applied to my balance owed and a refund of any money owed to me. Ultimately, I want this account closed.

• Initial Complaint

  01/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  A company under the guise of saving money from debt resolution, but charged more than the debt i had. When i realized they were getting rich off of me they were reluctant to cancel the debt and give me the almost $3000 of mine they are holding stating that i may be sued. Which i will probably come out cheaper than giving them almost $30,000. * ******

  Business response

  01/10/2024

  We acknowledge the client's consumers and appreciate the opportunity given to respond. Our service team has connected with the client but were unable to adequately verify their file based on the information that the client provided. Our service team will be reaching out to the client again to verify their file and proceed with a client authorization to release funds. 

• Initial Complaint

  12/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  I entered into Timberline's debt relief program in July of 2021. Upon entering the program, I agreed to pay 663.84 a month for 24-36 months until they could settle the two debts that I enrolled. It has been 27 months and one of the debts has been settled, but has not been paid off. The debt balance still shows a full debt payment to be made and nothing was negotiated for on my behalf. The second debt is showing that an offer is "under review," but when I asked for an update from Timberline, they informed me that they couldn't find the creditor online and had not made any contact with the creditor. How can an offer be under review then? Timberline has adjusted my debt total twice, despite the fact that I have not added any new debts. Every time I call attempting to get an explanation to how much more I owe, when my program will be over, or why the monthly drafts on my account are increasing with no notice, I am told that they don't have that information and someone will call me to give me the information that I have requested. No one every reaches out to me, not even the so called "debt negotiators" that they have stated are from a third party.

  Business response

  11/17/2023

  We acknowledge the customer's complaint and the appreciate the opportunity given to review and address their concerns. As of November 14th, the customer has been in communication with the customer service team regarding their program and remaining debts enrolled. There is a settlement offer that the customer is currently working through and one remaining debt that our team is aggressively pursuing to negotiate. We believe the customer's concerns have been addressed adequately at this time. 

  Customer response

  11/27/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because: The business claims to be "aggressively" working to settle my claim, but our last conversation revealed that they have not even been in contact with the creditor. This directly contradicts my status on their website which says there is an offer under review as shown in the screenshot above. My status has shown and offer under review since September, yet they claim to not be able to locate the e creditor. Furthermore, every time I talk to a representative they promise to call me back, but none of the five different people I have spoken to since August have ever called me back. The last person I spoke to, named *****, told me that there is more than double the amount of money in my account needed to settle my debt and that she didn't know why it hasn't been settled yet.         In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above. Sincerely, *********** *****  

  Customer response

  12/22/2023

  I am still awaiting a resolution to this complaint. No one at the Timberline office will return my calls after I speak to representative. The last conversation I had with a rep, I was informed that they couldn't find my last creditor. I located the creditor in 20 minutes of searching. This company is intentionally stalling to settle my last debt so that they can continue to take more money from me.

  Business response

  12/26/2023

  We appreciate the follow up concerns from the consumer.  To date, they have been instructed to contact their representative at the ******** ********** *** ***** to finalize their debt settlement arrangement.

  Customer response

  12/28/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.The company's latest statement is false. I have received no updates to my program on the website. Furthermore, I have received no correspondence from the company via phone,email, or mail at the time of writing this message. The company has maintained all along that they cannot find the holder of the debt and that they have been looking for a couple months. However, I needed only 20 minutes of research to locate the holder of my debt. When I reached out to the holder of my debt, the claimed to have not heard from the company at all regarding settling my debt. It is clear that the company is stalling so that they can continue to take money from me even though they have more than enough for a settlement. Regards, *********** ***** 

  Business response

  01/08/2024

  We acknowledge the consumer's additional concerns. We have made numerous attempts to contact the consumer to determine how we can best resolve their complaint but have received no response. Our servicing team has made an added outreach attempt today with no answer from the consumer. We encourage the consumer to contact us directly so that we can address this issue. 

  Customer response

  01/15/2024

  The businesses' claim that they have not heard from me is false. We have been in discussions as recently as last week. I have also spoken to ******** ********** *** ****. I gave the company information where they could find my last debt in the program. The name of the debt has been changed again by the company. I will not consider my complaint to be resolved until they finish the job that I have been paying them 650$ a month since 2021 to finish. Regards, *********** *****

• Initial Complaint

  12/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  On October 10, 2023 445.59 was taken out of my account. This was an unauthorized payment since they were supposed to have closed my account in August and again in September-more than 30 days before the payment. When I call for a refund- we keep going thru the motions of doing a recording to authorize a refund, but the money is never returned. When I call back to check the status I'm told the recording wasn't taken and I have to start the process for a refund over. This is a group that was to help me pay off creditors but they have been just taking money and refusing to refund it. I also have $1813.41 in a "savings account" to pay creditors that I want refunded and a "fee" of $143.61 was taken that I want refunded.

