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:06/26/2025

  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 started with this company in March of 2023. Things went well at the beginning, but one of the creditors that I had two accounts with were trying to get judgements through the courts. I had told Century to prioritize these two accounts, but BOTH ended up with final judgements on me since Century didn't stay on top of negotiations. I kept one judgement with Century since that account was finally negotiated for a payment plan, and negotiated the other directly with the creditor. I tried to payoff the full amount (over $5000) of the account still with ********************** on June 24th, and was told I had to do a wire transfer. They told me the payoff is $19.95 in addition to what I owe the creditor. For what? They already took their $9.95 fee for the month. I still have not been told why there is an extra $20 added to my payoff...I made the wire transfer within an hour of me speaking with them and saw that those funds had already been credited to my reserve balance that same evening (6/24). I told Century that I wanted the full amount paid off the next day. At the end of the next day 6/25, still no payoff. I called the next day after that, 6/26, and still no payoff. I called them and was told they had to wait for the June payment (the normal scheduled payment amount on the 25th) to clear; which makes no sense since I had just wired cash to them on the 24th to have the full balance paid off in full. That was the whole point of doing a wire transfer!I explained that I am in the process of trying to buy a house and need that paid immediately. Only once I asked for a manager, was I told that they could make the payment, but I wouldn't get a paid in full letter from them for another week! WHAT?! My mortgage broker needs a payoff letter to finalize my loan! A letter can be typed up within one day and emailed directly to me. Any other time I needed a letter regarding an account a letter was created the same day. Why now does it take a week? They are holding my money hostage.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/01/2025

  This is a response from Century Support Services to Complaint #********
  
  Upon receiving Ms. ********* complaint, our team immediately reached out and connected with her to better understand her concerns and provide her with a resolution.
  
  Ms.********* enrolled in a Century Support Services debt settlement program on 03/20/2023. Prior to enrolling into this program,  Ms. ********* was presented with her Debt Settlement Agreement (contract) which outlined her program and costs in detail.  Per her contract, she enrolled 6 debts having aggregate balances, as of the date of enrollment, totaling $16,250.00.  Based on her financial ability, a monthly program deposit of $240.95 was established and a program length of 48 months was estimated.
  
  In August 2023, Ms. ********* requested to add a second ********** account to her program. To maintain a reasonable estimated program length, her monthly program deposit was adjusted to $350.00, effective September 2023. This change brought her total enrolled debts to 7, with an aggregate balance of $27,750.00. 2 of the enrolled 7 debts were with ********** totaling $21,596.00 of the enrolled debt balance.
  
  In March and April 2024, Ms. ********* informed Century that both of her enrolled accounts with ***** Bank had escalated their collection efforts, including the pursuit of judgments. Century immediately began working to negotiate offers and reviewed the amount of additional funds that would be needed to address both accounts. ********************** does not claim to prevent a creditor from escalating collection activities. If a creditor takes legal action against a client,Century still attempts to work with the law firm to establish a favorable settlement for the client.  In September 2024, Ms. ********* increased her monthly program deposit enough for the smaller balanced ********** account to be negotiated and entered into an agreement. Century continued efforts to obtain a settlement offer on the larger balance ********** account; however, Ms. ******** opted to remove that debt from her program in January 2025.
  
  In June 2025, Ms. ********* informed Century that she as working to purchase a home and wanted to deposit in the funds needed to pay off her ********** settlement. She deposited $5,650.64 into her special purpose settlement account on June 24, 2025. It has been Centurys experience that sending a payoff on an active structured settlement plan, prior to that current months scheduled payment,can prevent one of the payment checks from being cashed.  Therefore, Century was waiting for confirmation that Junes payment was processed by the creditor before initiating the payoff payment. At no time was Century holding Ms. ********* funds. 
  
  Anytime Century provides an estimated payoff amount, we include banking fees associated with the 3rd party payment processor.  As Ms. ********* request occurred so close to the end of the month, we estimated the need for her payment processors $9.95 monthly bank fee along with their assessed $10.00 check fee, in the event the creditor required a paper check be mailed for the payoff. Any funds remaining in the special purpose settlement account at the time of completion are refunded back to the client.
  
  We recognize the importance of this matter to Ms. ********** especially with a deadline related to a home purchase. We have already initiated the payoff to her creditor, as confirmed by a letter we issued to her on June 27, 2025 in which we detailed the payoff related to this account.

