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The good, the bad, and the ugly - discover what customers are saying about Halo Debt Solutions

Welcome to our customer reviews and complaints page for Halo Debt Solutions. We understand that making informed decisions about where to invest your time and money can be challenging, which is why we've created this platform for our community to share their honest feedback about their experiences with Halo Debt Solutions.

On this page, you'll find a comprehensive collection of reviews and complaints from real customers who have used Halo Debt Solutions's products or services. Our reviews are authentic and unbiased, providing you with a complete picture of the company, its products or services, and their customer service.

Whether you're considering doing business with Halo Debt Solutions, or you've already had an experience with them, our community's reviews and complaints will give you a valuable perspective on what to expect. Our goal is to help you make informed decisions about where to invest your time and money, and we hope that our platform will be a valuable resource for you.

Please feel free to browse our reviews and complaints and share your own experience with Halo Debt Solutions. Your feedback is an important part of our community and will help others make informed decisions.

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Halo Debt Solutions Poor Service

I went with Halo Debt Solutions for attempt to settle consumer debt. They received my money ($4500) over 2 years and we settled with 4 out of 11 creditor. Then some of the creditors wanted their money now and file law suit. Halo failed to inform me of how to file the paperwork for the law suits and then I received a default judgement and then the creditors garnished personal property and bank accounts. I since have filed a Chapter 13 bankrucpty. I should have saved my $4500 and filed Chapter 13 from the beginning. I would NOT recommend working with Halo Debt Solutions.

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Halo Debt Solutions Bad service

After going on disability I was unable to pay a couple debts to credit card companies. I signed up online to have debt solution companies contact me and subscribed to HALO Debt Solutions' services. The totaled my debt and charged me a percentage based on that. The plan was for me to save a set amount every month from which they would take their fee in reducing amounts. They provided me with a plan showing the amounts I owed reduced by 50% and the way my account would grow. The plan was after a year I would pay off the first and smaller debt and two years after pay off the second so that I was to be debt free in 3 years. They sent me cease and desist letters to send to my creditors to have the creditors contact them to negotiate a settlement on my behalf. I also provided them with a limited power of attorney and a hardship letter explaining my situation. I was also advised to not talk to any creditors that called me because it was just a harassment tactic. My contract with them began in Feb. 2010 until I cancelled it in Sept. 2010 and demanded a refund of the $1300.00 they took which I still have not received. What did they do? Nothing! I spoke to my creditors several times and none had been contacted by HALO. I received a court summons and was sued by one and even after they knew I was being taken to court, HALO did not contact anyone. They sent me an email saying if I could get a settlement in court that was suitable to accept it. After the Court date came and went -disability payments are not garnishable and a judge cannot order someone to pay an unsecured debt from disability- HALO never bothered to contact me to see how things went. A few weeks after i sent them a letter saying I wanted to cancel their services they actually contacted me with a settlement offer that was double plus several thousand dollars more than the original debt amount! They led me to believe they were going to work actively on my behalf and explain to my creditors that I was in a hardship situation and negotiate a settlement for a lesser amount and show I had a plan in place to do it. This was supposed to stop the phone calls and give me hope there was going to be an end to my problems. My first flare up with them came after I learned they had not contacted anybody. They changed their story to "Well, the debt has to go to collections first so we know who to negotiate with." One debt did go to collections and they still didn't contact the agency. The other debt was handled internally by that company and as recently as last month HALO has still not contacted them. Before I went to court and was in another session with them asking what I was paying them for I was asked by my representative if I wanted them to contact the collection agency and try to negotiate something for me. I could not believe it! Of course I said yes, but they didn't. During my time with them I was switched to 4 different representatives. The only time they paid attention to me was when I was angry about their inaction and wanted to cancel my account and get my money back. I wish I had a dollar for all the promises to call people and to call me that were never made. Every time I called at them to ask what was going on I learned some new bit of information that was never mentioned when I first signed up. A biggie was settlement offers are only good for 30 to 90 days and the savings plan they had me doing was essentially pointless and meant nothing to the creditors. I also learned that HALO knew I would be served a summons and have to appear in court but led me to believe at the beginning their efforts on my behalf would avert the entire summons and court thing. I went to court and my name was in the paper for being sued, all things I was promised would not happen. If that wasn't bad enough, I learned I would have to repeat the entire process for each creditor! When I went to court HALO didn't even provide an overview of what to expect or what to say. Their advice on what to fill out in response to the original summons was not only wrong but wasted the court's time. The judge was amazed at the treatment and advice HALO had given me so didn't hold things against me. In court, I basically went up against a collection agency lawyer on my own. Speaking to the lawyer after the hearing we had a frank discussion during which he told me that had I never heard of HALO or talked to them, every single thing would have played out exactly as it did. They did nothing for me other than take over a thousand dollars with a thousand and more still due. I got zero in return. The lawyer said the debt settlement industry is unregulated so can operate as they see fit. I would suggest anybody using one of these services make sure they ask questions and ask again.

