ComplaintsforElite Legal Practice

• Initial Complaint

  10/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  No results. Continously getting worse. Not helping. Paying into something that gets zero results.

  Business response

  10/18/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to us and sharing your concerns. We understand your frustrations regarding the progress of your case.
  
  As discussed during our conversation on October 11, we reviewed the status of your case and the tremendous progress weve made. This includes successfully identifying violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act on 10 of your enrolled debts, we filed disputes with all three major credit reporting agencies, as well as disputes directly with your creditors. Due to the creditor's lack of substantive response, we assert that they violated federal law. Their failure to conduct a reasonable investigation means the debt cannot be verified and must be deleted from the credit reports. We are now working to have these debts deleted from all three credit bureaus. 
  
  Please know that we remain committed to delivering you life-changing results, but it takes time. If you have any further questions or concerns, please dont hesitate to reach out. We're here to support you through every step of this process. We really appreciate your patience and for allowing us to assist you.

• Initial Complaint

  10/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We signed on with elite with the understanding they would represent us in getting our debts resolved. We signed on with Them in July. On August 1 they withdrew their first payment. Throughout Aug we became increasingly uncomfortable with the process. We made no payments on our credit cards that month. By the end of Aug we decided we were no longer interested in working with them. It was at this time we found out our checking account with *************** was frozen. This was due to a letter from them saying they represented us and any communication had to go through them. Our account is still frozen. We called Elite the first of Sept telling them we were no longer wishing to be represented by them. We asked them to not withdraw the next payment in Sept. they did withdraw the payment of ******. We have been assured we would receive a refund. We have made so many calls trying to get the refund but now its been 6 weeks and still no refund. We want our money.

  Business response

  10/18/2024

  We apologize for the delay and understand your frustration. Your $941.50 refund is being processed.

  Customer response

  10/18/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 22433793, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  Cynthia Jones
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  09/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed with Elite Legal Practice having the "assurance" that my accounts would be disputed and resolved with no issues and assisting me in making me free and clear from those debts, per their advertisement. This company is so misleading making you think that by enrolling, things would actually be handled and communication would always happen. Trying to get any status updates on my accounts, is always initiated by me. They don't keep you updated unless you call, when doing so, they basically say what you may want to hear but the results don't match. They will however send a text reminder bi-weekly that payment will be withdrawn from your account. Now, it seems to me that they have scammed me. My credit has now taken a huge hit and I may be forced to look to other means for resolving the problem. The salesman ***** that I spoke with initially completely "ghosted" me. I would like to be done with this company. I would like a refund of my money paid from initial to date.

  Business response

  09/17/2024

  We understand your concern and appreciate the opportunity to clarify our position with total transparency. Our legal representation requires navigating complex laws and procedures, which takes time to ensure fairness and accuracy. While progress may seem slow, every step is vital to achieving the best outcome. We provide updates when there are significant developments. We are currently in the dispute phase and have found deficiencies in two of your enrolled debts. The collection agencies couldn't verify these debts, allowing us to request their removal from your credit report. In just five months weve made solid progress and, critically, we've built the framework for further success.

  We understand the concern regarding your credit score. This is expected and common with all of our clients. We differentiate ourselves by taking lawful measures to remove invalid information from your credit report permanently, as is your right under the law. Fortunately for you, this work will most likely improve your credit score and restore your creditworthiness. This is an ancillary benefit almost all of our clients enjoy.