  We wish Ms. ********* the best in her future endeavors.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/23/2025

  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 made a debt settlement agreement with century css, I agreed to pay around $340 a month for 4 years. They assured me all of my debts would be paid off in 4 years, and told me at the end I would pay around half of what my balances were, and that theyd stop all interest from being accrued on my accounts. I t has been over 1 year and 4 of the 5 credit card companies are still charging me interest, and my balance continues to grow. Century is lazy and only contacted discovery and got my balance down 50 percent but charged me 25 percent of the balance In fees, so really my balance only went down 25 percent. They told me all the companies would stop charging interest immediately but have done nothing. They just collect my money every month while doing very little work. They also say my reserve balance is zero. Instead of paying down my credit card debts theyve instead paid themselves even though they broken the contract.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/01/2025

  This is a response from Century Support Services to Complaint #********
  
  After reviewing the concerns listed in the complaint, Century was able to contact Mr.Truesdell via telephone. We appreciate Mr. ********* giving us the opportunity to speak with him directly.
  
  Mr.********* enrolled in a Century Support Services debt settlement program on July 16, 2024. Prior to enrollment, he was presented with and executed a Debt Settlement Agreement (contract) outlining the program's terms, including costs and details. At enrollment, Mr. ********* had 5 debts totaling $20,337.00.Based on his financial situation, a monthly program deposit of $344.66 was established, with an estimated program length of 48 months.
  
  In regard to the concern of continued accrual of interest on the enrolled accounts,it is important to clarify a key aspect of debt settlement. That aspect is that creditors typically continue to add interest and late fees to delinquent accounts until a settlement is reached and the agreed-upon payment is made. Our program, as outlined in the contract, focuses on negotiating a reduction of the total balance, which includes principal, interest, and fees that have accrued up to the point of settlement. The timeline for settling accounts can vary based on several factors, including the monthly deposit amount, the number of creditors, and the balance of each individual account. Our team continues to actively engage with Mr. *********** remaining creditors to achieve the best possible outcomes.
  
  We successfully negotiated a settlement on Mr. ********* 's largest enrolled account with Discover in September 2024. This settlement was structured over 36 months. Century does not earn a settlement fee until we do the work for our clients. This is how we show our value. When we successfully negotiate a settlement on our clients behalf & they accept the settlement and a first payment is initiated to the creditor, we earn the right to collect the full earned settlement fee. In this instance, Century elected to spread the collection of our earned settlement fee over 11 months, in order to provide Mr. ********* the opportunity to accept this offer.
  
   Mr.********* mentioned that his "reserve balance is zero" and his perception is that funds are being paid directly to Century rather than directly to his enrolled creditors. This is not fully accurate. His monthly deposits accumulate in a dedicated special purpose account owned and controlled by ************* The funds in this account are used for two primary purposes: to fund the negotiated settlements with creditors and to cover Century's earned fees,as settlements are achieved.
  
  Century has acted in all times in accordance with our contractual obligations and is committed to continuing our partnership to help Mr. ********* achieve his financial goals. We look forward to ongoing communication with him to ensure transparency and address any further questions he may have.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/23/2025

  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.

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  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.

  The occurrence of events by the business are inaccurate.  The total debt amount is not correct since I removed account(s) 1 day after starting the plan.  No actions were taken to resolve the 1 account they reference until after my notification to them about my wages being garnished.  The Lendmark account that is causing this garnishment is now being worked on because of my complaint. To date, it has not been resolved.  Bottom line, it took this complaint to get action on my account from **********************.  I was paying for services that were not happening.  My account sat with no activity since June 2024 when I first alerted them to the pending court proceedings.  Even though their representative informed me they had a settlement working and had me pay additional to execute it, nothing occurred on their end. The law firm even advised me they never heard from Century until after my call about the garnishment.  So essentially I was being lied to by the Century representative a year ago about the contact with Lendmarks lawyers. 
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** *****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/01/2025

  This is a response from Century Support Services to Complaint #********
  
  ******** enrolled into her Century debt settlement program on July 10, 2023 with 14 unsecured debts totaling $54,440.00. At enrollment, Ms. ***** established a special purpose settlement account in her name with the third party processor,********************************* (CFT).  This account is for the exclusive purpose of accumulating program funds and from which any settlements negotiated by Century, on the clients behalf, and with the clients authorization, are paid.  Century's debt settlement program offers a strategic program with an estimated timeframe for clients to address their unsecured debts. Our goal is to address all of the enrolled accounts over the length of the program.
  