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Halo Debt Solutions SCAM AND RIPOFF

MY COMPLAINT IS LIKE THE OTHER HOWEVER ONE DAY I ANSWERED MY DOOR TO FIND A DEPUTY SHERIFF
HANDING ME 2 SUMMONS. I CONTACTED HALO AND THEY TOLD ME NOT TO WORRY, THEY HAD NEVER HAD ANYONE GO TO COURT. THEY CONTACTED THE ATTORNEY WHOM CITICARDS TO FILE THE SUMMONS AND I WAS LEFT WITH 3 OPTIONS, 1- PAY IT IN FULL IMMEDIATELY, 2- PAY THEM $9, 000.00 IMMEDIATELY, OR 3- GO TO COURT. HALO STATES THEY HAVE A MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL HALO EVER RETURN YOUR MONEY. THEY FAILED MISERABLY. I WAS EVENTUALLY FORCED TO FILE CHAPTER 7. THE ATTORNEYS I SPOKE WITH ALL STATED "NEVER USE A DEBT NEGOTIATION COMPANY", NEG. WITH THE CREDIT CARD COMPANIES YOURSELF. YOU WILL GET MUCH FURTHER
ALWAYS CONTACT THE ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE IN TEXAS ABOUT HALO AND KEEP CONTACTING THEM

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Halo Debt Solutions Unauthorized charges

On January 5, 2009 I began working for Halo Debt Solutions as a debt consultant. This is a commissioned base job, the more people I can help get out of debt the more I got paid...so I thought.

Very early on I knew it was not what I expected. There were very little rules and absolutely no oversight of the debt consultants. At my previous company my calls were recorded and we would review them for accuracy and honesty, at the very minimum once a week. Halo has no script...you write your own...so you never know what you will hear come out of a consultants mouth.

Even though the consultants have little oversight, they are extremely less successful than the other debt solution company I worked for, this I cannot explain. What this mean though, is that they have opportunity to help more people than they are helping.

I immediately decided this was not for me. I began to look for other work. During this time I enrolled as few clients as I possibly could because Halo did not instill the confidence in me that they would help my clients. I was right.

One of the first clients I enrolled in the program, never received her welcome package. This was to be received approximately two days before the start date. Two months into the program and several hundreds of dollars the client had still not received her welcome kit. I had put multiple notes in the system for the client to be contacted by her account representative, only two messages were left. I spoke with my client again and she stated she would like to cancel and a refund. I transferred her to Kemarie Mcminn, who sent her to someone else, they processed the cancellation but refused her a refund. They done absolutely 0 work for her, kept her money, and then charged back the commission they paid to me for her enrollment. They stole from the client and their employee.

I began feverishly looking for another opportunity. I found one, took a three-day vacation, and Brett Russell fired me via voicemail. I guess while I was on vacation he found information about me planning to leave when I returned. When they fired me, it was the day before payday. They refused to give me my check. I worked for two weeks without pay, they also will not pay me the commission due on others I have enrolled.

I plan to make it my mission to tell people the truth about Halo, not one management person has an ounce of integrity.If you are enrolled with Halo, I urge you to cancel.

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DaBadMouse
Oakland, US
Apr 03, 2010 2:18 pm EDT

BBB has rated "F" on Halo.

http://www.bbb.org/dallas/business-reviews/debt-settlement-companies/halo-debt-solutions-in-allen-tx-90115169

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Halo Debt Solutions, Inc.
Allen, US
Apr 13, 2009 2:06 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

On behalf of Halo Debt Solutions, Inc., we would like to take this opportunity to respond to the above-named individual’s statements.

It is disappointing to ever lose any employee of a company, whether they have been there for years or a few days, especially on adverse terms. It is no exception with this individual. We regret that she separated from Halo with such a negative disposition in regards to Halo's process, people, and purpose. It is unfortunate that we were unable to discuss this disconnect and work through any underlying concerns that she may have had before resulting to this type of forum. We obviously do not agree with her assertions and claims, and hope for the opportunity to discuss any issues that she might have with Halo. Regardless of her ill will, we sincerely wish her the very best in all of her future endeavors.

Halo currently maintains a staff of 86 employees who passionately service thousands of satisfied clients nationwide. In addition to providing practical financial solutions for Americans who are deeply in debt, Halo is also providing employment for 86 families and making a positive economic impact in the North Texas area. Halo is committed to providing all of its services with integrity, honor, and excellence.

If you have questions about Halo Debt Solutions, Inc. or would like to learn more about the debt settlement process, please visit us on the web at www.halodebt.com or call 866.448.0174.

Cade Thompson
Chief Executive Officer
Halo Group, Inc.

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Halo Debt Solutions Unauthorized billing

Beware of Halo Debt Solutions!

I am an 'EX' client of Halo Debt Solutions. I also fully believe that this company is a scam. My debts, $30, 000 were estimated to be settled in 3 years. However, after 1 year of faithful payments not a single debt of mine was ever settled, negotiated, or even addressed by Halo. Many false promises were made to me during my enrollment. I was lead to believe that this would be a simple process. Quickly I realized that the creditors do not stop calling, do not stop pursuing, and do not care of your enrollment in Halo's program. Kemarie McMinn was my 'Enrollment Specialist' and Deenie Daley was my 'Service Rep'.

