ComplaintsforCentury Support Services, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  12/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My name is **** ***** (this info below is provided as of 12/132-23 I cancelled out from Century and CFT pay on 12/7/23. Century illegally took out $ to pay One Main Financial on 12/6/23 without my consent. I verbally agreed to settlement agreement, but nothing was said that payment would be taken from my account. I have uploaded my ledger/settlement agreement/email sent to terminate my relationship with both Century and CFT. You are welcome to pull the call to verify my attempt to cancel. . I called on 12/8 and again on 12/12 to verify I have been cancelled out and to retrieve back my $$ sent to ONE MAIN FINANCIAL. along witht he remaining monies that have be deducted from my account to be deposited @ CFT. They refused to cancel and were extremely rude that i was questioning what they were doing. They refused to acknowledge that they had received my email. I will report everything to the Federal Trade Commission and the CFPB. They have broken the "telemarketing Sales Rule" (TSR) for not fully disclosures to me and for taking advantage of me and not abiding to my cancellation via email and by phone. I already closed my CFT pay account and this will be reported as well. I have requested a full refund, and this should be reported as well for their unethical business practices, not disclosure fees, lying that they did not receive my email to them, refusing to cancel me out. If I have to escalate this even further, I will. I just want my refund and that is it and we can both move on. Attached is a copy of the email sent to cancel my agreement with them.

  

  Business response

  12/21/2023

  This is a response from Century Support Services to ********* *********
  
  Our Customer Advocate Manager has made attempts to reach *** ***** both by phone and email to further address the concerns mentioned in her complaint. *** ***** has advised Century via email that she is not interested in communicating with us further on this matter.
  
  *** ***** enrolled in a Century Support Services debt settlement program on 10/13/2023.  Per her executed Debt Settlement Agreement (contract), she enrolled 10 debts having aggregate balances, as of the date of enrollment, totaling $32,101.00.  Based on her financial ability, a bi-weekly program deposit of $262.45 was established and a program length of 48 months was estimated.  Century’s goal is to negotiate a reduction to the balance on a client’s enrolled account, including any assessed interest and fees. 
  
  There are a few claims in *** ******* complaint that Century would like to address.
  
  The first is that *** ***** states that Century illegally took money from her to pay one of her creditors, One Main Financial. That statement is inaccurate. Upon execution of her contract, *** ***** established a dedicated settlement account in her name with the third party processor, Crossroads Financial Technologies (CFT).  The dedicated settlement account is the account into which a client makes their monthly program deposits and is for the exclusive purpose of accumulating funds for settlements and for the payment of Century fees. Century successfully negotiated a favorable settlement with *** *****'s enrolled creditor One Main Financial, providing her a realized savings of $4,800 just 2 months into her program.  That settlement opportunity was presented to *** ***** via email & text on 12/4/2023 & she accepted the terms of the settlement via text that same day. When *** ***** authorized the settlement terms, Century was able to proceed with requesting that CFT initiate the payment to One Main directly from her dedicated settlement account with CFT along with the terms of the structured payments and the collection of Century’s earned settlement fee. The first payment to One Main in the amount of $413.00 was requested on 12/4/2023. Century also sent *** ***** a Century Fee Notification email on 12/6/2023 which outlined the earned settlement fee collection on the One Main account along with the remaining structured payments to One Main.
  The settlement opportunity fee notification email along with a copy of the executed Debt Settlement Agreement are attached to this response.  
  
  The second claim is that *** ***** states that fees were not disclosed to her and that she was not provided with disclosures, which is also not correct. Century is very transparent, that is why prior to enrolling into our program, clients are presented with a copy of the Debt Settlement Agreement which outlines the terms of their individualized program and the cost associated with our services. We encourage every client that is enrolling to read this thoroughly prior to executing their agreement. *** ***** executed her Debt Settlement Agreement on October 13th, 2023.  The fees for the program are disclosed in several sections of this contract:

  1. Our Guarantee: We will not charge any fee for our services until settlement of a debt is successfully negotiated and you have made a payment toward the settlement of that debt. When one of your debts is negotiated, we will charge you only the fee associated with that debt at that time. Our fees are described in more detail in Section 5, below.
  5. Fees: We do not charge or collect any fee for our settlement services unless and until a Debt is successfully negotiated. When a proposed settlement of a Debt is accepted and you make a payment toward settlement of that Debt, we charge and are entitled to collect 25% of the enrollment amount of that Debt, as reflected on Exhibit A. Century will earn and receive a settlement fee on all enrolled accounts settled during your program, including those accounts where you participated in the negotiation and settlement process……. Our fees, once earned, will be paid to us via electronic ACH debit from your Settlement Account, which you agree to authorize at the same time you authorize the settlement of your debt. As explained above in Section 4(B), we will contact you when a settlement offer has been received from a Creditor and you must specifically confirm your acceptance of that settlement offer. You agree, simultaneous to confirming acceptance of a particular settlement offer, to execute an ACH authorization for us to collect our fee via automatic ACH debit from your Settlement Account.
  