  Business response

  11/06/2023

  We acknowledge the consumer's complaint and concerns for this particular matter. The customer authorized for a program extension to provide her the opportunity of securing a possible settlement with her last creditor. The customer is currently contributing to her program, on an active payment plan, with no issues. If the customer decides that there are other needs she wishes to have met, we encourage her to reach out to the Client Support Service Team. We so appreciate the opportunity she has afforded us to review and respond to her concerns. 

  Customer response

  11/09/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because: I have been told since August that I could be shown completed from the program and make the payments on my own since they wanted over $1500 for me to pay $3200. I have made the recordings they required four times with their reps to close the program and they still take money out of my account and the recordings mysteriously disappear. They have a "savings" account of my money that has been paid in to go to creditors that they continue to take money out of for "fees". So none of that goes towards my balance it only benefits them. In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.  Sincerely,  ****** *********    

  Business response

  12/14/2023

  We acknowledge that the consumer has had a less than satisfactory experience and we have escalated this matter for further training and education. 

  Customer response

  12/14/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:  I have done the recording two more times to close the account as their reps again recommended and they still have not closed the account and given me the creditor info. They're steadily trying to debit my account when they were to show me completed in August. Any type of escalation is news to me that I haven't heard before. I still haven't received the refund yet that I have been asking for for months. In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.  Sincerely,  ****** *********    

  Business response

  12/27/2023

  We acknowledge and appreciate the consumer's additional concerns and feedback. We will be in touch with the consumer, immediately, to address their concerns and find a remedy for this matter. 

  Customer response

  12/28/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. [Timberline has not contacted me and continues to try to debit my account.  The payments should have ended in September.   Regards, ****** *********  

  Business response

  01/08/2024

  We acknowledge the consumer's concerns and appreciate the opportunity provided to respond. The consumer's program was voluntarily extended, with the consumer's consent, to resolve the last debt in her program. Unfortunately, the consumer stopped payment on her account in October which has hindered our ability to settle her last debt. If she chooses to re-engage with the program, we encourage her to reach out our service to customize a resolution for her.   

  Customer response

  01/09/2024

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. In August Timberline agreed to me paying the creditor directly instead of paying Timberline another $2000 to make the payment thru them.  They went thru the motions on the phone of doing recordings to complete the account and were supposed to send me the information to make the payment.  They never sent the creditor payment info and refused to show me completing their program. I did the recordings several times but they could never find it when I called back.  Timberline didn't do anything that was promised.  Regards,  ****** *********  

• Initial Complaint

  12/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Timbeline has consistently lied, misrepresented its services, and failed to respond to repeated attempts to speak to an account manager. They are an unethical company absolutely incapable of running a business let alone an honest one. The list of issues with this company is long after 4 years of being their client: 1) They failed to respond to the repeated attempts of a top creditor to get in touch with them. They did not as much as acknowledge receiving past due notices from the creditor. They were supposed to be managing all communications but for OVER A YEAR, they did not send a single response to my creditor. This resulted in me being sued in the court. Their attorneys then misrepresented the settlement offer completely failing to disclose that the settlement (which offered ZERO reduction from original balance) also included a clause to freeze my ability to conduct any financial asset liquidation without paying the creditor first. These were supposed to be attorneys representing MY interests and their actions accounted to "inadequate representation". I only found out months later when I received a letter from the government. My repeated attempts to speak to anyone at Timberline to remedy this issue remained ignored as I got passed from one person to the next and promised that this will be handled which never did. Laster Timberline debited my account for $5000 without my consent or knowledge to pay themselves for the disastrous job they did!! 2) Of the 6 accounts signed up with them for 4 years, they resolved only 2 accounts to my satisfaction with one of them having under $500 balance so really only ONE account. This is after they represent themselves as capable of resolving all 6 within 3 years. 3) when I attempted to close this account, they refused to send me a cancellation letter after THREE separate requests. They also provided false and incomplete info about how I can access MY FUNDS they are currently holding. They lie, they cheat, they steal.

  Business response

  10/30/2023

  We acknowledge the customer's concerns and made several attempts to aid the customer in achieving their desired goals.  Unfortunately, the customer chose to cancel out of the program prior to the last debt being settled on their behalf. We always aim for customers to achieve the highest benefit of the program and experience 100% satisfaction. We note that while that was not the customer's experience in this instance, this feedback will continue help our business learn how to better serve and support future consumers.  