So my outcome of this experience is, all of my accounts enrolled in the program were referred to attorneys. An Arbitration Claim was failed against me which could have resulted in wage garnishments. I have decided to file bankruptcy instead and when I informed Halo that I wished to cancel the program they informed me that I would not be refunded a penny! After I have paid them over $3000 and they accomplished absolutely nothing for me in return! Their contract states that the 'enrollment fee' is nonrefundable but it does NOT clarify that every penny you ever pay them is theirs to keep. I have involved my bank and they are investigating fraud and I may have to take them to court to resolve the rest of the money they are keeping. What kind of company refuses to refund money that was paid to perform a service that was never performed?

On a side note, during your enrollment process the Representatives will site laws regarding debt collection practice etc (ex. wage garnishments and house leins) that pertain specifically to their state of Texas. However, they accept clients across the country (I live in California) and we are all bound by different laws.

Point in short... DO NOT TRUST HALO DEBT SOLUTIONS!

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Rooster Cogburn
Redmond, US
Jul 01, 2011 1:35 am EDT

I have just found out how bad Halo Debt is. Fortunately, they did secure agreements with 3 of my cards and I was able to pay those cards off. The bigger ones...I was served papers and then comunication started to get iffy with Halo. I was told by Shelly Jones to respond the papers with some other responses she said people had used...3 days before the repsonse was due after having the copy of the papers for 2 1/2 weeks. I emailed her that certain things were incorrect and that one account was not listed as paid off . She asked me to email her the info so she could research it. Bimbo. Fortunately, I had a friend who was a lawyer and when I asked him how I should respond he said I needed to file bankruptcy. I told David Shelley, when I first started, how I got into debt...which was mainly for cancer and a year of six operations...yes healthcare in this country sucks. Needless to say we have a group of predatory people here. I am filing bankrupcy, am getting $5000.00 back on my "fee" to Halo...which is less than the 15% they say is their fee. Halo is in Texas...they did not abide by Washington law for this service...which is where I live...if this happens to you get a good lawyer, put Halo to the wall as far as the laws in your state say this service should be handled. Halo also tried to get my lawyer to have me sign an aggreement that I would say nothing bad about them. He told them that was ridiculous and it wouldn't happen. Yes, spread the word about the A-Holes...

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Halo Debt Solutions Halo Debt Solutions

I'm a client of Halo Debt Solutions and have been for a year and a half. I have paid them over $10k in fees (last payment was Dec. 08). Now I cannot get anyone to email or call me back. They are also liars. They claim they had a settlement offer, and when I emailed them back to ask a few more questions my "debt negotiator" never returned any of my several emails or phone calls. I can't even get my rep that I have been working with to call or email me back. So, I've contacted the attorney's office that is working on my debt and I'm negotiating with them directly. Ya, what my so-called negotiator is supposed to be doing. That is a total joke. And, she had my credit card balance incorrect too. It was $3k more than what it really is. HHHMMM - I find tha quite interesting. Even when I emailed them to let them know I contacted the attorney's office directly, I never rec'd an email or a phone call back. But then again, why should they? They have my $10k in fees. All I can say is they are a bunch of thieves.

ANYONE LOOKING TO GO WITH A DEBT NEGOTIATION COMPANY - DO NOT CHOOSE HALO DEBT SOLUTIONS! Seriously!

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Halo Debt Solutions Fraud

Beware of Halo Debt Solutions!

I am an "EX" client of Halo Debt Solutions. I also fully believe that this company is a scam. My debts, $30, 000 were estimated to be settled in 3 years. However, after 1 year of faithful payments not a single debt of mine was ever settled, negotiated, or even addressed by Halo. Many false promises were made to me during my enrollment. I was lead to believe that this would be a simple process. Quickly I realized that the creditors do not stop calling, do not stop pursuing, and do not care of your enrollment in Halo's program. Kemarie McMinn was my "Enrollment Specialist" and Deenie Daley was my "Service Rep".

So my outcome of this experience is, all of my accounts enrolled in the program were referred to attorneys. An Arbitration Claim was failed against me which could have resulted in wage garnishments. I have decided to file bankruptcy instead and when I informed Halo that I wished to cancel the program they informed me that I would not be refunded a penny! After I have paid them over $3000 and they accomplished absolutely nothing for me in return! Their contract states that the "enrollment fee" is nonrefundable but it does NOT clarify that every penny you ever pay them is theirs to keep. I have involved my bank and they are investigating fraud and I may have to take them to court to resolve the rest of the money they are keeping. What kind of company refuses to refund money that was paid to perform a service that was never performed?

On a side note, during your enrollment process the Representatives will site laws regarding debt collection practice etc (ex. wage garnishments and house leins) that pertain specifically to their state of Texas. However, they accept clients across the country (I live in California) and we are all bound by different laws.