  The third claim is that *** ***** states Century denied her the ability to cancel. Clients have a right to cancel at any time in the program. Century received *** ******* request to cancel via an email stamped 12/7/2023 at 5:27pm est. We also received a notification from CFT that the client had requested to cancel on 12/8/2023.  At the time of her request to cancel, her December monthly deposit of $262.45 was in process and could not be stopped. However, once cleared that amount was refunded to her per the breakdown below.  As *** ***** had just entered into a settlement agreement with a creditor, our Client Advocate team immediately began reaching out to *** ***** to review her request to cancel & to learn more about her request to see if we could help resolve any concerns she was having, as her program was on course & successful. Any time a client is in an active structured settlement agreement, Century wants to review how the cancel effects that settlement & the possible consequences of breaking that agreement with the creditor. At no time did Century refuse to cancel *** *****'s program. In fact, because *** ***** requested to cancel within a few days of accepting the settlement, Century was able to stop the payment sent to One Main, on her behalf & no earned settlement fees had been collected to date.
  
  At the time of cancellation, *** ***** had made a total of four program deposits into her dedicated settlement account equaling $1,049.80.   On 12/13/2023, *** ***** received a refund of $1,010.00 which is a full refund of monthly deposits minus the monthly banking fees charged & collected per the contract terms with CFT and outlined in her executed CFTPAY Account Agreement.  The total banking fees of $39.80 include an initial set-up fee of $9.95 and the $9.95 monthly banking fee for the 3 months Ms. Smith was enrolled.
  
  Lastly, we are unsure why *** ***** feels there was a violation of the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR), as she was presented with the explanation of the debt settlement program along with additional disclosures that Century reviews as an accredited member of the American Fair Credit Council (now known as the American Association for Debt Resolution) in response to her request for information on our debt relief program.  After that verbal explanation, she was presented with a copy of the Debt Settlement Agreement which includes all uniform disclosures & client acknowledgements & waivers. This information was presented to *** ***** to review with the opportunity to ask questions or gain clarity on any of our services prior to her executing the agreement.
  
  We regret any confusion or dissatisfaction that *** ***** has concerning her debt settlement program. Century acted professionally and in accordance with our contractual obligation to her in every aspect.  *** ***** came to us stating she was in a financial hardship as she was unable to keep up with the payments to her creditors due to being affected by inflation and her high debt to income ratio and needed a debt relief option.  We provided her with a solution and were able to prove the value of our services within the first 2 months of her program by successfully negotiating a 50% settlement on her largest enrolled account. Had she continued to stay the course on the program, we are confident we could have continued to show her value & complete her journey within the estimated program timeframe. 

• Initial Complaint

  11/23/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Since august 2023 tehy have taken out 1,200$ from me and only paid themselves so far. When the agent Dakota b**** had me sign up at first she told me there were no fees involved even though I was hesitant and asking more than twice to double check. I asked for to hear the phone recording from that day and no one is helping me get there. They are trying to prevent themselves from being sued. Which will be my next step if I don’t get to hear the recording in a week. They might be cutting off editing some parts, I wouldn’t know but I just want to say these people are literally using vulnerable people like me. They use your weakness against you.

  

  Business response

  12/01/2023

  This is a response from Century Support Services to Complaint *********
  
  Our Customer Advocate Manager has made multiple attempts to reach *** ******** both via phone and email with hopes to address the concerns mentioned in her complaint.
  
  *** ******** enrolled in a Century Legal Group debt settlement program on 08/14/2023.  Per her executed Client Retainer Agreement (contract), she enrolled 12 debts having aggregate balances, as of the date of enrollment, totaling $16,771.00.  Based on her financial ability, a monthly program deposit of $297.92 was established and a program length of 48 months was estimated.
  
  There are a few claims in her complaint that Century would like to specifically address.
  
  *** ******** claims to have deposited $1,200.00 into her program, and that is not accurate. Her monthly program deposits of $297.92 are scheduled on the 22nd of the month starting in August 2023. These deposits do not go to Century.  They are deposited into the dedicated settlement account that she established directly with Cross Roads Financial Technologies, LLC (CFT). Two of the four deposits have returned from her banking institution as insufficient funds. *** ******** also requested a partial return of the funds in her CFT account a month into her program, in the amount of $150.00, which was initiated back to her on 09/23/2023.  While *** ******** has been enrolled for close to four months, she has only allowed $445.84 to build in her account.
  
  *** ******** claims that Century has only paid themselves & that she was presented with information that there would be no fees. This simply is not accurate as the client is presented with a contract to review prior to executing & the terms of all fee collection is reviewed with the client at the time of receiving settlement authorization. Contractually, the settlement fees are outlined in her Client Retainer Agreement (contract) on Page 2, Section 11.
  Per the contract, settlement fees are based on the enrolled debt balance and never increase. By signing the Client Retainer Agreement, the client agrees to the fees associated with the service that Century provides. The fee associated with each account is further outlined in Exhibit B of the contract which details the exact amount to each settlement fee per enrolled debt.  Century successfully negotiated a structured term pay settlement with one of *** ********'s enrolled debts, Mercury Credit Services. This offer was reviewed with *** ******** on October 30th 2023. She accepted the settlement offer and the confirmation of the collection of Century’s earned settlement fee associated with this account. To date, two payments have been initiated from her CFT account directly to Mercury Credit Services towards this agreement and only a portion of Century’s earned settlement fee for this account has been collected.
  Century earns its fees (per account) only when a settlement is reached with a client’s creditor, the client approves the settlement & a first settlement payment to that creditor is initiated.  The contract states that Century’s fees are earned in full, per the terms described above, and eligible to be collected in full at that time. Century sometimes voluntarily agrees to collect its earned settlement fees over several months, in an effort to help clients take advantage of settlement opportunities. Century presented this value to *** ******** during the October 30th, 2023 conversation regarding the settlement with Mercury Credit.  Even with her failed September deposit and her withdrawal of funds, Century was successful in showing the value of achieving a favorable settlement and by collecting the earned fee over a few months, she was able to accept the structured term settlement which allowed her to realize early success in her program.
  