  While Ms. ***** stated that none of her accounts had been settled, our records indicate that Century successfully negotiated favorable settlements on 7 of her enrolled debts to date: 1 account is paid in full, 2 are in active structured settlements, and 4 accounts previously in structured settlements became null and void as a result of Ms. ****** monthly program deposit returning from her bank as non-sufficient funds (this occurred in October 2024 and April 2025).
  
  In May 2024, Ms. ***** informed Century that her enrolled ******** account was escalating in their collection efforts and that she was being sued. While ******** had not received the formal court documents, she provided Century with information that she located on a public website. At that time, Ms. ***** was in 5 active structured settlements and her monthly program deposit was allocated toward those payment terms. In order to actively negotiate another settlement, additional funds were needed. Our team reviewed the matter with ********, discussing the amount of funds required to proceed. Century did not receive a copy of the summons complaint form. As such, our representative manually notated the account. The process to trigger further required workflows did not complete for the Lendmark account.
  
  On June 23, 2025, Ms. ***** advised us that she received notification that her wages were at risk of being garnished. Our settlement team immediately worked to obtain the payoff amount necessary to resolve this situation and stop the garnishment process on the Lendmark account. Century stands by our core value of Putting People First. We appreciate Ms. ***** actively communicating with us while we worked to address a potential gap in this process. Century is covering the additional funds needed to finalize a resolution with Lendmark. 

   Our goal remains to address all of Ms. ****** enrolled accounts over the remaining length of her program.  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/09/2025

  ******** is correct that she removed debt post her enrollment. The information provided in our response reflects the contract terms at the time of enrollment on July 10, 2023.
  
  As stated, Century reviewed a potential process gap and we have taken the necessary steps toward resolving this matter. As of July 2, 2025, the payment needed to resolve ******************** account was made and we can confirm the payments has been processed by the creditor. We reviewed this with Ms. ***** that same day and she was also able to confirm that Lendmark had emailed her a payment confirmation. As a testament to our core value of Do What is Right, Century assisted with the payment needed to resolve this matter. Our team has been in communication with Ms. ***** throughout this process and we appreciate her active communication and patience. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/10/2025

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/20/2025

  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.

  This company is calling me repeatedly every day. They are calling between tge hours of midnight and 5am. I am on no call list. I asked to be removed from their list repeatedly. Calling from lots of different numbers. I am furious!!!they leave voicemails if I dont answer. Attachments show a couple days but it has went on at least a week. Any numbers without a name are them.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/21/2025

  This is in response to complaint #********: 
  
  We understand your frustration regarding some of the calls, and we regret any disturbance this has caused.
  When you submitted your loan application, you opted-in to receive communications from us, which is why our system was contacting you. 
  We have updated our file to reflect your desire to not receive any more calls in connection with your loan application, and you will not be contacted by us again.
  We value your privacy and strive to adhere to all communication preferences. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/13/2025

  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.

  In Feb 2024 I started paying Century Support Services $393 a month for debt consolidation. When I started the program they said in about 5 months they would be settling my accounts. Then I started to receive letters from lawyers saying they were suing me because I wasn't paying my accounts. I reached out to *** and received no help. When I decided to go with another company, they said I owed them over $1200. There were hidden fees tacked on to my account. What did they do with the $393 a month that I was sending? I do not believe that not one of my accounts were settled, but they were steadily taking my money. I sent the company the paragraph below and they said I would receive no refund.The complaint ID that was assigned to me is ************* Whom it Might Concern, I would like to cancel my agreement effective immediately, in accordance of ***'s Consumer Protection Act of [2010].Furthermore, I would like my funds to be refunded from my escrow (trust) account provided by ********************** Debt Solutions according to our agreement, I also expect my funds to be back within 3-5 business days as agreed up upon.This is a final decision and not subject to negotiate, any further delay will result in an escalation to the BBB.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/19/2025

  This is a response from Century Support Services to Complaint #********

  Our Customer Advocate Team is making attempts to reach Ms. ****** both via phone and email to address the concerns mentioned in her complaint.
  