Point in short... DO NOT TRUST HALO DEBT SOLUTIONS!

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Caroline B. Stoner
, US
Nov 12, 2010 8:17 pm EST

I was lucky to have come to the conclusion that HALO was a scam. I was only a client for 4 months and that was to long. I had just received a summons from one of the creditors, called HALO and the said here is what
YOU can do. What was I paying them for. The company stated that they
would be able to settle all my debits for half of what I owed, all i had to do was put $667.00 in my account monthly HALO took 80% as payment and
the balance stayed in my account. When the I called HALO, HALO stated
that I could settle with the creditor for $15, 000.00 and make payments. As
you can see the rest of my creditors were only get $10, 000.00 plus dollars
LOL yea like the creditors would go for that. By the time I paid HALO I would have spent $6400.00. I should have hired a Lawyer.

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Sportinlife
Columbus, US
Oct 30, 2010 12:20 am EDT

Absolutely true! When I first signed on they withheld vital information from me. I was under the impression they were actively working on my behalf. They were not. Excuse number 1 from them was they couldn't negotiate for me until the debts went to collections so they knew who to negotiate with. One creditor sued me and even up to the court date had never been contacted by HALO. Another had their own internal collection department and despite giving HALO the names and numbers of the people they needed to talk to and assurances from HALO that they would contact them, no contact was ever made. I also found out that I would be served a summons and have to go to court for each creditor when I was made to believe being enrolled in their program would prevent all that. Excuse number 2 on why they didn't ask for a settlement, I found out that the savings program means nothing to creditors and that when settlement offers are made that they are only good for a few days to a month. If you don't have the funds available to immediately pay, it's useless. HALO returned fewer than 25% of my calls, answered less than 50% of my emails, made NONE of the check in calls to me that were supposed to be made monthly. The kicker was an email before my court date that if I could get a settlement on my own I could afford, to take it. Remind me again of what they were hired to do? By the time the court date arrived one creditor had added over $5000 in interest and penalties to the debt. Two weeks after I fired HALO they sent me a settlement offer that was 225% of the original debt. Even in looking over the package they sent me, the settlement amounts are specified in exact dollars and cents. In reality, they were just numbers that they snatched from the air. The whole thing is smoke and mirrors, a deception, a lie. I am reporting them to the State AG office on November 1 to try to get my money back because they did NOTHING they promised they were going to do. I hope I am successful.

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Halo Debt Solutions Do your homework!!!!!!!!

I signed up for the debt solution process through Halo Debt Solutions a little over a month ago. Since signing up I have had over $4, 000 withdrawn from my bank account and not one creditor contacted by Halo Debt Solutions. In other words I am suppose to lay out over $12, 000. BEFORE they do anything. The Attorney Generals office in my state are telling me that this sends a HUGE red flag up and they want to know more about Halo Debt Solutions. I have e-mailed Halo Debt Solutions, at the request of the Attorney General's office to see what they have done so far. After (2) e-mails there has been no reply! (Another red flag)

My bank has promised me that the money will come back to me! This story is not unusual. Credit solution companies make everything look great on paper, almost become your BEST friend with promises, but they will not begin doing anything if at all until they have taken thousands of dollars of your hard earned money.

I call on Halo Debt Solutions to refund my money immediately and appoligize for not contacting any of my creditors as of yet. For anyone seeking relief from debt, my advice is to lay out a budget for yourself and begin to talk to all of your creditors. They will work out a good plan for you. One of my credit card companies immediately offered to settle with me for 50 cents on the dollar of what I owed. I think that is because I contacted them, told them my story, and told them what I could afford to pay. I will soon begin doing the same with all of my creditors. Do your homework! Call the BBB of your area, contact your states' Attorney General to see if the company has complaints against them, and do not be in a rush. Search the internet and you will find what you need to make a better decision!

Richard T.

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MDCCLC
Glade Spring, US
Apr 23, 2012 2:47 am EDT

I signed up through Linda Berry. They never ever contracted no body. I got court papers and they said that it was to scare me. Right on. The next couple of months my checks get garnished. Don't loose your money. Do it yourself.

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G. W. & M. O. Baker
Prattville, US
Mar 21, 2011 3:28 am EDT

I really don't have to cite what happened to my husband and I when we signed up with Halo Debt Solutions to work in our interest with our creditors to settle our credit card debts. It has all been said by the other people complaining about their treatment by Halo. When I began to get letters from Atty's. about not taking care of our payments to these creditors, I became so upset, I called all of them to find out what Halo had done to try to get a settlement agreement for me. I already had a strong feeling nothing was being done. I also had been informed not to talk to our creditors. Anyway, $5, 000.00 dollars and many tears later, I found that our credit card companys were not even aware that we were supposedly working through a debt solution company. Result, we have three liens against our property and three debt collection agencys we are working with to pay these debts off ourselves. Halo stated no refund of monies paid to them by us.

I have a copy of everything I have received from Halo and everything that was sent to them by us. One day I will get to take some kind of action, I am sure. This can't possibly be legal. I just feel so foolish along with desperate.