  We regret any confusion or dissatisfaction that *** ******** has concerning her debt settlement program. Century has acted professionally and in accordance with its commitment to her in every aspect.  The contract is very transparent with the cost associated for this debt relief option & offers full disclosure of all the earned settlement fees. We believe that there is a gap in understanding surrounding the fees & that perhaps *** ******** believes that the fee is in addition to her deposit of $297.92. This isn’t the case.  As outlined in her contract, the program estimate & monthly deposit of $297.92 factors in both payments initiated to her enrolled creditors for payments toward negotiated settlements that must be first approved by her and any earned settlement fee.  We encourage *** ******** to return our calls.  We would like to work through the concerns she is having & help her to keep her program on track for success.

  Customer response

  12/01/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ********

• Initial Complaint

  08/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I cancelled service with them due to non payment of my credit cards through the program. Realized my payment was going to them. When I cancelled the company took $1600.00 in fees instead of paying any toward my debt. I paid out $2475.00 over a 4 1/2 month period. They only paid my credit cards $694.00. So total amount in fees was $1781.00. I understand they need to get paid but I paid almost 3 times to them instead of my debt. I am looking for my $1600 back. It was sitting in my account open closer and instead of paying my debt. They took it all in fees.

  

  Business response

  09/06/2023

  This is a response from Century Support Services to Complaint *********
  Our Senior Customer Advocate Team made several attempts to connect with *** ****** with hopes to address the concerns mentioned in her complaint. When we successfully reached her, *** ****** was not open to discussion and disconnected the call.

  We would like to address the concerns mentioned in *** ******** complaint.

  *** ****** enrolled in a Century debt settlement program on 03/21/2023.  Per her executed Debt Settlement Agreement (contract), she enrolled 13 debts having aggregate balances, as of the date of enrollment, totaling $34,343.00.  Based on her financial ability, a monthly program deposit of $451.86 was established and a program length of 60 months was estimated.
  Clients that are in a verifiable state of hardship are typically unable to keep up with making even the minimum monthly payments to their creditors.  This program is hardship based & designed to get a client out of debt for a percentage of what is owed.  Our mission is to help the client resolve their debt in the shortest time possible and save them as much money as possible by negotiating favorable settlements on the total balance owed, at the time of the settlement, including any interest and fees that may have been assessed.

  Century achieved a 47% settlement on *** ******** second largest enrolled debt, at 3 weeks into her enrollment, providing her a realized savings of $1,968.00 after payments to the creditor and collection of Century earned settlement fee. Less than a month later, Century was able to negotiate with 2 additional creditors. Three successful settlements achieved within 2 months of enrollment is amazing success & a way to show *** ****** the value of this debt relief option with her having a total realized savings of $3,912.00 in the first two months of an estimated 60 month program. 

  *** ****** claims that Century did not pay her creditors and instead collected on earned fees. If the client does not have sufficient funds established  in their special purpose account at the time of negotiation with the creditor, Century will negotiate not only the settlement percentage with the creditor but also the structured terms of the payments to satisfy the settlement.  This is an important strategy when negotiating, as it allows a client to take advantage of settlement opportunities while they are also building their funds into their special purpose account.  Century successfully negotiated 3 structured settlements on $12,669.58 worth of enrolled debt. That is 37% of *** ******’s  total enrolled debt resolved within 2 months enrolled. These 3 creditors issued written settlement letters as proof of the agreement in place which stops collection activity and explains that completion of the agreed settlement terms will result in receipt of a settlement confirmation.  In addition, Century provided the terms of each agreement to *** ****** at the time she accepted the settlements along with explanation of the earned fees associated with each account. Written confirmation of both creditor payments and Century fee collection was sent to *** ****** for her records as well.  

  Century does not earn a settlement fee until we do the work for our clients. This is another way we show our value. When we successfully negotiate a settlement on our client’s behalf & they accept the settlement and a first payment is initiated to the creditor, only then have we earned the right to collect the full earned settlement fee. The settlement fees are outlined in the Debt Resolution Agreement on Page 3, Section 5 titled “Fees”. Settlement fees are based on the enrolled debt balance and never increase. By signing the Debt Settlement Agreement, *** ****** agreed to the fees associated with the service that we provide.
  
  Century’s fees are earned in full & eligible to be collected in full, per the terms above; however, Century sometimes voluntarily agrees to collect its earned settlement fees over several months in an effort to help clients take advantage of settlement opportunities. Century spread the fee collection over terms for *** ****** allowing her take advantage of early settlement opportunities and for her program to have such great success at only 2 months into her program.  When *** ****** requested to cancel her program, the 3 active structured settlements she was in become null and void and the outstanding earned settlement fees due in full.  This was reviewed with *** ******, as we didn’t want to see her lose the early success she was experiencing.
  
  We regret that *** ****** is not satisfied with the services provided. Century delivered it contractual obligation to *** ****** and we feel had she continued to stay the course of her program she would have continued to have success. We encourage *** ****** to speak with her Customer Advocate to further review these details.

