The business of debt relief is experiencing an upsurge in popularity as more and more Americans find themselves struggling to pay off ever increasing levels of debt. Integrity Debt Relief Group provides a unique approach to help consumers seeking an alternative to “traditional” debt relief options. Integrity Debt Relief Group does not provide debt settlement, debt consolidation, credit counseling or bankruptcy services. Instead they promise to “wipe out” your debt through a process known as novation.
Here are some quick facts about Integrity Debt Relief Group:
Company Founded:-2000 by Brad Daley, BBB listing is for Court Mediation Services dba Integrity Debt Relief Group
Years In Business:-8 years
Number of Employees:-Unknown
BBB Rating:-No Rating
BBB Complaints:-no complaints have been processed on this company in three year reporting period
Fee Information:-Fees may vary among clients. $2500 is the unconfirmed consensus.
Escrow Available?:-N/A
Source of Funds:- Client provides funds for minimum payments on all accounts
Fee Structure: – Paid in Advance
Avg. % Settled:- N/A, this company does not use the debt settlement process
Refund Policy: Unknown
Minimum Debt Required: Unknown
About the Company:
Integrity Debt Relief Group does not have a listing on the Better Business Bureau. Court Mediation Services (CMS) however does have a listing and it is understood CMS is doing business as Integrity Debt Relief Group. The BBB does not have a rating for CMS and lists the type of business as “Credit-Debt Consolidation Services/Mediation Services”. The BBB also reports that they have received a high volume of calls and inquiries for this company and they (BBB) are currently doing research to better understand the process of “novation” which is the method used by this company to eliminate consumer debt.
The Program:
Unlike many debt relief programs that most consumers consider, Court Mediation Services uses a process known as novation. In legal terms, novation describes the act of either replacing an obligation to perform with a new obligation, or replacing a party to an agreement with a new party. In short, CMS will work to eliminate your debt by changing the terms of the agreement with your creditor. How do they accomplish this?
First-CMS claims to actually assume your debt and take over past due accounts.
Second-You will provide CMS with funds to pay one more minimum payment for each account that is not yet in collections in addition to $43 per account. Minimum payments must be at least $50 and if you are past due or have other fees on your account they require 2% of your current balance. Debts that have been placed in collection require no minimum payment.
Third- CMS will send a check as payment to your creditor and by cashing the check the creditor is accepting new terms and conditions provided by CMS. The new terms which are slanted in your favor versus that of the creditor state: they cannot put negative marks on your credit report, they can not charge interest, the minimum payment is now $10 and they cannot charge late fees. CMS also adds a change to the contract that states the creditor will be charged a monetary penalty up to $2500 if they break the new contract.
To better understand how this process works, have you ever received a check in the mail for five, ten or twenty dollars? This check may come from your credit card company, cell phone company or other service provider and in cashing the check you agree to sign up for some extension of service such as credit protection or insurance. CMS claims the same theory applies however this time in your favor.
Basically by cashing your check (which CMS purposely sends late) your creditor accepts the new terms. Creditors then continue piling on late fees and interest charges which is a violation of the “new” contract which subjects the creditor to the new monetary penalty described in the new contract. In short, CMS claims that after months of cashing your payment and accessing fees, the creditor in violating the terms of the new contract, will actually owe you money.
CMS will then use the money owed to you as leverage in eliminating your debt. Although there are no clear risks described by CMS they do notify their clients that the process is not guaranteed, and as will all financial obligations that are not met, creditors could eventually sue you if the the debt is not paid or “eliminated”.
Website Experience:
The website for Integrity Debt Relief Group is actually a “financial education website”. The website is a single page with a few paragraphs of information, an audio overview, client testimonials and a free consultation.
This review was written based on information provided in the audio overview, and other sources on the Internet.
This company and process seems to evoke a bit of controversy among consumers. Based on comments found throughout the web, most people feel this process cannot possibly work however there are few actually accountings of people who have been through the entire process, either good or bad. Personally I would think that after 8 years in the business there would be more information available indicating the success rate and more clients who are willing to offer a review of the company based on first hand experience. Another note (again just a personal observation), wouldn’t the credit card issuers have caught on to this process by now?
We would love to hear from anyone who has had an experience with this company to better understand the process and success rate.
Conclusion:
Our goal is to help consumers get their financial lives in order. No matter what the circumstances you find yourself in, there are simple things you can do TODAY to help you Erase Debt, Spend Less, and Earn More 
Court Mediation Services (CMS) operated by Brad Daley advertises as a debt solution that can legally erase your debt within 6 months & restore your credit rating in an additional 6 months. The fees vary depending on the number of accounts you have & the amounts of the monthly minimum payments. It is not a debt consolidation company or a bankruptcy service.