  ********* enrolled in a Century Support Services debt settlement program on 02/28/2024. Prior to enrolling into this program, Ms. ****** was presented with her Debt Settlement Agreement (contract) which outlined her program and costs in detail.  Per her executed contract, she enrolled 8 debts having aggregate balances, as of the date of enrollment, totaling $23,323.00. Based on her financial ability, a monthly program deposit of $393.81 was established and a program length of 48 months was estimated.
  
  In her complaint Ms. ****** states she does not believe any debts were settled, which is incorrect. Ms. ****** emailed Century requesting to cancel her program, on November 8, 2024. At that time, she was 9 months into her estimated 48 months program, and Century had successfully negotiated favorable settlements on 3 of her 8 enrolled debts.  2 of those settlements were still in active structured settlement payment arrangements. A member of our Customer Advocate Team began reaching out to Ms. ****** that same day in order to understand and resolve her cancellation concerns. Ms. ****** declined to speak by phone and was not open to further email communication. 
  
  Century does not earn a settlement fee until we do the work for our clients. This is how we show our value. When we successfully negotiate a settlement on our clients behalf, they accept the settlement and a first payment is initiated to the creditor, only then have we earned the right to collect the full earned settlement fee. The settlement fees are outlined in Ms. ******** contract on Page 3, Section 5 titled Fees. Settlement fees are based on your enrolled debt balance and never increase. By signing your contract, you agree to the fees associated with the service that we provide.  While Centurys fees are earned in full, per the terms above, and eligible to be collected in full, Century sometimes voluntarily agrees to spread collection over several months.  We extended this offer to Ms. ****** in an effort to help her take advantage of a settlement opportunity.  When Ms. ****** decided to cancel her program,the 2 active structured settlements became null and void & all outstanding settlement fees are due immediately. We provided Ms. ****** with an email explaining the cancellation details & process, at the time of her request.
  
  Century does not claim to prevent a creditor from escalated collection attempts.  However, if a creditor takes legal action against you, Century still attempts to work with the law firm to establish a favorable settlement.With the success of Ms. ******** program, the funds she was depositing in monthly were being applied towards her active structured settlements.
  In regard to overall progress of her program, its important to note that ********* was only 9 months in to an estimated 48 month program. Settlements can happen at various times and will depend on several factors, including the monthly deposit amount, the number of creditors enrolled, and the balance of each individual account. It has been our experience that reaching out to creditors prior to being able to negotiate or enter into a new structured settlement can expedite the collection workflow. Century's settlement strategy is outlined on Page 3, Section 4 of the contract titled, Settlement of Your Debts: A.Timing and Amount of Settlement Offers.
  
  Our team remains committed to reaching Ms. ****** to discuss the concerns she's raised.We understand her dissatisfaction with the services provided during her enrollment. We want to assure Ms. ****** that we have fulfilled our obligations as outlined in her Debt Settlement Agreement. We hope to connect with ********* soon to further address her concerns and provide clarification.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/04/2025

  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 am attaching documentation of the harassing emails and records of the fees taking out of my reserves and sent to my creditors. Which should have not happened bc I closed both the company and the creditors account just as my bankruptcy attorney advised me to do. See attached 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/12/2025

  This is a response from Century Support Services to Complaint #********
  
  Our team is actively communicating with Ms. ***** to address the concerns mentioned in her complaint and work towards a satisfactory resolution.
  
  To address the concerns Ms. ***** raised in her review, Century would like to clarify some key points, as they have been inaccurately portrayed. At the time Ms. ***** requested to cancel her Century program, she was actively involved in two structured settlements. These settlement offers were successfully negotiated, and the terms of the settlements were presented to Ms. ***** in January 2024. After consideration, she accepted both settlement offers.
  
  To further clarify, one of the structured settlements was related to Ms. ******* most significant debt with LendingPoint. Century was able to successfully negotiate a 45%settlement on this debt, resulting in a realized savings of $6,937.82 for ********* This settlement was arranged to be paid over 36 months. Additionally,the earned settlement fee associated with this account, based on the balance at the time of enrollment, is $4,775.75.   The second settlement offer she accepted was with Money Key. The earned settlement fee associated with this account is $565.00
  
  Century's settlement fees are outlined in **************** Resolution Agreement on Page 3, Section 5 titled Fees. Settlement fees are based on a clients enrolled debt balance and never increases. By signing her Debt Settlement Agreement, ******** agreed to the fees associated with the service that we provide.
  As outlined in the Agreement, the settlement fees per account are clearly stated and agreed upon. However, it is important to note that Century only earns its fees once the following conditions are met: (1) A settlement is successfully negotiated with a clients creditor (2) The client approves of the settlement and (3) The creditor receives a settlement payment toward the agreed-upon settlement.