  Customer response

  09/07/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  
  Regards,
  
  

  
  ******* ******

   

  After speaking with them on the phone, I realized that the fees that the posted after I cancelled were different from the original contract fees. Also on the 2 Capital One cards the fees were not supposed to be collected until the debt was paid. I attached additional information regarding that. 
  

  At this point, I would like $1085 refunded on the 2 Capital One cards that were not supposed to be collected on until paid on. They only did the $2 per account. Do, I followed the contract. They did not by collecting all their fees in full. If not resolved thru BBB this contract will be sent over to my attorney for review. 
  

  thank you

  

  Business response

  09/28/2023

  This is a response from Century Support Services to Complaint *********
  
  In *** ******** response, she states that the fees posted after she cancelled were different from the original contracted fees. That statement is inaccurate. The settlement fees are outlined in her Debt Resolution Agreement on Page 3, Section 5 titled “Fees”. Settlement fees are based on the enrolled debt balance and never increase. By signing the Debt Settlement Agreement, the client agree to the fees associated with the service that we provide.
  
  Specifically, *** ****** references 2 Capital One accounts enrolled on her program.  Century successfully negotiated structured settlements on both of those accounts and *** ****** authorized the settlements along with the terms of the structured agreements. Century’s fees were earned in full once she authorized the settlements and the first payments were initiated to the creditors on her behalf. The negotiation with Capital One included structuring the settlement payments to allow for smaller initial payments and then increasing as she built funds into her special purpose account. This negotiation effort was approved by Capital One as a resolution to her balance due which also stops the collection workflow.  However, in order for *** ****** to take advantage of these settlement opportunities so early into her program where she hadn’t yet built up funds into her special purpose account, Century agreed to spread the collection of our earned settlement fees over the length of the structured settlements. This was a courtesy extended to *** ******, at the time of settlement.
  
  Cancellation from the Century program causes any active structured settlement to go null and void.  At cancellation, the full balance of all outstanding earned settlement fees are due immediately & collected from remaining funds in the special purpose account. This contractual right is outlined in *** ******’s executed Debt Resolution Agreement in Section 6: Withdrawal from the Program; Termination of this Agreement
  Our right to collect settlement fees that are earned but remain unpaid, in whole or in part, for any reason will survive any termination of this Agreement and we have the right to pursue collection of our fees prior to and after termination or completion of your debt settlement program.
  
  *** ****** is requesting a refund of $1,085.00 that she claims Century earned on the 2 Capital One accounts. The earned settlement fee on Capital One account ending in 6798 is $890.25.  That full amount is still outstanding, as Century did not collect any of that fee.  The earned settlement fee on Capital One account ending in 2141 is $718.65. Century collected $261.65 of that fee and there remains a balance due of $457.00.  In addition, the earned settlement fee on the Lending Club account ending in 0655 is $1,756.00.  Century collected $1,196.00 and there remains a balance due of $560.00.  In total, of the $3,364.90 in earned settlement fees, *** ****** has an outstanding balance due of $1,907.25.
  
  We understand that *** ****** may be experiencing some additional hardships and is no longer in a position to remain on the program.  Century is not actively attempting to collect on the outstanding fees owed.  We spoke with *** ****** via telephone on September 1st, 2023 and attempted to further explain the details regarding each fee, her contract and the breakdown of the collection to date. She was not interested in having that conversation with her Senior Advocate, Kasey and disconnected the call.  Our goal was to review the services performed and the contractual obligations as detailed in her Debt Resolution Agreement in an attempt for her to understand that Century performed the services as outlined in our contract and all settlement fees are rightfully earned in full. 

  Customer response

  10/02/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  I will be going forward with an attorney regarding this information and will also be making sure that negative reviews are put forth. 
  I wasted my money with this company. They are garbage and are only interested in getting their fees and not helping the consumer. 
  I am with a new company and they have already paid off a card and are collecting their fee gradually instead of taking all of it upfront .

  what a disgrace. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* ******

• Initial Complaint

  08/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They are definitely a bad place to get help with your debt. I had to drop the program due to worsening financial problems, and when I closed out my account, they had paid themselves over $300, and paid my creditors exactly $2 when I tried to complain, they stated they earned the over 300 in fees because they made a single payment for 2 debts, ($1 each) but those payments were only for a single dollar each! How do they get away with this?! I know that the contract says they have earned the fee after the first payment, but this is ridiculous!

  

  Business response

  08/31/2023

  This is a response from Century Support Services to Complaint *********
  After reviewing the concerns listed in the complaint, Century was able to contact *** ****** via telephone. We appreciate *** ****** giving us the opportunity to speak with her regarding her complaint.
  
  *** ****** enrolled in her debt settlement program on 05/31/2022.  Per her executed Client Retainer Agreement (contract), she enrolled 12 debts having aggregate balances, as of the date of enrollment, totaling $17,502.29.  Based on her financial ability, a monthly program deposit of $309.96 was established and a program length of 48 months was estimated. As part of her enrollment, she established a dedicated special purpose settlement account with a third-party processor, Crossroads Financial Technologies (CFT) where her monthly program deposits would accumulate each month. This special purpose account is established for the exclusive purpose of accumulating funds to be used for settlements with her enrolled creditors and collection of the contractual earned settlement fees.
  
  Century successfully negotiated a structured term settlement on one of *** ****** enrolled accounts less than 2 months on the program. She authorized the settlement & payments were initiated on her behalf, to the creditor, as agreed. This early settlement success provided her with a realized savings of $254.00. 
  
