One industry that is really notorious for scams today is the “credit fixing” industry. However, this does not mean that there are not some legitimate services that can really help you. You just need to know how to rid a real credit repair service of scams. A big red flag that a service is a scam is that it makes some outlandish claims or “100% guarantees.” When it comes to credit repair, there are no “100% guarantees” other than the guarantee that a company will do everything they LEGALLY can to help you, but the results themselves cannot really be guaranteed.
So why go for credit repair services if the results are not 100% guaranteed? Because they simplify the process of removing errors from your report and handling disputes with creditors. Many of these things you can do yourself, but the processes can be time consuming and it really helps to have legal experts on your side. Speaking of which, one important thing to look for when selecting a credit repair service is a company that is run by an attorney or has attorneys involved in the network, who will help you with your case.
Never, ever pay money up front. Run away from any company that asks you to. At the very least, they should offer you a free consultation. Explain to them your situation and that you think there are some mistakes that need to be fixed. Ask them to analyze your case to determine if they can really help you or not.
Reliability of a credit fixing service
Any company that claims to help you fix your credit score must be completely honest about what it can and cannot do for your case. If there is nothing they can legally do to help you, they should tell you about it. What a good company can do is help remove negative items if they are there by mistake or if there is any dispute as to whether they should be there. Make sure they review all three of your credit reports: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, and ask you about anything they can do to help you (if anything).
If there are items in any of these reports that can be disputed, the ideal firm will file disputes on your behalf using helpful legal strategies that yield a high success rate. You only pay once they start doing this process.
One of the most important things to consider is communication. The ideal credit fixing service should offer good customer service and be willing to answer any questions you have in a timely manner. You should start with Lexington Law, which offers services in most states. Lexington Law offers a FREE personal consultation regarding your credit score.