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I have joined this site to share my experience of these companies for the good of all.
In January of this year i recieved a call from Fresh Start Financial asking if im in debt and needed help, i replied yes. The phone call lasted about an hour, in which time i told him all my creditors and incomings and set up a debt management plan. It was explained that the first few hundred would go to set up costs, then after that, the money would be shared out amongst creditors. After a couple of weeks of paying i hadnt heard anything from them to confirm if my creditors had agreed to the plan, so i tried to call them, it took days before someone answered, i was told ill get confirmation after i had finished paying the fee, so i carried on paying, with no contact from them, nothing in writing, no calls, nothing. 4 weeks ago i noticed that they took one payment out by card under the name fresh start then another payment in the same week by direct debit under the name harrington brooks, they continued to do this up until this week, taking over double the amount i agreed to, even though ive been complaining about it since week 2 of the blunder. after spending along time on the phone with various people who kept telling me they would phone me back i was getting disturbing mixed messages, the set up fee changed depending on who i was talking to, some people said agreements had been made with the creditors, others said contact with the creditors would be made when the set up fee was paid, i pointed out that it had now been paid, funnily enough they said they would call me back. today, after speaking to my creditors and finding that theyve had no contact from fresh finance, i decided to cancel and get my money back, guess what, they said they ll phone me back. ive spent all day on the phone chasing them, before finall speaking to a verey rude and argumentative employee who said i wont get my money back cause they ve spent alot of effort setting up the plan, i pointed out that actually they hadnt set up anything, to which there was no answer, when i mentioned complainning she was delighted in telling me they had 8 weeks to respond to a complaint. so now i want to warn the world, stay away from this company, that hides behind many names.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
They processed a loan for a woman with a mental disability. After she did not understand and coaxed her into signing they refused to terminate the loans even though the contract did not begin until the next day. Trying to speak with them was like pulling teeth they wanted money to close the loan and would not let me speak to management. When I asked for their legal representation information so I can contact them on the matter they gave me an email. They then refused to give me their name. Sketchy and horrible with no morals, will be contacting legal representation and filing complaint with Better Business.
FRAUDULENT COMPANY! SCAMMERS!
I was "taken" for THREE YEARS WORTH OF 'STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS'! The only reason I found out about their scam is because I was contacted by my REAL student loan provider a while back, asking for updated annual proof of income for a legit reduced payment plan. I filled out the paperwork, sent it in and received a letter in the mail a short time after stating "If you are already enrolled in AutoPay, do nothing. The new monthly amount due will automatically be withdrawn from your bank account on the same day as previous payment due dates". So, I did nothing. A short time later phone calls from my REAL provider started rolling in. Finally, I got aggravated enough by the phone calls multiple times a day so I answered one. They informed me my forbearance was over and I was already 2 months behind on my payments! I told them about their letter stating "do nothing if already enrolled in auto pay...to which they informed me that I was NEVER enrolled into auto pay with them. Apparently, Fresh Start Financial was requesting deferments and forbearances in my name from my REAL student loan company so I wouldn't hear from the real provider all of this time! Around that time I started noticing other fraudulent charges from my PayPal account so I contacted my bank's fraud department. Luckily, the two woman I spoke to were 100% competent and willing to help me in any and every way possible. I have already started to get refunds from some of the fraudulent PayPal transactions but it will take up to 45 days to get the rest refund it. The woman that I am working within the fraud department of my bank said she would be able to get me a refund from every monthly payment for the last 2 years from Fresh Start Financial. I contacted the BBB and they told me that they had an F rating. I contacted a complaints department also and they told me that there were a lot of red flags but they were not legally able to tell me if it was a fraudulent company or not but it was clear by what they were saying as far as the red flags they had heard from my situation that this company is fraudulent. I was told that any student loan consolidator or bailout company was not legally allowed to charge a service fee. I was charged $387 and told it was an upfront one time payment to prove good faith that I was going to continue to pay on the loan. That is illegal! Of course I did not know that at the time unfortunately. Moral of the story... Do your research before signing up with any of these companies! I am still out of thousands of dollars but at least I will be getting a decent amount back from the fraudulent company. Also, make sure if you have then a product of fraud, to report it to the Better Business Bureau and the complaint department as well as online reviews so that other people who do their homework first can see what you've gone through with certain companies... and hopefully not make the same mistake.
This company is sneaky and fake.