  *** ****** mentions in her complaint that she experienced additional financial struggles which caused her to cancel from her program. In review of her file, we have no record of  *** ****** communicating with Century about her struggles; however, Century had been attempting to contact her via phone and email to review her program and the settlement that was at risk of going null & void due to her inability to successfully make her contractual monthly program deposit into her CFT account. Our multiple attempts to connect with *** ****** was unsuccessful and we were unable to proactively assist her through this change. Without funds available in the CFT account, Century was unable to initiate the payments to her creditor for her agreed upon settlement terms.  
  
  *** ****** was unable to meet her responsibilities of depositing into her special purpose account which is a breach of contract as outlined in her Client Retainer Agreement, Section 18: Breach of Contract. After 3 consecutive months of missed deposits, her program was canceled effective 11/02/2022 and any remaining funds in her special purpose account were returned to her bank account on file..
  
  Century does not earn a settlement fee until we do the work for our clients. This is how we show our value. When we successfully negotiate a settlement on our client’s behalf & they accept the settlement and a first payment is initiated to the creditor, only then have we earned the right to collect the full earned settlement fee. The settlement fees are outlined in your Client Retainer Agreement on Page 2, Section 7 titled “Fees for Debt Settlement Services”. Settlement fees are based on your enrolled debt balance and never increase.
  
  Settlement fees are earned & able to be collected in full, as stated above. However, Century sometimes voluntarily agrees to collect its earned settlement fees over several months, in an effort to help clients take advantage of settlement opportunities. Century structured *** ****** fee collection this way which allowed her program to realize early success & also would have left available funds in her CFT account to allow for additional  negotiation on another account. The structure of the fee collection and payment terms to the creditor were emailed to *** ****** as confirmation on her settlement authorization.
  
  We regret to hear *** ****** was not fully satisfied with her program experience. We are confident that had she stayed the course with her program deposits, she would have continued to experience success with her debt relief goals.  We thank her for taking the time to speak with our team and wish her the best in her future endeavors.

• Initial Complaint

  07/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In 2011 I broke my ankle/leg. I had no income for 6 months. My car was stolen and my house burglarized while I was in the hospital. I had to use my credit cards to live. Prescriptions, groceries, utilities, etc. My house was almost foreclosed on. I was sent a letter by Century Support Services that made a proposal to settle my debt. They would keep 40% of the settlement. I was in dire need, so I went for it. At first they were ok. They paid off 3 of my debts totaling approximately $2500. I have 3 larger ones totaling about $10,000. I received suit papers from Citibank for $3329. CSS has been deducting $286. out of my bank account since 9/21. There is definitely enough in my reserve account to pay this. I received suit papers in May 2023. I called CSS and Danielle, the customer service person asked me to fax in the 22 pages, which I did. I was unable to chat or log into my account, but I thought everything was taken care of. On July 7 I received suit paperwork again and called CSS. I have 10 days to reply which is this coming Monday. I have called CSS every day since I received these papers. NOBODY has returned my call. I keep being told that the "Priority Team" is reviewing it and will call me. I've made 3 calls today and still have been told that somebody will call me back either today or Monday. Longer story shore -- DO NOT deal with this company. They are nothing less than a scam that preys upon people's hardships. I am being threatened by the law firm that filed suit against me that they will take my house! I am a nervous wreck. They do not care even though they pretend like they are going to help you. I've read in the previous review that their excuse is that they attempted to contact people. Don't believe it.

  

  Business response

  07/24/2023

  This is Century’s response to complaint *********
  
  *** ****** enrolled in a Century Support Services debt settlement program on 8/25/2021.  Per her executed Debt Settlement Agreement (contract), she enrolled 7 debts having aggregate balances, as of the date of enrollment, totaling $17,246.00.  Based on her financial ability, a monthly program deposit of $286.60 was established and a program length of 48 months was estimated.
  
  *** ****** indicates that Century “is a scam” and we want to specifically address that comment. Century has nothing to gain from delaying negotiation work for a client.  In fact, Century does not earn a settlement fee until we do the work for our clients. This is how we show our value. When we successfully negotiate a settlement on the client’s behalf, they authorize the settlement terms and a first payment is initiated to the creditor, only then have we earned the right to collect the full earned settlement fee that is outlined in the contract. This partnership is a win-win. The quicker Century can initiate the settlement strategy and obtain structured settlement offers from enrolled creditors, the quicker the client can realize our value and be closer to better financial health and Century can get paid for our contracted services. 
  
  *** ****** accepted her first two structured settlements within the first 60 days of her enrollment with an additional settlement a few months later. While settlements can occur at any time during the estimated program, they are dependent on several factors such as the creditor’s settlement policies, the rate of account accretion, the size of the debt and how close the debt may be to charge-off. *** ****** is only 24 months into her estimated 48 month program; therefore, the settlement strategy to handle all enrolled debts is still active and in progress.

  We appreciate that *** ****** spent time reviewing her concerns in detail with her Senior Customer Advocate, Pamela, and we regret that there may have been a gap in our communication over the past few months. Pamela was able to determine that the legal paperwork that *** ****** attempted to fax to Century in early May 2023 was not received and was sent to an incorrect fax number.  Pamela has since directly reached out to the law firm involved and negotiated a favorable settlement that is now paid, as agreed, thus resolving the legal matter.