  Once these conditions are satisfied, Centurys fees are earned in full and eligible for collection. However, to better support clients, Century occasionally agrees to collect its earned settlement fees over several months, allowing clients to take full advantage of settlement opportunities.This was the case with Ms. ****** as Century extended this flexibility to her on both settlements by deferring collection until 2025, contributing to the great success of her program.
  

  At the time Ms. ***** requested to cancel her program, a total of $5,340.75 in earned settlement fees was owed to Century. As per the terms of the agreement,when cancellation occurs, the fees owed to Century become due. These fees are typically collected from the balance in the client's dedicated special purpose account. In Ms. ******* case, Century collected the amount of $1,223.22 from her account toward the settlement fees owed. 
  
  This information was verbally explained to Ms. ***** during her call on 01/28/2025.We regret that Ms. ***** is not satisfied with her Century experience, but we would like to emphasize that Century has acted in full accordance with our obligations as outlined in her Debt Settlement Agreement.

  We are committed to resolving any remaining concerns and look forward to connecting with Ms. ***** to further discuss this information and ensure a clear understanding.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/18/2024

  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.

  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ********called on 5/13/2024 to Century frantic. I called 3 times and the 3rd time I spoke with ***** who was very nice and empathic. I informed her I uploaded the documents to the portal. She told me she would ensure me that I would receive a call from a century associate on Monday. She informed me the team would review the lawyers letter and compliant notice. I was called Monday morning. I was called Monday morning and spoke to ******* ******. She told me the complaint was actually filed against me and that although I am in a debt settlement program I can still be sued. She informed me she is not a lawyer and this isnt law advice. However she informed me I had so many days to respond to the complaint once I was served. She emailed me a letter to use once I was served to buy time with the judgement. I wasnt guaranteed this situation could be settled by century. I was not confident they had the resources to help me as my debt had increased. I opted out the program. I just want my money in the reserves which is ******.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/27/2024

  This is a response from Century Support Services to Complaint #********
  
  We appreciate Ms. ******** taking the time to connect with our team to further discuss the concerns mentioned in her complaint. As requested, ************* program was cancelled and the funds in her dedicated special purpose account in the amount of $844.17 were returned back to her bank account on file.
  
  Ms.******** enrolled in a Century Support Services debt settlement program on 08/31/2023. Prior to enrolling into this program,  Ms. ******** was presented with her Debt Settlement Agreement (contract) which outlined her program and cost in detail.  Per her executed contract, she enrolled 2 debts having aggregate balances, as of the date of enrollment, totaling $13,642.00.  Based on her financial ability,a monthly program deposit of $228.79 was established, a program length of 48 months was estimated and a personalized plan was developed to help her achieve her financial goals within an estimated timeframe. The timing of settlements varies and is dependent on several factors such as the monthly deposit amount, the number of creditors involved, and the balance of each account.
  
  **********************'s settlement process and strategies are detailed in the Debt Settlement Agreement section 4. Settlement of Your Debts: A. Timing and Amount of Settlement Offers:
  We begin contacting your Creditors as soon as we determine that a good faith offer to settle a given Debt, whether on a lump-sum or installment basis, may be made, with such determinations dependent upon such factors as the Creditor's settlement policies, the rate of account accretion, the size of each Debt and how close a Debt may be to charge-off. Some Creditors prefer that they not be contacted until you have accumulated sufficient funds in your Settlement Account to allow a negotiated settlement within their historic norms. While settlement guidelines differ widely among Creditors, an accumulation of 25% of the then current balance of a Debt will normally enable a good-faith offer to settle that Debt.
  
  Century does not claim to prevent a creditor from escalated collection attempts. However, if a creditor takes legal action against a client, Century still attempts to work with the law firm to establish a favorable settlement, for the client. As of the date of her complaint, Ms. ******** is 15 months into her estimated 48 month program and Century was able to settle 50% of her enrolled debt. With the current success if her program, the funds Ms. ******** deposits monthly is being used to pay towards her active structured settlement.
  