They called and talked to my wife yesterday evening saying for 60$ cad they could help her raise her credit by paying off past debts ect. thankfully i'm very big on looking for reviews ect and told my wife to tell him she was going to talk to me about it when I got home. the guy on the phone didnt like this much and started getting very rude towards my wife so she hung up. they called back today so we decided to not answer and sent them emails to all emails they sent us stating that we dont authorize and payments by them or any other company affiliated with them and that if any payments are taken out of the account they are commiting fraud as she didnt authorize any payments or sign any agreements. the employee who was talking to her and sending her emails than started sending threats via emails saying things like "we have contacted the police and if you dont contact us to pay off the outstanding owed amount that she would be going to jail". this company is a fraud company which threatens you and makes you feel like you are going to be arrested and go to jail if you dont use their services.
Stay away from these scammers! also remember scammers and fraudulent companies pray on people not knowing things and threatening that you will go to jail is a tactic companies like this use to scare you into giving them money! fraud..
I was phoned by Freshstart Financial in December last year who told me that for only £150 a month they could set me up an IVA to wipe out my debt in only 5 years! I was passed to my personnal financial manager, named Tristan Kenny, who said that once I had made the first months payment none of my creditors would contact me as they would all be told I was with freshstart. So I sent all my paperwork and signed up. 2 months later I had paid them £300 pounds and was still receiving letters and phone calls from all my creditors who told me they knew nothing about freshstart and hadn't heard from them, which I hadn't either. I then got a phone call, just after the second payment had gone out from Harrington Brookes Solicitors to confirm my details and set up my IVA. When I informed them that I was currently unemployed they said they could not set anything up and freshstart would be in contact to make arrangements, this did not happen. I rang freshstart just before the third payment was due to ask what was happening. Firstly I couldn't speak to my personnal advisor, then they told me they knew nothing about it! I then told them that I wanted all my paperwork returned and a full refund of what I had paid them and was told, by the young lady I was speaking to, that that would not be a problem and would be 7 - 10 days. I have now been told, a month later, by a lady named Vicky, a compliance manager, that this is not the case as I am outside of the cooling off period of 7 days from the start of the agreement! I am shocked that they can do this as I paid no money up front so by their policy I would have never been entitled to a refund even though they did not actually do the job that I paid them the money to do?
Hi, in 2012 I had a phone call from fresh start. they discussed financial plan with me. I wasn't sure if I wanna pay for paying my debts as I was capable of paying it off myself. I decided I am gonna think about it. the guy offered to send me a pack with more details. I agreed, thinking it can't do any wrong. the guy on the phone insisted we will fill the application form via phone anyway so this is when I gave them details of my bank account. I wasn't sure at first why they need it at such an early stage but in the end I shared those details with them. I was also told that I don't have to go ahead with it later on. I will read the leaflets in the pack and I will decide then. he also said that soon as I receive the pack there will be the letter that I need to sign and send it back in the pre paid envelope soon as I decide to go along with it. I had a feeling something was dodgy about this company. I will have a look, I thought. I was pretty sure that if I won't sign it they will not be able to take the money of my account. I was wrong!
They charged me at first 1 penny. then day after 20 pounds. then they kept charging me 20 pounds each week. all together they charged me almost 200 pounds!
I didn't sign any papers. my bank advised me to order new card so they can't charge me any more. so I did.
The thing is that all my creditors that they asked me for.. - I never gave them those details. only names of my creditors. that was it. because I wasn't sure if I wanna get them involved.
I called them to get my money back. they sent me to harrington brooks. harrington brooks said that they can't do nothing about it. I nicely explained the woman on the phone that I didn't sign any documents! she told me that I need to pay my debts. she also asked with rude raised voice how else I am planning to pay them off?
Anyway.. I left it until now (had other more stressful things to deal with). I am not going to complain to them. that will be more time that I will waste. I am going to write to the financial ombudsman service directly and I suggest you do the same guys.
I called a debt management company t look an options of ways to manage my debt after my ex fiance lost his job whilst we were together and getting into alot of problems with money. My main debt was a loand of about £11, 000. The debt management company advised my that they could reduce my monthly paymens to £75 a month down from about £350 a month. At the time i sounded like a good idead but after thinking about it, i thought i dont want to still be paying it off in years to come i would rather stuggle and get it payed as soon as i can.
The adviser Nadine told me that she would send me the paper work in the post andif i wanted to go ahead with it to return the signed agreement. I did not do this as decided not to go ahead with it.
On the 26th January I have had £130 taken from my bank account, I have spoke to the company which have refused to refund the money.