  Again, we appreciate *** ****** giving us the opportunity to review the success of her program to date and to resolve her recent concern and we are working closing with her to finalize the communication updates on her remaining accounts. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was called on I believe 6-24or 6-26 and the rep represents himself as a lender to help me establish better credit . My bills were not late . I had merely been online seeking a consolidation loan. Next thing I know the man calls and himself as such. I know the conversation was taped all them are. He never told me he was going to debit my account for two months and let my bills go late before they are paid ,,,,, this was something I would have never agreed to ! Period ! Once I realized what was going on I had to call all my creditors and explain how I was scammed and let them know not to deal with century . I cannot believe they can get buy with something like this , why would I agree to let my bills go late two months while they banked my money , made interest -off it and I would be the one with bad credit .paying a lesser amounts that had been agreed to…l this entire business is a scam listen to the conversation. You decide …. They make it seem like they are helping you ! They are not helping a one but themselves to interest while they hold peoples money for two months to make you in arrears …… this IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO ME …. THEY SHOULD FULLY EXPLAIN. I U DERSTAND ITS PROBABLY ALL IN fine print …. It always it !! Next I will seek an attorney > ******* ***** *********** ***** *

  

  Business response

  07/17/2023

  This is a response from Century Support Services to Complaint *********
  
  After reviewing the concerns listed in the complaint, Century was able to contact *** ***** via telephone. We appreciate M** ***** giving us the opportunity to speak with her regarding her complaint.
  
  *** ***** enrolled in a Century Support Services debt settlement program on 06/19/2023 and executed a Debt Settlement Agreement that disclosed the terms of Century’s program and listed all of the debts she enrolled in her Century program.
  
  In review of the complaint there are a few points we would like to address.
  Century did not solicit or reach out to M** *****.  M** ***** initiated a request for debt relief assistance and her request was responded to information regarding debt relief options.  The Century debt settlement program is a hardship program designed for clients in a financially distressed situation where keeping up with the minimum payments on secured debts is becoming a financial burden. When M** ***** enrolled in her debt settlement program, a customized plan was created for her to meet her program goals over an estimated time.
  
  Structured settlements with enrolled creditors can happen at various times and will depend on several factors, including the client’s monthly deposit amount, the number of creditors enrolled, and the balance of each individual account. It has been our experience that reaching out to creditors prior to being able to negotiate or enter into a new structured settlement can expedite the collection workflow. Century's settlement strategy is outlined in the Debt Settlement Agreement via section 4. Settlement of Your Debts: sub-section A: Timing and Amount of Settlement Offers which states,
  “We begin contacting your Creditors as soon as we determine that a good faith offer to settle a given Debt, whether on a lump-sum or installment basis, may be made, with such determinations dependent upon such factors as the Creditor's settlement policies, the rate of account accretion, the size of each Debt and how close a Debt may be to charge-off. Some creditors prefer that they not be contacted until you have accumulated sufficient funds in your Settlement Account to allow a negotiated settlement within their historic norms. While settlement guidelines differ widely among Creditors, an accumulation of 25% of the then-current balance of a Debt will normally enable a good-faith offer to settle that Debt.”
  
  Century’s goal is to negotiate substantial reductions to the balances on each enrolled account, including interest and fees that may have been assessed. Century does not represent that its debt settlement program is designed to improve credit. In fact, Century’s Debt Settlement Agreement is transparent about the potential effects of a debt settlement.  Section 3. B. (iv) entitled “The Effects of Participating in a Debt Settlement Program” clearly states,
  “failing to make your minimum monthly payments to your Creditors (a) will negatively affect your creditworthiness…”
  
  *** ***** states in her review that Century will hold her money for 2 months and accrue interest. This statement is not accurate. Upon entering into her Century program, M** ***** established a dedicated settlement account, in her name, with a third party banking & payment processor, Crossroads Financial Technologies (CFT). This special purpose settlement account is the account into which a client makes monthly program deposits and from which any settlements negotiated by Century on the client’s behalf, and with the client’s authorization, are paid.  As of the date of this complaint, M** ***** has not engaged her program by clearing her first monthly deposit & she has since requested her Debt Settlement Contract be cancelled.
  
  We regret any confusion or dissatisfaction that M** ***** has concerning her debt settlement program. That said, Century acted professionally and in accordance with its commitments and services documented in the executed Debt Settlement Agreement. We wish her the best in her future endeavors.

• Initial Complaint

  12/13/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This was a debt settlement company. I was in this program for 15 months starting in 2021 to Nov 2022. They were suppose to negotiate for 5 creditors on my behalf. No move with these creditors for a year. I paid them 878.00 for 15 months. Finally a creditor file a judgment on me and I had to hire a lawyer to get me out of this legal bind. Nothing was paid off. I cancel my program and they told me I owed them an additional 4000.00 in admin fees. The company is a rip off. I want some of my money back so I can pay my creditors.

  

  Business response

  12/22/2022

  This is a response from Century Support Services to Complaint *********
  
  Our Senior Customer Advocate Team has not been successful in our multiple attempts to reach *** ***** via phone or email with hopes to address the concerns mentioned in her complaint.
  
  There are a few claims *** ***** makes that Century would like to address.
  
