Posted by roger/ms on 1/11/11 6:26pm
Msg #368120

Debt Consolidation Services

Has anyone had recent contact or experience with peforming work for debt relief/consolidation companies? They do not require notary service but do require that you act as thier agent. In particular I am inquiring about Bay View Law Group.

Reply by SheilaSJCA on 1/11/11 6:43pm
Msg #368126

This has been discussed frequently in the past few months. I would not do it. Why use a notary, why not send the paperwork to the client and let them fill out etc. I have no interest in selling a product for someone else, or acting as their agent. There are so many issues with these debt consol. companies too, not all, are on the up and up. Why set your self up for possible liability issues in acting as some ones agent?

Reply by upnorth/AK on 1/11/11 6:55pm
Msg #368133

I accepted one of these last month and when I received the confirmation, it outlined how I had to go through a program on their web site and it was talking about how I was going to be the agent for this company and had to read a two page script to the borrower. I have never turned a job back after accepting it, but after thinking about it for a few hours, I decided that I couldn't sit there and read a script basically telling this person what a screw up they were for being in the financial situation they were so I turned it back. The same company called me a couple of times after that (surprising), but when they said it was for a debt consolidation I told them I wasn't interested. I would rather have no money than to be a part of that process. Just my two cents worth.

Reply by Aaron Marshall on 1/11/11 7:09pm
Msg #368138

I initially accepted scheduling one of these for a company similar to this. However, once they sent me the docs and I had a chance to review them I found that they too had a script, were asking me to sign that I was their "Field Representative", and to notarize elsewhere in the same package.
I cancelled two hours before the appointment and they did not take kindly to that. Then they continued to argue with me over the fact that I told them it was illegal to notarize any document that you are a party to. She essentially admitted via email that they were asking me to do something illegal and it took sending her a link to the appropriate Pennsylvania law section before she stopped bombarding me with emails trying to back herself out of a corner.
I wasn't comfortable with any of that, nor was I comfortable with the fact that they were
essentially ripping off the client by consolidating their debt into "one easy payment" at a high
interest rate with the probability of the client getting sued for defaulting on their existing creditors! I wouldn't touch it!

Reply by Susan Fischer on 1/12/11 12:43am
Msg #368171

So many metaphores, so little time...I don't pet

pet those dogs.

Reply by ReneeK_MI on 1/12/11 7:33am
Msg #368185

Agree with all, count me out of their game, too. n/m

Reply by Yowheelz on 1/12/11 8:05am
Msg #368191

why agree to be an agent for a company you don't know

Husband accepted one of these for me during a very busy evening. When I read the documents I refused to sign any page that said I was an agent for the law firm. Went and told client to read the two pages and sign where designated. I did not do the presentation or sign anything. Told husband, do not accept any debt consolidation or modification applications, period!!

Reply by DMOH on 1/12/11 9:14am
Msg #368204

You have to be really careful with these; I did take ONE (though against my better judgment and I shouldn't have) and found it to be a very close line to Unauthorized Practice of Law. As a former bankruptcy paralegal, I am familiar with this type of legal jargon and even in the office, we required our clients to read through (so they understood) and sign contract documentation. The only advising done was by the attorney. The presentation, the time it took to complete the debt consol paperwork (totally not worth the fee I was offered) and the thought of the liability are enough for me to decline these types of signings, period. Besides that, take a look at Bay View's BBB rating and ask yourself if you want to be remotely connected to anyone with their rating. Just fyi...

Reply by Anita Edwards on 1/12/11 1:34pm
Msg #368245

I have done numerous jobs for Bayview. I am not sure but I beleive the "script" in the front of the paperwork is actually a typed version of a recorded phone call with the debtor. At least that is what I was told last week by a debtor after she read the script. Regardless, the debtors have always been very educated on what they were getting into when I arrived and have never spent more then 20 minutes with any one of them. I beleive this company is on the up and up and actually offering people in trouble a solution to thier problems. Since the bankruptcy laws have changed so much in the last couple of years other options are being looked at more closely.
I have been paid for these jobs within 2 weeks however payment does not come from BayView so that is an entirely different issue.

Reply by AP/IA on 1/12/11 4:24pm
Msg #368275

I was contacted by a company also. I had read many cautions on this forum, but after hearing the explanation from the man from the company, I initially accepted. I went through a 10-minute "training" video where they explained that they DO NOT NEED notary services. That statement, combined with the cautions from the forum, caused me to do further research. When I couldn't find a website for the law firm listed, nor confirm with the state attorney general's office or bar association that they existed, I decided to turn back the job. I haven't heard any negatives from that decision but it could hurt me in the future. Since they don't require notary services and that's what I got into the business to do, all the red flags made me decide it's definitely not worth the money and risk. They can't collect their fees until there is a face-to-face sales presentation and I didn't want to be the one doing that.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 1/12/11 5:09pm
Msg #368289

"They can't collect their fees until there is a face-to-face sales presentation and I didn't want to be the one doing that."

That's exactly the purpose of sending us out - by us going there as their "in-home sales rep" they've satisfied the "face-to-face" requirement and they can then collect their fees - and guess who gets to pick that up OR have the people authorize a debit from their checking account...US..

I'm not a sales rep.