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gibrannarbig
Garland, US
Sep 15, 2010 2:42 pm EDT

Oh yeah, and the banks that are not so bad? Really?... First of all they want you to be in debt and pay as much interest as possible. Why? because that is how they make money from you. Sure they will work out a lower interest rate with you. That is called a credit management program or debt management program. These programs will typically take 5-6 years to complete. The lower interest rate is usually temoporary then it goes right back up. The accounts enrolled will be closed. It is unlikely that you will be able to get new credit during the 5-6 yr period of time. It also will most likely be reported to the credit reporting agencies, sometimes as a TPI (Third Party Intervention), and that looks real bad -almost as bad as a bankruptcy. Yeah, the idea is to keep you in that long term credit program as long as possible. Banks get all of thier money back regardless of your choices. They are largely responsible for the state of the economy. Americans are enticed into acquiring more debt through advertising and consumer spending pressure. People have been duped into believing that your credit score is the most important factor when actually it is the amount of debt that you have that has a greater impact on your lifestyle. Banks are syphoning billions of dollars from struggling Americans who are trying to keep up with thier minimum payments and suffocating under large debt loads. They are syphoning most of this money in the form of INTEREST. People, do your research first, then comment or complain based on the facts. If the fact is that you discontinued a program because you panicked and did not see the program through to its full completion, then you are the one to blame, not the program.

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gibrannarbig
Garland, US
Sep 15, 2010 2:22 pm EDT

First of all, most of the complaints against legitimate debt settlement companies are based on lack of information and a misunderstanding about how a debt settlement program works. Here are important points to remember. Typically, if a legitimate settlement company accepts your debt into thier program it means that you have qualified for a HARDSHIP program. That means that YOU have created enough personal unsecured debt that you really arent able to keep up with the payments. It is a program designed to provide you with some relief, and get you out of the debt. In other words, a settlement company is going to negotiate with your creditors to get them to agree to only accept about half of what YOU owe them and close the accounts. Yes, settlement companies will charge a fee for doing this. Of course this will effect your credit. Virtually anything you do to get out of paying off your debt in the, long term, high interest, program you are in will effect your credit. Even if you are making your payments on time, you are going to pay a lot more in the long run when paying back your debt. With your high debt load, your credit score is pretty much useless. Debt settlement programs cannot wave a magic wand and make your debt disappear. It takes time to reach the best settlment possible. It also takes time for YOU to have the funds available. During this period it makes the most sense to collect the fees. That is why the number one complaint is from people who terminate the program early. Of course they are not going to see settled accounts. You have to give the program some time. These programs work. Doubt that? Well I work for a company that has settled well over 100 million in debt, with 35, 000 satisfied clients. It is frustrating when people dont take the time to fully understand a program or how a company works before they complain about it.

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pjlim
Milpitas, US
Mar 28, 2009 4:35 pm EDT

I am also a victim of Halo Debt Solution (HDS). My sales person was Mike Maguire and customer service rep was Deenie Daley. Davo suggest that stefenys compliant is bogus. I'll like to add my own testimony that my compliant is 100% legitimate and true and anyone can take that to the bank.

I started with Halo Debt Solution (HDS) back in July 2008. The sales person Mike Maguire told me that Halo Debt negotiates millions of dollars of debt with Citibank and they have strong negotiating power that regular folks like me do not have with these banks. He told me that HD typically settle for 40-60% with Citibank and I can be debt free in 36 months.

I asked him what happened if Citibank sued me and he assured me that the probability of that happening is extremely low and even in a lawsuit, HDS can still negotiate with the lawyers and they can still settle for 40 - 60% because the lawyers do not want to engage in a lengthy and costly judgment and may not even get to collect any money. So I thought this is the holy grill to my debt problems and gladly signed up with them.

Fast forward 8 months later and I have already paid $5000 to HDS, Citibank threw out 2 law suits against me. During the entire 8 months, HDS did nothing for me except calling and emailing me once a month to see how I am doing. They did sent a letter to Citibank to stop calling me and to contact them directly regarding my debts. Of course, Citibank doesn't want to deal with HDS and I am still hounded by daily calls morning till evening from Citibank. HDS suggest I do not answer or speak to anyone representing Citibank, and I gladly obliged, believing that HDS will continue to represent me and work out a solutions with Citi. When I was presented with the summons, HDS told me that the best they can do is 80% of my total debt when it ends up in a lawsuit, and this is not 80% off my original debt amount, this is the total debt including all interest compounded, late fees, finance charges, and all the works that these banks can top up to your original debt amount over the entire time you are trying to save up to pay off your debt. So what happened to the 40-60% of my original loan amount? What happened to No Interest accrued due to HDS debt settlement program?