  In her complaint, *** ***** states that Century did not negotiate with her enrolled creditors in the 15 months she was enrolled.
  *** ***** enrolled into her program in 04/2021.  Her program consisted of 5 enrolled debts totaling around $50,000 with an estimated 48 months to complete.  Within 35 days, Century successfully negotiated settlements on 70% of ***  ******* enrolled debt providing her with a realized savings of $9,800.00. That early success is an amazing outcome.
  
  *** ***** also states that she owes $4,000.00 in “administration fees”. Century does not charge an administration fee. Century earns settlement fees as outlined in the Debt Resolution Agreement on Page 3, Section 5 titled “Fees”. Settlement fees are based on your enrolled debt balance and never increase throughout the program. However, Century does not earn a settlement fee until we do the work on each individual enrolled debt - this is how we show our value. When we successfully negotiate a settlement on your behalf, you accept the settlement and a first payment is initiated to the creditor, only then have we contractually earned the right to collect the full earned settlement fee on that particular debt. To accommodate a client, Century sometimes agrees to collect its earned settlement fees over several months in an effort to help clients take advantage of the settlement opportunity. In order for *** ***** to take advantage of the two amazing settlement opportunities presented to her within the first month of enrollment, Century agreed to collect the earned settlement fee over several months. (Net Credit account ending in 0261. 40% settlement achieved & approved by client 4/29/202. Earned settlement fee spread over 13 months; Alliant Capital account ending 8675. 50% settlement achieved & approved by client 5/20/2021. Earned settlement fee spread over 20 months)
  
  *** ***** mentions one of her creditors filed judgement against her and needed to hire an attorney.
  Century does not claim to prevent a creditor from escalated collection attempts.  However, if a creditor takes legal action against a client, Century works with the law firm to establish a favorable settlement, for the client. The creditor was communicating directly with *** *****. *** ***** did not share the collection information with Century regarding the legal account which did not allow Century any opportunity to even attempt to work with her or the law firm on that particular debt.
  
  We regret that *** ***** is not completely satisfied with the progress of her program or the value of the services we have provided. We encourage *** ***** to return our calls so we can have an open dialogue about her accounts and the progress of her program.

• Initial Complaint

  09/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed up for Century due to fact like others felt overwhelmed with debt however WAS paying monthly minimums keeping good credit. There program designed me for a 48 month program in which i pay over 500.00 a month to them. 1st I will say they NEVER contacted sum of my creditors in which I called several times about. Secondly, to date only ONE creditor has been negotiated and settled. Next, I have 2 of my accounts that have been closed by creditor for over 2 months and YET have they done a thing, just an email here n there saying "your one step closer" too what??? I haven't heard a peep from them in 2 months..calling Tuesday and I demand answers as I feel this program was a shaft to the consumer..but to date have not heard a peep and don't let them tell you, you can just stop paying..my phone rings constant and the mailbox is always full..but yet NOTHING from these people and there service...so buyer beware your better off paying your minimums than this program! My score went from 650 to 424 as we speak. THANKS CENTURY!

  

  Business response

  09/14/2022

  This is a response from Century Support Services to Complaint *********
  
  After reviewing the concerns listed in the complaint, Century was able to contact *** ****** via telephone. We appreciate *** ****** giving us the opportunity to have a conversation to review the concerns mentioned.
  
  Century's debt settlement program is designed for financially distressed consumers that are in a verifiable state of hardship. In his complaint, *** ****** mentions he felt he was becoming overwhelmed with his debt balances and his ability to  make minimum payments on his debts. Our program is hardship based & designed to get a consumer out of debt for a percentage of what is owed on their unsecured accounts. When making minimum payments, it can end up taking  10+ years trying to get debts paid off whereas debt settlement typically takes 2- 4 years. Our mission is to help a client resolve their unsecured debt in the shortest time possible and save a client as much money as possible by negotiating favorable settlements on the total balance owed, at the time of the settlement, including any interest and fees that may have been assessed.
  
  When *** ****** enrolled into his program, a plan was created for him to meet his goals over an estimated time. Settlements can happen at various times and will depend on several factors, including the monthly deposit amount, the number of creditors enrolled, and the balance of each individual account. It has been our experience that reaching out to creditors prior to being able to negotiate or enter into a new structured settlement can expedite the collection workflow. Century's settlement strategy is outlined in the Debt Settlement Agreement.
  4. Settlement of Your Debts:
  A. Timing and Amount of Settlement Offers: We begin contacting your Creditors as soon as we determine that a good faith offer to
  settle a given Debt, whether on a lump-sum or installment basis, may be made, with such determinations dependent upon such factors as
  the Creditor's settlement policies, the rate of account accretion, the size of each Debt and how close a Debt may be to charge-off. Some
  Creditors prefer that they not be contacted until you have accumulated sufficient funds in your Settlement Account to allow a negotiated
  settlement within their historic norms. While settlement guidelines differ widely among Creditors, an accumulation of 25% of the then-
  current balance of a Debt will normally enable a good-faith offer to settle that Debt.
  
  In review of *** ****** 's program, Century was able to successfully negotiate a favorable settlement on *** ****** 's largest account providing him with a realized saving of $2,700.00 in his first 30 days of being enrolled!
  
  We appreciate *** ****** taking the time to speak with us and look forward to being his partner for the remainder of his program.