  Customer response

  11/02/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:    The business continues to take no responsibility for the inadequate legal representation, their utter inability to negotiate a meaningful reduction in debt for 5 of the 6 enrolled accounts, their failure to communicate, and the fraudulent manner by which they paid themselves for the botched handling of a legal case that has effectively frozen my capability to conduct any financial transactions for 4 years! This pattern is clear in their response which continues to avoid responsibility, acknowledge mishandling of the case, and ultimately continue to blame the client for their own incapability to deliver the services they claim to deliver. After FOUR YEARS, it is entirely reasonable for a client to cancel a service that has only caused damage. The business's response does not offer a satisfactory solution for the damage they caused and the thousands of dollars they charged me for getting me sued and getting my assets frozen. Anything short of a full or significant refund of the f ees associated with the ******** ******* ****** ***** settlement is unacceptable.    In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above. Sincerely, *** **********  

  Business response

  12/04/2023

  We appreciate the customer's additional concerns on the matter. The customer's account was given a secondary review and we are aware of the credit union debt with a law firm and a partial settlement was made. The customer has since cancelled the program and we are no longer able to determine if the remaining debt was satisfied by the customer directly. We also recognize that the customer's experience did not meet their level of expectation and that feedback is noted and will be addressed accordingly. 

  Customer response

  12/06/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:  The status of the debt and payments with the credit union are irrelevant to the core of the complaint and the absolute failure of the company to inform the creditor of their representation of my account, failure to respond to correspondences from the creditor for over a year resulting in a lawsuit, and inadequate legal representation and failure to effectively communicate the settlement clause that resulted in a freeze of my financial assets. Furthermore, as already stated, the company not only refused to acknowledge and remedy their service failures, but debited my account for thousands of dollars to pay themselves for this monumental disaster under the name of "debt negotiations" for which they did not negotiate AT ANY CAPACITY.  Short of returning the fees they charged me for mishandling this case, no other resolution will be considered satisfactory.            Sincerely,  *** **********  

  Business response

  12/14/2023

  As indicated previously, we are dishearten to hear that the consumer's experience did not meet their expectation.  We have taken their feedback and escalated this as a matter of training and education to the team.  

  Customer response

  12/14/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:  It is clear that the business does not care to resolve this matter in any tangible way or take any concrete steps to satify this complaint. No one should do business with an unethical company like this. Their boiler plate responses to this entire complaint demonstrate that they have no intention or interest to modify their extractive and borderline illegal activities. Once again, no response short of fee reimbursement for the ******** case will suffice.             Sincerely,  *** **********  

  Business response

  01/08/2024

  We acknowledge the consumer's complaint and appreciate the opportunity provide to respond.  The consumer's concerns regarding their debt was addressed, negotiated and settled per the consumer authorization and consent. Any fees collected were assessed and collected per the agreement and authorization that the consumer signed and consented to. As of October 2023, the consumer has canceled the program and the appropriate refund applied on 10/26/2023. If there are further concerns, we encourage the consumer to reach out to us directly for further action. 

  Customer response

  01/09/2024

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. The business has consistently refused to take responsibility for their failure to communicate with the creditor at any capacity FOR A WHOLE YEAR without my knowledge of consent which resulted in me getting sued. Furthermore, the business has failed to acknowledge and take responsibility for the inadequate legal representation they offered and their failure to disclose that my assets were being frozen as a part of the lawsuit settlement. The business effectively did NO DEBT NEGOTIATIONS, managed to get me sued, failed to fulfill their duty of negotiating anything, and managed to land me in legal hot water and later debited my account without my knowledge to pay. themselves THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS for their failed and nonexistent "settlement." Short of a complete defund of their fees for the ******** case, no other response will be deemed adequate.  Please review responses submitted to the previous BBB office as this issue has been discussed and the business's unwillingness to accept responsibility and refusal to take any step towards correcting their fraudulent charges has been established. Please do not contact me about this matter again as you can refer to the history of this case. Timberline is a predatory and unethical business with borderline illegal practices taking advantage of people in medical debt without lifting a finger to do the job they are hired for. They claim to be "negotiating" but take NO ACTION until the client is sued and then pay themselves for getting the client sued and negotiating deals for the client to pay what they owed all along. This has to be illegal if it is not already.  I attempted to have my case heard by this company for THREE YEARS and NOT ONCE did they actually return my calls.They have no intention of resolving this matter and I have no intention of accepting their lies as sufficient. They should have a "F" rating from BBB.   Regards,  *** **********

*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. ↩