How do I know if the debt settlement company I'm working with is competent and legitimate?

There are several things you can do to get a sense for the quality or competence of your debt settlement company:

Do they communicate promptly and well?

The essence or heart of debt settlement is negotiation. If the company does not even communicate well with you, the client, there’s no reason to believe it will communicate well with creditors.

Have they met their own benchmarks or deadlines?

If they fall short of what they have told you they will do, in terms of results, timeline, etc., then unless there is a good reason for this which you find persuasive, you should consider that they may not be competent.

Do they seem to understand your situation and the documentation you provide?

If the company or its representatives have difficulty understanding your debt or your situation, they can’t represent your interests.

Do they take good notes?

If every time you speak to a company representative, you find yourself explaining the situation all over again, or they don’t document prior conversations with you, that is not a good sign. An inability to document conversations, communications, etc. will hamper settlement.

Are they a member of a well-known or –regarded industry association?

Business that are members in good standing of industry association are often more professional competent than ones which are not.

Talk to a Debt Settlement Attorney before you consider working with a debt settlement company. Lawyers are bound by laws of ethics, and can often settle you debt for less than the cost of a debt settlement company.