  We regret Ms. ******** was not satisfied with success Century has provided and has chosen a different path to resolve her debt. Century provided the services outlined in our contract and delivered successful outcomes, in a timely manner.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/04/2024

  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.

  I chose to go in a different direction with negotiating my debts, and am requesting a refund of the funds in my dedicated account. Per my agreement with Century, it states that the funds in my dedicated account are fully accessible to me and can be withdrawn at any time without penalty. When I called to cancel the program, a representative told me that since three accounts had settlements agreed to by creditors, and had payments sent to the creditors on the settlement amounts, then the entire $3500 in my dedicated account will be surrendered due to Century's Fees. On further research:**** settlement companies cant collect a fee until theyve reached a settlement agreement, youve agreed to the settlement, and youve made at least one payment to the creditor or debt collector as a result of the agreement. But you could still end up paying a portion of the debt settlement companys full fees on the rest of your unsettled debts, says ***** *******, senior vice president of communications at the ******************************************If you have five or six creditors and the company settles one of those debts, they can start charging a fee as soon as they receive a result, ******* says. If a debt relief company settled a proportion of your total debt enrolled with its program, it can charge you that same proportion of its total fee.A Proportional fee based on proportional results seems the ethical way to do business, not that if one small payment is made on a settlement, then the entire fee would be due. I am requesting a full refund of fees paid.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/10/2024

  This is a response from Century Support Services to Complaint #********
  
  Our team is making attempts to connect with Mr. ******* to review the concerns mentioned in his complaint. We have not been successful in connecting but will continue our efforts to reach him.
  
  ********** enrolled in a Century debt settlement program on 01/22/2024.  Per his executed Debt Settlement Agreement (contract), he enrolled 10 debts having aggregate balances, as of the date of enrollment, totaling $106,271.00. Based on his financial ability, a monthly program deposit of $1,409.18 was established and a program length of 60 months was estimated.
  
  During the 11 months that Mr. ******* was enrolled on his program, Century was able to achieve favorable settlements on 4 of the 10 enrolled debts. Because ********** did not have the funds available to pay the settlements in a lump sum,Century negotiated the offers in structured terms. These settlements provided Mr. ******* with a realized savings of $6,867.52.
  
  ********** is correct in his description of earned fee collection. Per debt settlement industry regulation, Century does not earn a settlement fee until we do the work for our clients. This is how we show our value. When we successfully negotiate a settlement on our clients behalf, they accept the settlement and a first payment is initiated to the creditor, only then have we earned the right to collect the full earned settlement fee. The settlement fees are outlined on page 3, section 5 of his contract titled, Fees. Settlement fees are based on the enrolled debt balances and never increase. By executing his Debt Settlement Agreement, Mr. *******  acknowledged and agreed to the fees associated with the service that we provide.
  
  ********** included, in his complaint, what he claims is an excerpt from an article from the *****************************************. This except inaccurately states that debt settlement clients may end up paying fees on unsettled debt. This is absolutely inaccurate.  The only manner in which a debt settlement company may collect on earned settlement fees is listed above.
  
  While Centurys fees are earned & able to be collected in full, per the terms listed above, Century sometimes voluntarily agrees to collect its earned settlement fees over several months. This is a voluntary effort to help clients take advantage of settlement opportunities. We did for Mr. ******* which helped to contribute to his realizing a successful program to date. Upon cancellation,any outstanding fees are due to be collected. Century collected on the remaining balance of earned settlement fee for ********** account ending in 5938 and partial remaining balance on the *********** account ending in 7876 with the funds available in his settlement reserve special purpose account.  This fee collection is within the contractual rights according to the executed Debt Settlement Agreement.
  
  We regret that Mr. ******* made the decision to handle his debt relief outside of Century, as he was experiencing a successful program and we believe he would have continued to experience that success had he stayed the course of the program. Century acted professionally and in accordance with our contractual obligation to him in every aspect. 