  Your success is our success, and wed regret not being able to finish what weve started. Wed love the opportunity to discuss this further, at your convenience, at ************. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  09/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  This is quite unfortunate as I have read up on other companies that were doing and performing the same tasks or at least the same resolution of debt that this company was advertising and I may have been duped into believing this company was legit and doing what the other companies were legally allowed to do. It was my understanding that companies like this take your money and put it into an account and pull it so at the point of resolution the accumulated money can pay for the settlement small portion of the money gets paid to each accounts minimum fees and a great portion of the account is meant to pay for the lawyers work. As of today I've just found out that all of the money goes to the lawyer's work and none of it is pulled to achieve a settlement which is what I was told in the beginning that most likely and there is a transcript if we had recorded line as they said the person selling me the product stated that the companies in question would much rather settle for lower price and I assumed at that point that that price would be gathered from the money I was giving to the glory group and we would take that money at a lower price and settle it because that is the way this type of system works this Elite legal practices only been in business for one year that should have been the first key nobody has lasted the four-year term it takes to resolve these type of systems the second one was not recognizing that the money that was coming out of my account wasn't going to another bank account it was going to pay illegal practice my biggest problem is not reviewing prior complaints and comparing what I was sold with this specific California company who specifically deal with California law which I thought I was working with I feel I was deceived into believing that this company was following normal standard operating practices of the federal government Fair consumer Resolution Act. This company is not they take your money tell you that they are working with the debt owe

  Business response

  09/12/2024

  Thank you for your feedback, and we appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns. First, we want to affirm the legitimacy of our firm and encourage you to visit our website to review our attorneys' credentials. All of our attorneys are bar-certified and in good standing.

  Regarding our representation, at no point were you informed that any portion of your monthly payment would go toward paying your debt. We clearly explained our legal process during your welcome call, and you acknowledged it. This information is also clearly outlined in the client services agreement you signed.

  Although our firm has been in existence for just under two years, our lead attorneys have decades of experience in practicing consumer rights law. Our FDCPA and FCRA attorneys have long and distinguished careers, successfully disputing debts on behalf of our clients. In our representation, settlement is a last resort, as it still negatively impacts your credit score. Our primary focus is on debt disputes, and at the time of your cancellation request, your attorneys had identified significant deficiencies in 3 of your 4 enrolled accounts.
  For your Onemain account, there was no valid signature on the contract. *********** was similarly unable to provide a valid signature on their contract and could not produce complete statements. Fortiva failed to present a contract showing the APR or a valid signature. Since these debts are not legally collectible, our next step was to remove these debts from your credit report.

  This was great progress, and we regret that we were unable to complete this work on your behalf.

  Customer response

  09/12/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  09/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed up for this service to resolve some credit items. I was told when I signed up derogatory marks would start coming off of my report in 3-6 months from my start date 8/7/24. I pay 686 a month for this service. I have called them multiple times over the past year and they never seem to know what is actually going on with my account. I emailed them August 15th, 2024 and they never wrote me back. They called me last week for a normal account update and said it looks like nothing has been done with my file since February 2024. I asked them to update me with their plans to repair my credit on the 4 accounts I have and they said they would email me by Monday, September 9. I did not hear from them. I would like them to either give me a partial refund for lack of service or a full refund for all I have paid them as my accounts are in the same place since I started. I am trying to get my family into a house and have made financial decisions off of their advice. I need them to take my account seriously or refund me completely so I can find someone who will.

  Business response

  09/17/2024

  Good morning, ***. We've been attempting to reach you to provide additional details about your case. After identifying violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act on your *************** debt, we filed disputes with all three major credit reporting agencies, as well as a dispute directly with the creditor.

  Based on the lack of substantive response from the creditor and the failure of the creditor to inform the credit reporting agencies of the nature of the acknowledged dispute, we assert that the creditor violated federal law. This failure to respond and the failure to conduct a reasonable investigation of the underlying facts means that the information cannot be verified and requires that the debt be deleted from the credit reporting. We have now requested a confirmation of deletion of the trade line from all three credit reporting agencies. 

