Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Miami - did not make agreements with all creditors

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on July 2, 2002:

From: Hobbs, Dave [Dave.Hobbs AT dcsg.com]

RE: Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Miami - did not make agreements with all creditors

In Novemer 2001, I went to Consumer Credit Couseling Service of Miami for help with my debt service. They told me that they sucessfully made agreements with my creditors and they arranged a monthly automatic payment from my credit card account. But I eventually learned that they did not follow through. They did not actually make agreements with all of my creditors.

Payments were deducted from my credit card account, which were allocated to the various credit card financial institutions, but, since the agreement had not been made, the payments fell short of the minimum payments, and I was therefore charged late fees. Under these late fees, some of my credit cards reached their limits, and, therefore, I was also charged over the limit fees. Unfortuntely, it is extremely difficult to reach anyone at CCCS in Miami. The telephone rings, and generally nobody answers. When somebody does answer, they cannot help you, unless you speak directly with your assigned counselor. But these couselors are never available. They don't return telephone calls, letters, or e-mails.

On several occasions, I contacted the manager by telephone, but he would not do anything. I was told on several occasions that I could successfully talk to someone if I had a telephone conference appointment. I made several telephone conference appointments, but the agents never called, as they said they would, and, when I tried to contact them, they would not come to the telephone. Over 5 months, I was charged over $2100.00 in late fees. Currently, I am trying to get off the CCCS program, but I cannot contact anyone there, who will allow me to do this, and they have not responded to my mailings. CCCS has been the greatest liability to my personal economy to date.