  We encourage Mr. ******* to return our calls so we can further review his account and concerns. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/03/2024

  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 had received several letters in the mail that appeared to be government offers to Florida residents for debt relief options. I finally called to talk about debt reconciliation in July, and enrolled three of my accounts (two credit cards and one personal loan through Best Egg) in what I thought was going to help me pay them down with less interest. Ive attached the contact I have had with Century on when they will contact my accounts as Ive been contacted constantly about late payments. I keep being told its being worked on. Today I received a 51 point credit score decrease due to delinquent payments even though Ive been constantly reassured not to worry about this. The agreement was to pay a $354.31 installment monthly to be paid off to each creditor while protecting my credit and incurring more fees and interest. I havent seen any of my accounts paid down and Ive attached several statements below to show this as well as the incurring late fees and interest fees Im incurring. I want at least what *** paid this company and to have this contract cancelled. However, I want to request additional fines to the business for my increasing my debts owed over the past three months.I really need help as the last thing I can afford is more debt and worsening credit.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/10/2024

  This is a response from Century Support Services to
  Complaint #22378256
  
  Our team is making attempts to connect with Ms. Isaksen to
  review the concerns mentioned in her complaint. As of the date of this
  response, we have been unsuccessful in reaching her. We will continue our
  efforts to reach her.
  
  Ms. Isaksen enrolled in a Century Support Services debt
  settlement program on 07/24/2024. Prior to enrolling into this program, 
  Ms. Isaksen was presented with her Debt Settlement Agreement (contract) which
  outlined her program and all costs in detail.  Per her contract, she
  enrolled 3 debts having aggregate balances, as of the date of enrollment,
  totaling $20,923.00.  Based on her financial ability, a monthly program
  deposit of $354.31 was established and a program length of 48 months was
  estimated.
  
  In her complaint, Ms. Isaksen states that the agreement was
  to pay a "monthly installment of $354.31 to be paid off to each creditor while
  protecting her credit and incurring more fees and interest".  That is an inaccurate description of the
  services as outlined in her debt settlement contract. Century works to
  negotiate settlements that provide substantial reductions to the balances on
  the client’s accounts, including any interest and fees that may have been
  assessed. Because our focus is on delinquent debt & helping clients work
  toward better financial health, our program is not designed to improve credit
  but rather assist the client in the relief of these debts. Once the debts are
  settled & the program is completed, the client can then concentrate on
  rebuilding their credit.
  
  At just 3 weeks into her program, Century successfully
  negotiated a favorable structured settlement of 50% on Ms. Isaksen's Best Egg
  account. Ms. Isaksen authorized this settlement which provided her with a realized savings of $1,407.00. The monthly funds Ms. Isaksen is depositing
  into her program are currently being applied toward the initiated payments to Best
  Egg for the structured term agreement and Century’s earned settlement fee. As
  additional funds build in her special purpose account, those will be used to negotiate
  settlements on the remaining 2 active debts.
  
  Century specializes in supporting financially distressed
  consumers who are facing hardships that prevent them from meeting their minimum
  monthly payment obligations to creditors. It is important to note that, in
  programs focused on debt settlement and negotiation, accounts will typically
  need to become past due in order to facilitate successful resolution. Creditors
  typically will continue to add interest and late fees to accounts that are
  delinquent.
  
  Century is a privately-owned company and not affiliated with
  any government relief programs. Century has been in business for over 20 years.
  We are an accredited member of the American Association for Debt Relief (AADR)
  & required to meet specific compliance and ethics criteria in order to
  maintain that accreditation status, as well as abiding to all state and federal
  regulations.  Based on the attachments provided, it appears that Ms. Isaksen
  was in communication with her Certified Debt Specialist about the concerns
  outlined in this complaint. The Century customer experience team has no record
  of any communication regarding these concerns which may indicate a potential gap
  in communication.  Once Ms. Isaksen executed
  her contract she was transferred to the Century servicing team to complete her
  enrollment.  As explained to her on that
  live Welcome Call on July 26th, 2024, the servicing team will always
  have the most current and up to date information regarding her program. While her
  enrolling representative can be available, Century provides our customer service
  contact number and information and recommends that all communication be
  sent to the Century servicing team.
  
  Century has acted professionally and in accordance with our
  contractual obligation to Ms. Isaksen.  We
  regret any confusion or dissatisfaction that she has concerning her debt
  settlement program. Her program is on track with early success & we’d like
  the opportunity to talk further with her about her program and her concerns. We
  look forward to connecting with her.