American Debt Relief review: Is it legit? | finder.com (2024)

How does American Debt relief work?

American Debt Relief works by negotiating with your creditors to lower your balance in exchange for paying it off all at once. It works with most unsecured debt — with the exceptions of tax debt and student loans. Like most debt relief providers, you must prove that you’re facing financial hardship to enroll in the program.

If you want to settle between one and four credit accounts, you must have at least $7,500 in eligible debt to get started. If you want to settle five or more accounts, your debt balance must be at least $10,000.

How much does it cost?

American Debt Relief charges a fee of around 25% of the debt you enroll, according to the fine print on its website. It deducts the fee from your savings account, as it settles debt.

Keep in mind that your debt will continue to accrue interest and late fees while you’re enrolled in the program — especially if you stop making repayments. The cost of your debt could be higher than expected.

How much could I save with American Debt Relief?

Typically people who complete the program within 24 to 48 months usually save about 30% of the enrolled debt after fees. But it depends on factors like the type of debt you have, how much you owe, interest rates and fees and American Debt Relief’s relationship with your lender.

Is American Debt Relief legit?

On paper, American Debt Relief is generally a legitimate debt relief company. It’s a member of both the two main trade organizations that regulate the debt relief industry: The American Fair Credit Council (AFCC) or International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA). It also includes an AFCC disclosure on debt relief on its website, which breaks down the risks of debt relief clearly to potential customers.

But my phone call with American Debt Relief raised some red flags. The representative I spoke with gave me misleading information about how debt relief would affect my credit. They were also more aggressive compared to representatives at most other debt relief services I’ve contacted.

What are the pros and cons of American Debt Relief?

American Debt Relief has relatively high savings. But weigh the benefits and drawbacks before signing up.

Compare more debt relief options

American Debt Relief reviews and complaints

American Debt Relief gets overwhelmingly positive customer reviews. Reviewers are mostly pleased with the quality of customer service they received, and many even mention the people they worked with by name. A very small minority of reviewers state they were unhappy with how long it took to get a response. And a few claimed the phone number didn’t work — though I can verify that it does.

What is American Debt Relief?

American Debt Relief is a debt settlement company, though there’s not much information. It was founded in 2012 and has headquarters in Plano, Texas, according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Its CEO Randy Whaley doesn’t have a background in debt relief before working at this company.

But that can be a good sign. In some cases, past experience at debt relief companies can be an indication that it’s run into trouble with regulators. Neither Whaley nor American Debt Relief show up on the Federal Trade Commission’s list of companies and people banned from debt relief.

How do I get started?

You can get started by calling customer service or filling out a form on its website. To register for a free consultation online:

1. Go to the American Debt Relief website
2. Click Free debt assessment
3. Fill out the form with your name, contact information and the amount of unsecured debt you would like to settle
4. Hit Get my assessment

A representative should reach out to go over your options and guide you through the enrollment process.

I’ve signed up. What happens next?

After signing up for a free consultation, American Debt Relief sets up a savings account where you deposit a monthly payment toward the debt settlement fund. American Debt Relief withdraws from that account to pay off your creditors as it settles your debt.

This program typically takes 24 to 48 months to complete. Since American Debt Relief doesn’t include your monthly repayments, those are your responsibility. If you choose to skip your repayments, your debts will go into collections and you could face a lawsuit from your lender.

Before you sign up with American Debt Relief, compare other providers and learn about the risks of debt settlement.