  Please call our firm at your earliest convenience and ask to speak with your attorney, *****. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  08/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I signed up with this program with the assurance that a majority of my accounts would be disputed and resolved with no issues making me free and clear from these debts. I also told my wife to sign up for it as I was also told they could do the same thing for her. After having seen what has happened my wife with no communication or returned emails, I am unenrolling in the program and also asking for a full refund of money spent. We were both mislead into thinking that by enrolling, things would actually be taken care of. My credit has now taken a big hit for nothing and we are now forced to look to other means for solving our problems. I too have never gotten any status updates on my accounts. All my mail is just being forwarded to the company. The salesman that we spoke with completely duped us. Please refund my money

  Business response

  08/30/2024

  Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns and bringing this to our attention. To further clarify, it appears that your enrollment was handled by a third-party agent. While most of our clients are enrolled through such agents, it is essential that they accurately represent the legal services our law firm provides, as well as set the proper expectations, which they clearly did not do. Our representation requires navigating complex laws, regulations, and procedures. These procedures are designed to ensure fairness, but it also means that progress may be incremental, rather than swift. This is how we are able to consistently deliver positive outcomes for our clients. 
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns and will ensure that all third-party agents representing us do so accurately and transparently in the future. We will begin the cancellation and refund process today. Thank you for your understanding.

  Customer response

  08/30/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  08/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am extremely dissatisfied with Elite Legal Services, a company I engaged with under the impression they were a reputable debt consolidation firm. I initially had a contract with another company for debt consolidation when Elite Legal Services contacted me. Through multiple persuasive calls, their salesperson convinced me that they offered superior services. They promised direct negotiations with my lenders to reduce my debt and a consolidation loan after six months that would shorten the repayment period and lead to being debt-free.I decided to switch to Elite Legal Services based on these promises. However, after being with them for four months and paying over $5,400, it became clear that their approach differed vastly from what was initially promised. Their primary strategy involved disputing debts by requesting documents from creditorsa process that has not provided the peace of mind I sought. This method has also exposed me to potential legal actions from creditors, contrary to the reassurance I was given. When I called to cancel their services and requested a full refund due to the misinformation and lack of progress, I was met with resistance. To my dismay, I began receiving calls from creditors' legal teams about pending cases just a day after requesting cancellation. Despite my attempts to communicate with Elite Legal Services to resolve this and get my money back, they have not provided a satisfactory response or confirmed a refund. They claim significant work has been done, but I see no tangible results or improvement on my credit report. I want to warn others who might be considering Elite Legal Services. My experience has been frustrating and disappointing, and their service has not only failed to meet the promised outcomes but has also put me in a worse position than before.--

  Business response

  08/29/2024

  Thank you for the feedback. You are correct that our approach differs vastly from what you were told by the third-party agent you enrolled with, as we are not a debt consolidation company, but a consumer rights law firm that uses federal laws to dispute debts and have them removed from the credit bureau. While its true that we have made considerable progress on your case, this is a legal process that requires time, and we understand it is not a solution that works for everyone. We will be reaching out to provide details on a full refund. Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  08/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I signed up with this company under the assumption that I would actually receive updates on the status of my accounts. I emailed multiple times and got nothing. I was also reassured by the "salesman" that signed me up that 99% of the time debt is wiped out because they find violations with the creditors. I wasted almost 3500 on this company to have them "settle" one account for 1000 less than the original amount owed, but only if I could pay it off in 12 months. Otherwise, I had to pay the full amount. I basically paid you 3500 to do nothing but have my mail forwarded to you. Nothing else was done. Yes, I realize I have lot of debt as ***** pointed out to me over the phone probably about 4 times in the couple of times I spoke with him. This is awful what you are doing and you should be ashamed to be stealing money from people at their lowest point financially. I should have just gone with a real lawyer to file Chapter 13 if all I am going to be doing is paying it back anyways. Thanks for nothing. I want my money back!!!

  Business response

  08/29/2024

  Although we are successful in disputing and resolving debts, the information you were given at the time you enrolled came from an outside enrolling agent who misrepresented what we do and clearly overpromised our services. In good faith we are refunding 100% of your fees and will contact you with the details. Thank you.