Taking into account the amount of money I have paid to HDS, the negotiated settlement amount, and court fees I have to pay, I ended up paying more in total amount than I originally owe. When I asked for a refund, guess what, I was told there is no grounds for my request for a refund. In fact, if I do not continue with my monthly payment to HDS, they will cease providing anymore service to me! So everything that I have paid in the past to HDS doesn't count towards future services. In retrospect, if I have taken the initiatives to speak to Citibank and explain my current financial difficulties and work with them on an agreeable solution, I would have avoided all the finance charges and the ugly lawsuits, and I would have save $5000 that I paid to this ### HDS company.

My advice to all who read this, and I hope you do: DON"T WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY WITH HALO DEBT SOLUTIONS. THEY ARE A GREEDY AND SCRUPULOUS COMPANY THAT PREYS ON UNINFORMED FOLKS LIKE US. THEY PRETTY MUCH DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU, EVEN THOUGH THEY PRETEND TO WHEN YOU ARE PAYING YOUR MONTHLY FEES, AND THEY KICKED YOU AWAY WHEN YOU FINALLY REALIZE THAT THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING FOR YOU THAT YOU CANNOT DO YOURSELVES.

The banks are not as bad as these debt settlement companies make them out to be. They are willing to work out a viable solution through low monthly plan and stop accruing late fees, interest, and finance charges. I can't say that is the case with all banks, but I was able to work out a solution with Chase and Bank of America. I wished I would have done the same 8 months ago with Citibank. It could have been worse if I also included my Chase and BoA debt to my Citibank debt and I would have paid much more out of pocket to HDS and end up with 4 - 5 lawsuits from all 3 banks instead of just 2 from Citibank.

HDS is a scam that pretends to be a legal company. Stay as far away as you can.

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Davo
Lavon, US
Mar 03, 2009 11:42 am EST

I think this complaint is bogus. I personally signed my parents up with Halo and in 3 months they have already settled one of their accounts at 39% of what they owe. I think these complaints are from people that never used the service...perhaps the competition.
Halo also gave my parents a written 100% money back guarantee and they also pay for my parents to go through credit repair once they complete the program.
It's sad that a company that is truly trying to help in this current economic crisis is getting such negative responses just because the industry isn't regulated.

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stefenys
, US
Dec 22, 2008 5:56 pm EST

Beware of Halo Debt Solutions!

I am also an "EX" client of Halo Debt Solutions. I also fully believe that this company is a scam. My debts, $30, 000 were estimated to be settled in 3 years. However, after 1 year of faithful payments not a single debt of mine was ever settled, negotiated, or even addressed by Halo. Many false promises were made to me during my enrollment. I was lead to believe that this would be a simple process. Quickly I realized that the creditors do not stop calling, do not stop pursuing, and do not care of your enrollment in Halo's program. Kemarie McMinn was my "Specialist" and Deenie Daley was my "Service Rep".

So my outcome of this experience is, all of my accountS enrolled in the program were referred to attorneys. An Arbitration Claim was failed against me which could have resulted in wage garnishments. I have decided to file bankruptcy instead and when I informed Halo that I wished to cancel the program they informed me that I would not be refunded a penny! After I have paid them over $3000 and they accomplished absolutely nothing for me in return! Their contract states that the "enrollment fee" is nonrefundable but it does NOT clarify that every penny you ever pay them is theirs to keep. I have involved my bank and they are investigating fraud and I may have to take them to court to resolve the rest of the money they are keeping. What kind of company refuses to refund money that was paid to perform a service that was never performed?

On a side note, Halo and Mr. McGuire will site laws regarding debt collection practice etc (ex. wage garnishments and house leins) that pertain specifically to their state of Texas. However, they accept clients across the country (I live in California) and we are all bound by different laws.

Point in short... DO NOT TRUST HALO DEBT SOLUTIONS!

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Curious in Texas
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Aug 20, 2008 8:01 am EDT

Who was your sales person? Mike Maguire?

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Curious in Texas
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Aug 18, 2008 8:36 am EDT

Who was the person who signed you up? Mike Maguire?

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Halo Debt Solutions Scam and rip off!

Beware of Halo Debt and Mike Maguire. I would like to let everyone know my situation with Halo Debt Solutions located in Dallas, Texas. I was a client or so called client of Halo Debt Solutions and initially spoke to Mike Maguire about the halo debt settlement service. Mike Maguire totally lied to me about how my accounts would be handled, in fact they where all turned over to attorneys and now they are garnishing my wages and putting a lien on my home. Mr. Maguire told me that I had no worries and that the program would not hurt my credit or personal living. Halo Financial did nothing but put me in more financial troubles than when I started their settlement program. This company totally ripped me off, not only did they put me in a real stressful situation but they stole all the money I invested into the program.

If you happen to run into Halodebt.com please think twice about using this company or Mike Maguire. Unless you want to be lied to, cheated, and mentally abused please stay away. Halo Debt Solutions is clearly trying to cheat people out of money. Mike Maguire has no remorse or care for the victim of this situation. Halo Financial should be shut down and all clients should be refunded for their actions. I am also going to write a letter to the BBB and Attorney General about the wrong doings of this company.