  Customer response

  09/14/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  
  Regards,
  ******* ******

• Initial Complaint

  07/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This business is supposed to work for you, yet they do not. They negotiate settlements where THEY can make the most money. They are not acting in the customers' best interest. They try settling debts that will fall off your credit report in like 3 months and this is certainly not in your best interest because once they contact the creditor then you are on the hook for longer than the 3 months and more money. I know more about debt settlement than they do. Also, the creditor should not be charging interest while you are in debt settlement so do not let them pull the wool over your eyes that way. When they settle they settle for a certain amount and that does not include further interest and collecting for interest just adds money to their own coiffers. Do yourselves a favor and just buy the For Dummies book and settle your own debt, you will save lots of money. I have lost hundreds of dollars using this company since they take their cut off the top and not after the settlement is complete. They take their cut after they settle the debt so they have no interest once they get their own money. I will not send them another penny. They really need to send me a refund since they ripped me off! We need a class action lawsuit and have all our funds refunded. I would like my service fees refunded.

  

  Business response

  07/13/2022

  This is a response from Century Support Services to Complaint *********
  
  Our Customer Advocate Manager has made attempts to reach *** ******* by both phone and via email with the intent of addressing the concerns mentioned in her complaint. As of the date of this response, *** ******r has not responded to our communication attempts.
  
  *** ******r claims that we negotiate settlements where Century stands to make the most money, which is not acting in the client’s best interest. That is not accurate to our service agreement. When *** ******r enrolled in her debt settlement program, a customized plan was created for her to meet her program goals over an estimated timeframe. The strategies involved in creating and executing on this customized program are based on our years of experience working with creditors. Allowing the program to fully progress through the process allows the strategy to play out and leads to the most success.
  
  As part of their collection practice, creditors typically will continue to add interest and late fees to accounts that are delinquent. Century’s goal is to negotiate with a creditor to secure a settlement agreement that offers substantial reductions to the balances on the client’s enrolled accounts, including any interest and fees that may have been assessed since the time of enrollment.
  While the amount of earned settlement fees (per account) is stated and agreed to in the contract, the settlement fee is earned (per account) only when: (1) a settlement is reached with a client’s creditor; (2) the client approves the settlement; and (3) the client’s creditor receives the first payment toward such settlement. The settlement fees are earned in full, per the terms above, and are eligible to be collected in full. Century sometimes voluntarily agrees to collect earned settlement fees over several months, in an effort to help clients take advantage of settlement opportunities.
  
  In review of *** ******r's program, Century was able to successfully negotiate favorable settlements on 6 of *** ******r's enrolled accounts providing her with a realized savings of $945.00 so far. As mentioned above, Century agreed to collect the earn settlement fees over terms which allowed her to realize early success, at only 4 months into her program.
  
  We regret that *** ******r is not completely satisfied with the progress of her program or the value of the services we have provided. We encourage *** ******r to return our calls to work through the concerns she is having

• Initial Complaint

  09/03/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In 2020, they had sent me bank that they deal with to handle a lump sum payoff, since i was in the program for over a year. I listened to their proposal, it was ridiculously high and they wanted an origination fee. I declined. Some how Century had stopped my auto deductions so delayed me more. I had fixed with them. I emailed them Mid July about a pay off amount, they responded could not send in email, but would figure it out and call. They did call and left a message, I called back, they gave me the amount, also saying if was after Aug 23 it would be less my monthly payment. By the time i got the money moved and set up to make the payment, it was after Aug 23. When I called, they said no they did not calculate that payment in the final number, so would be 600.00 more. The agent talked to a supervisor and said just to remove the 600.00, but it may need collected. Now, i had to call them back the said they need another 936.00 to close my account. They need to figure out math

  

  Business response

  09/13/2021

  This is a response from Century Support Services to Complaint ** ********
  
  After reviewing the concerns listed in the complaint, Century was able to contact *** **** via telephone. We appreciate *** ****’s giving us the opportunity to have an open and engaging dialogue.
  
  In review of *** ****'s complaint, there are a few points we would like to address. Century’s Program Acceleration Loan (PAL) is a program companion that extends an invitation for the client to apply for a loan. This loan allows a client to have their full debt settlement program financed by a participating lender.  This loan can be an option for a client that wishes to accelerate completion of their debt settlement program which ceases their creditors from applying additional interest and fee accrual on the enrolled accounts and eliminates any further collection efforts from the creditors. This puts clients on a path to restoring their credit profile. After exploring that option further, *** ****s decided that debt settlement was still the best debt relief path for him.
  
  *** **** did request a payoff via email on 07/26/2021 in which Century did provide an estimated pay off. When a client is requesting a payoff of their debt settlement program, Century will provide an estimate. This estimate includes remaining payments for active settlements and earned settlement fees & then an estimate of debts to be negotiated along with the known settlement fee associated with that account. While we have historical data related to our settlement trends with each creditor, a final settlement amount is not established until the negotiation is complete and the creditor has provided a settlement letter of their offer. One of *** ****'s debts had not been negotiated into a settlement; therefore, the payoff provided was based on a historical trend. The actual negotiated offer from the creditor came in at a higher percentage than the estimate which required the need for additional funds, in order to take advantage of the offer at this time.
  
  While Century performed its contractual obligation, we understand that there was a gap in communication related to the specific reasons that can lead to an estimate being different than the final settlement letter. Century has waived a portion of its earned settlement fee as a courtesy to *** ****. We appreciate *** ****'s patience while we addressed his complaint in a matter satisfactory to him.
  We appreciate the ability to work with *** **** on his journey to better financial health and wish him the best in his future endeavors now that he is fully graduated from this debt relief plan.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