As far as im concerned I have signed no contract and did not cancel anything as didnt think I was involved with the agreement.
I find this appauling when they know someone is struggling with money anyway, to take my money and refuse to give it back
This company has been taking money out of my account without authorization and this is not right. I bought one computer from them and they continue to take the money out after the purchase is over. I have tried to call but no answer. This is not right and I would like to know who to contact about this if anyone knows please advise. This company must be stopped!
27 calls a day and apparently this is good practise and dont class it as harassment!
Our number is withheld and ex directory so can only get it from bt so not impressed by any of their services
Management never there and should be taken out and shot!
When will they cease trading
I get 2 or 3 calls a week, sometimes on the same day, all are 0161 or 0163 numbers but from different extensions. I don't answer them now as I have caller display. What annoys me is my number is ex-directory and the only debt I have is my mortgage which is under £10k. Having worked in insolvency for 20 years I have dealt with many similar companies, they should be avoided like the plague and not allowed to trade. Anyone with debt problems should contact "www.national debtline.org" for FREE advice.
Hi!
I opened a management plan with fresh start, one month they took money without consent and sent me a same day transfer back which was nice of them,
Then I had problems with my bank and phoned them up and graciously told "mathew" the problem! he said "we will suspend your plan for the time being, no money will be taken out of your bank untill you call us" basically given them the go ahead again..
Well today I check my bank to find they had taken money but this time mathew had more to say about my bank problems! he was indirectly calling me a liar and told me the was no way he was refunding my money, mathew then said I would have to beg for my money in writing to fresh start.
When I decided to call back for the postal address to write to? mathew started to have ago about my bank again for no reason and how I was wrong and I must be confused"I replied to say I am confused because I dont know why im having this convo with you when I want a postal address" he seemed very annoyed and decided to say his peice then put the phone down...
They took money they shouldnt have took!
They refused to give it back
They attacked my personal life
They are careless
This company and that disrespectful idiot need shutting and he needs. lesson in manner and social skills...
It is this mathews attitude and personal problem towards me that has enraged me to another level of anger
I too keep getting phones calls form this company who keep asking me why i won't take a Debt managerment plan!( Even though I am not in Debit! i have asked more then once for them to remove my details, if though my mbl number is logged with the telephone prefrence service. The last call i go from them the advisor was RUDE! when i told them i had an emergency to deal with and i wasnt interested, and i got back well it can't be much of an emergency if you have answered your phone! Even though i has just received some distressing news that a family member has been rushed in to hospital. Telephone mannor is disgusting and i fell quite threatended by them.
I am heavily pregnant and this company is harassing me knowing full well I am heavily pregnant. I refused to sign up with them and ever since then its been phone calls upto 20 times a day from various numbers I have threatened legal action yet they continue my advice stay clear they are very rude and dont take no for an answer
well these called me yesterday gave them me catd details so is thi9s really a con company and do they pay ur debts
Hi ave set up with this company they haven't yet took a payment but they did not ask me for any fees they said that they will send me a started package and I have to sign it before they can start anything with my creditors they have all my card details so a little be worried now do you think i should fone an cancel any arragments if so is they any good company's that anyone would recommend
###ing ### mother ###er fresh start my ### these fraudsters robe me as well didn't make.no contribution towards my creditors at all, they didn't even contact any of my creditors anecdote whej finally I have asked why so they start with stories like we are negotiating with your creditors don't worry things will be normal for you ai
d my interest rate keep rising so I have to cancel my card qndv ask for my money back, the guy was so rude he said u are not going to get your money back, so I am going to take these bunch of fraudsters to court and I tell you what mate speak to trading standardhs and also I have even asked for tapes recorded of my and his account manager Adam Ross the ###er cheese didn't come on phone and.refuse everything.
Be carefull all guys and.report them to fraud people ...
Intresting, I had a call from Freshstart today, they knew all my details ( d.o.b., address, post code, phone no.). The guy who rang said that they'd been contacted by one of my "concerned creditors" saying I was in financial difficulties and they could set up a payment plan to "sort me out". He tried to get me to set up a payment plan there and then but when I told him I would do nothing without talking it through with my wife he said he would call back tomorrow, I cant wait. Thanks to this website, he'll be told where to go.
I have had the same issue but ihave caught it in time. this company set up a payment from my account without my authority and told me they have contacted my creditors- i rang my creditors and no contact had been made. i have cancelled all payments and dealings with them.
I have raised a complaint and they rang my called me immature and put the phone down.
Stay away from this company!