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Ed B.
Ballwin, US
Sep 01, 2010 10:30 pm EDT

When searching a debt relief company to work with always look at their fee structure. If they charge anything up-front or charge monthly dues, it's better to stay away. Settlement companies should only charge a fee once a settlement has been finalized between the company and the clients creditor. They should also charge minimal fees based on what they save their clients. www.personalcreditsolution.com operates with this fair fee structure and offer a full satisfaction guarantee to each of their clients. Remember, there are honest settlement companies out there...you just have to do your homework and see what you're really paying for their service.

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debt stinks
Boise, US
Jun 18, 2010 8:21 am EDT

Hmmmmm, I am reading all of these comments and feel that there is both truth and nontruth to most of them. I am a client of HDS and the bottom line is they are doing everything they said they would do for me. I enrolled 30K worth of debt and so far all but 3 accounts are settled in less than 2 years. We have been called to court 3 times and they really did nothing to help with court. When you go back and really read the "contract" they never say they can represent you in court they say that they will assist you - which is basically just giving you general advice and sending you some links for summons answers that you can find through any google search. We got totally different advice for the different summons...as in they gave us more helpful information the second time than they did the first. Stupid.

I think what happens is that when you are in the situation where you are looking for a company such as halo you believe and interpret things the way you want to believe them and they know that and they promote themselves accordingly. You cannot be emotional when making a decision like this. They do not lie to you in the initial agreement on paper. The calls do eventually stop - it may take up to a month for it to happen but they stop. I get the feeling that this firm does so much in volume that you pretty much become a number, if you don't stay on them you can get sort of swept under the rug. The reps are trained very well to give a feeling of serenity and trust and who knows if there is any sincerity in there at all; my guess is it varies from person to person. I think I have dealt with nine different reps so far and that can be very frustrating.

On the other hand, they have settled several accounts for us at less than 40%. We have paid them a lot of money to basically do what you can do yourself if you understand the process at all which most people don't and the information seems to be a big secret that you can only find by either going through the painful process and learning as you go or buying books from some goofy author that has found a way to capitalize on the same sad fate so many others are experiencing.

My assessment is if you don't a very high debt, like say it is around $15, 000, and you don't have the stomach to handle all of the calls and hounding until you can save enough money to negotiate, then dealing with them isn't so bad. They are friendly and humor you nicely through the process. You are definitely throwing away money in fees to them that you could put toward your debt and the bottom line is most of these companies would settle with you anyway after you become severely delinquent. If you have considerably high debt and all you can do is pay toward the plan halo lays out for you, halo probably isn't going to be able to do anything for you and in most cases your debt will go to court which is not pleasant. Bankruptcy probably isn't a bad option.

Hope this helps someone. In my opinion the real problem lies in Washington because this should not be such a game. The whole system is designed to see you fail and all the players ultimately work off of each other to their own gain. The consumer has very little opportunity to educated himself while on the other hand you are up against banks, lawyers, and debt "professionals" such as halo. It's sickening.

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Michael Mellema
Burlingame, US
Feb 24, 2010 10:26 am EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

When I signed up I was told that arrangements had been made with each card company. I found out that no such arrangement existed. When I told them I wanted out, the agent continued to charge my account. I contacted the local Chamber of Commerce and finally got a phone call saying the charge would be reversed. I also found that when I went back to paying the card companies, Discover jumped my monthly finance charge to 28% per month. When I did a housing refinance I was able to get enough out to pay off all the cards. Then Discover sent me a bill for the interest from their statement date to the payment date. Only it was calculated using the 28% and some phoney purchases total.

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Gregory Hunter
Arlington, US
Jan 28, 2010 10:54 am EST

FBI, Secretary of State, BBB, Attorney General...All those may help

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Mike Mellema
Burlingame, US
May 29, 2009 9:20 pm EDT

I've got $24, 000 in card debts when I signed up with Halo. They took $336 out of my bank acccount each month as part of the program. Recently an escrow payout came through large enough to payoff all the cards. I wrote to them on May 1st telling them to terminate the agrement. Their agent proceeded to argue that I was better off paying them for three years instead of paying the card companies immediately. Shortly after, I find another payment taken from my bank account. When I objected, the agent said they were not going to refund the payment because she said I needed their service. I immediately had to change my bank account to prevent further charges. I'll file a complaint as soon as I find the right agency

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Mick
Round Lake Beach, US
Apr 07, 2009 10:12 am EDT

rip off rip off I had Mike Maquire cell phone number I called last night. The message on the phone is Mike Miquie I no longer work for Halo Debt Solution if you are a personal friend you can call my wife phone. Deenie Daley is my rep boyy is she a joke! and so is the company some one should report them to the better bissness bureua in Texas. I will make sure if I can that they are shut down

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Mick
Round Lake Beach, US
Apr 07, 2009 10:02 am EDT

totally a rip off I need to know what to do? Should I fill bankrupsty? can't be any worst than Halo Debt Solutions

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pjlim
Milpitas, US
Mar 28, 2009 4:37 pm EDT

I started with Halo Debt Solution (HDS) back in July 2008. The sales person Mike Maguire told me that Halo Debt negotiates millions of dollars of debt with Citibank and they have strong negotiating power that regular folks like me do not have with these banks. He told me that HD typically settle for 40-60% with Citibank and I can be debt free in 36 months.