  Customer response

  08/29/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  08/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I received a letter by mail from elite legal practice I got in touch with them and the way they explained the service was totally different than what they did to me and to what status they put me in with my Credits cards companies. They never got in touch with my creditors and let all the late fees to impact my credit scores when I was 100% on time. All I needed at that time is to do one payment towards all my cards and to have a break as far as the interests go and that was what I understood from them. They took my phone number out from all my credit cards profile they changed my address to their PO.BOX address in ********** and this address of theirs was never mentioned in that letter they did all this without even telling me.So I called one day, and I spoke to a gentleman in order to have an explain to all this and I did this because out nowhere and since I did not hear any from creditors I called one of my cards and to my surprise they told me that no one got in touch with them . Only after I called the Elite and asked what the issue was, they did not give me a straight answer, but they went and tried to send letters to one of my cards and so on only after I made them aware. I terminated their service, and they refused to give me my money back .

  Business response

  08/27/2024

  Thank you for the feedback, ******. We apologize for the error and are issuing a refund in the amount of $457.56. To clarify, we notified all of your creditors with Letters of Representation via certified mail on April 14, 2024. On May 18, 2024 we began the dispute phase of our representation, where your attorney demanded that your Credit One account be deleted because of an unenforceable contract and wrong balance claimed due. We were in this dispute phase with all of your creditors when representation was terminated on July 25.

  If you have any lingering questions about our representation, this legal process, or the refund, please call us Mon-Fri between 7 AM and 5 PM PST. 

• Initial Complaint

  08/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  October 2023, after being approved for a debt consolidation loan by Liberty 1 Financial, this company, Elite Legal Practice contacted / solicited my wife and I over the phone as a referral. They signed us up for their debt management or debt resolution services.We thought they were a debt management company who helps consumers pay off their debts or remove invalid or fraudulent debts BUT THEY ARE NOT! As we were trying to cancel, we were given nothing but the runaround. From October until May, we have paid them almost $7,000.00 and not a dime of that goes towards repayment or settlement of the debts. Almost everything ELP and or L1F told / promised us WAS NOT TRUE. Elite Legal gave us the runaround when trying to cancel, make additional false promises or in some cases almost threaten you with contacting your creditors telling them you are now free game. We were very skeptical and clearly had every right to be. They are refusing to give us our monies back sighting that they have done "a ton of work", yet anytime I had basic questions or asked for an accounting of what was happening, they would tell me that they would have to transfer me or send me to a different department or even hung up on. When I call back, I am told that it's probably an issue with their phone system.They told us that they have been in business for a long time, in face one employee said he had worked there for 7 or 11 years and had never seen the program not be successful. We were in great standing with all of our creditors, had plenty of available credit, and originally looking for a debt consolidation loan but after selling you a fairy tale that "only a few states allow", they convinced us to sign up and has now resulted in my wife and I being sued by 3 or our creditors. This was something they told us never happens but is also not true. All the small fine print in the contract is not acceptable. All we were trying to do was get a loan to consolidate and ended up paying $7000 for nothing.

  Business response

  08/15/2024

  We appreciate you sharing this, and are grateful for the opportunity to respond in this forum. After reviewing your calls with both our law firm and ******************* at no point did we claim to offer debt management services or say we help consumers pay off their debts. This is also expressed in the *************** Agreement. This agreement is clear and contains no fine print.
  
  As discussed in your initial call, it is rare for a client to receive a summons, but dealing with debt can sometimes lead to legal action, especially when creditors are uncooperative and resort to aggressive tactics. When this happens, our approach shifts, but the goal remains consistent: to secure the best possible outcome for our client. In your case we were able to negotiate a $17,000 debt down to a little over $11,000 with no interest. On the original amount, with interest and making the minimum payments, you would have paid close to $33,000.
  
  We also identified deficiencies on 6 other debts totaling $25,159. Those deficiencies include no valid signatures, no contracts, and incomplete statements. We use these deficiencies to prove the debt is not legally collectible and have requested the deletion of all relevant information and reporting from your credit profile as required by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
  
  On 7/19 you expressed your dissatisfaction with our representation and initiated the cancellation process 7/22. We reached out to discuss your concerns and our representation was canceled 7/29. Termination of Representation letters were then mailed to your creditors on 8/1.
  
  While there may have been some miscommunication between you and ******************* we have done everything we said we would do as your representation. Unfortunately, this is not something that can be achieved in only 10 months.

*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. ↩