I asked him what happened if Citibank sued me and he assured me that the probability of that happening is extremely low and even in a lawsuit, HDS can still negotiate with the lawyers and they can still settle for 40 - 60% because the lawyers do not want to engage in a lengthy and costly judgment and may not even get to collect any money. So I thought this is the holy grill to my debt problems and gladly signed up with them.

Fast forward 8 months later and I have already paid $5000 to HDS, Citibank threw out 2 law suits against me. During the entire 8 months, HDS did nothing for me except calling and emailing me once a month to see how I am doing. They did sent a letter to Citibank to stop calling me and to contact them directly regarding my debts. Of course, Citibank doesn't want to deal with HDS and I am still hounded by daily calls morning till evening from Citibank. HDS suggest I do not answer or speak to anyone representing Citibank, and I gladly obliged, believing that HDS will continue to represent me and work out a solutions with Citi. When I was presented with the summons, HDS told me that the best they can do is 80% of my total debt when it ends up in a lawsuit, and this is not 80% off my original debt amount, this is the total debt including all interest compounded, late fees, finance charges, and all the works that these banks can top up to your original debt amount over the entire time you are trying to save up to pay off your debt. So what happened to the 40-60% of my original loan amount? What happened to No Interest accrued due to HDS debt settlement program?

Taking into account the amount of money I have paid to HDS, the negotiated settlement amount, and court fees I have to pay, I ended up paying more in total amount than I originally owe. When I asked for a refund, guess what, I was told there is no grounds for my request for a refund. In fact, if I do not continue with my monthly payment to HDS, they will cease providing anymore service to me! So everything that I have paid in the past to HDS doesn't count towards future services. In retrospect, if I have taken the initiatives to speak to Citibank and explain my current financial difficulties and work with them on an agreeable solution, I would have avoided all the finance charges and the ugly lawsuits, and I would have save $5000 that I paid to this ### HDS company.

My advice to all who read this, and I hope you do: DON"T WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY WITH HALO DEBT SOLUTIONS. THEY ARE A GREEDY AND SCRUPULOUS COMPANY THAT PREYS ON UNINFORMED FOLKS LIKE US. THEY PRETTY MUCH DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU, EVEN THOUGH THEY PRETEND TO WHEN YOU ARE PAYING YOUR MONTHLY FEES, AND THEY KICKED YOU AWAY WHEN YOU FINALLY REALIZE THAT THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING FOR YOU THAT YOU CANNOT DO YOURSELVES.

The banks are not as bad as these debt settlement companies make them out to be. They are willing to work out a viable solution through low monthly plan and stop accruing late fees, interest, and finance charges. I can't say that is the case with all banks, but I was able to work out a solution with Chase and Bank of America. I wished I would have done the same 8 months ago with Citibank. It could have been worse if I also included my Chase and BoA debt to my Citibank debt and I would have paid much more out of pocket to HDS and end up with 4 - 5 lawsuits from all 3 banks instead of just 2 from Citibank.

HDS is a scam that pretends to be a legal company. Stay as far away as you can.

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linda
, US
Jan 31, 2009 9:46 am EST

Not sure I have be in touch with someone from halo debt And thought I would try them but now after I have read the comments Im not sure .If some-one out there can till me something good at all about this place I have printed some of them.?s

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stefenys
, US
Dec 22, 2008 5:51 pm EST

I am also an "EX" client of Halo Debt Solutions. I also fully believe that this company is a scam. My debts, $30, 000 were estimated to be settled in 3 years. However, after 1 year of faithful payments not a single debt of mine was ever settled, negotiated, or even addressed by Halo. Many false promises were made to me during my enrollment. I was lead to believe that this would be a simple process. Quickly I realized that the creditors do not stop calling, do not stop pursuing, and do not care of your enrollment in Halo's program. Kemarie McMinn was my "Specialist" and Deenie Daley was my "Service Rep".

So my outcome of this experience is, all of my accountS enrolled in the program were referred to attorneys. An Arbitration Claim was failed against me which could have resulted in wage garnishments. I have decided to file bankruptcy instead and when I informed Halo that I wished to cancel the program they informed me that I would not be refunded a penny! After I have paid them over $3000 and they accomplished absolutely nothing for me in return! Their contract states that the "enrollment fee" is nonrefundable but it does NOT clarify that every penny you ever pay them is theirs to keep. I have involved my bank and they are investigating fraud and I may have to take them to court to resolve the rest of the money they are keeping. What kind of company refuses to refund money that was paid to perform a service that was never performed?

On a side note, Halo and Mr. McGuire will site laws regarding debt collection practice etc (ex. wage garnishments and house leins) that pertain specifically to their state of Texas. However, they accept clients across the country (I live in California) and we are all bound by different laws.

Point in short... DO NOT TRUST HALO DEBT SOLUTIONS!

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