I was first contacted by a CMS representative named Stephen P. Hunt from Foresthill, CA by phone in November 2008. I had been struggling financially due to the current economic catastrophe, unemployment, divorce & foreclosure. On February 20, 2009 I enrolled in the CMS Program & paid the fees of $6,073.00 to Stephen P. Hunt through PayPal.
When I enrolled in the CMS Program I knew my career outlook & I knew there was no way I could pay the debts without a job, bankruptcy was the only other choice. Stephen convinced me the CMS Program was a proven, legal means to erase debt AND restore my credit within one year.
I wasted no time, I immediately gathered all the required account information, had the notaries done & sent everything off to Stephen P. Hunt. Stephen explained that everything would need to channel through him as his “partner”, Brad, was extremely busy helping people overcome their debts.
I was told the credit card statements would soon stop coming to me & instead be routed to CMS as they were now acting on my behalf. I was told I could still follow them online to see how the activity was going. I was told to ignore any collection calls if they eventually began.
A few months went by, no payments had been made & the statements kept coming to me along with a bombardment of collections phone calls & letters. I asked Stephen what was going on, he said to be patient & soon I would see some activity. In the beginning he told me it was best to start the program before the accounts were charged-off or in collections. I was not happy that I had turned everything over long before collection activity started yet CMS hadn’t started anything & now most accounts were at the point of collections. I asked Stephen about this & he had no answer, he said the program would still work & not to worry.
By August I was more than impatient. It had been 6 months, the same time Stephen told me it would take to erase the debt & begin cleaning up my credit report. Once again I contacted Stephen to express my concerns that it had been 6 months, not a single initial payment had been made to any of my accounts & I was still receiving all of my statements. Stephen seemed concerned & stated such & the fact that he would get with Brad Daley & clear it up. I told him nothing had been done in 6 months & I wanted my money back so I could use it to hire an attorney & file bankruptcy. He said he would find out what was going on & get back to me. A few days later Stephen contacted me to tell me that Brad Daley had some problems in Alabama & his bank account was seized along with all his paperwork including my personal & financial information & that he was being investigated. He said Brad would get everything back once the investigation was over. Stephen said he would get me my money back, that was August 2009. He said Brad would do the best he could but was limited since his account was seized. I asked if I would get payments, when it would start & if it would come from Brad himself? Stephen didn’t know how or when but he did say it would go to him & he would then pay me. Stephen went as far to say that if I couldn’t wait for Brad to get back on his feet he would pay me himself & collect it from Brad at a later date, although he was limited & didn’t have much to work with because times are tough. I stayed in touch with Stephen during September & October 2009 pressing on about my refund & all he could say is he would try & reach Brad. For the past month he has dropped out of site not returning my phone calls or emails.
I paid, I turned over every document requested within days & waited 6 months all while they never even made the initial payment or changed the address on a single one of my accounts to assume them as agreed.
This week I will be contacting my local FBI Office, the California Attorney General, the Alabama Attorney General, the National Fraud Center, the Federal Trade Commission & the Better Business Bureau.
CMS operates mostly online with a front company soliciting their scam online, the website is: http://www.debtclear.com/debt_relief
Brad Daley, I believe, is located in Alabama
The CMS Representative I dealt with, Stephen P. Hunt, is located at: 21821 Powerline Road, Foresthill, CA 95631. His mailing address is: P.O. Box 845, Foresthill, CA 95631. His phone number is: 530-367-4401, however, all calls are screened before answering & his answering message will tell you this. Gee, I wonder why?
This is a definite scam. If it isn’t, I would be refunded my payment in full. The CMS non-responsibility/no guarantee has nothing to do with me, they never started me in the program. I paid, they collected my money, did nothing & later admitted it. The only answer I received was that I would receive a full refund. So, where is it? It isn’t & that is what constitutes a SCAM!
Has any of those agency any help to you?
Your story is my story just a defferent agent name that work under Bradley.
Terrry Yarham
I’ve kept all the recordings of what they said they could do for me
FYI CMS BBB rating is now an F in many states
FYI Mr. Daley himself just emailed me when I asked for a refund due to breach of CMS contract. This was his reply:
“FYI-All of my accounts have been frozen since the AL SEC lawsuit from March 5, 2009. I can’t do anything until funds are released. This case will stay any and all actions. ”
Brad Daley
there are complaints against CMS and investigations ongoing with State and Federal agencies – check for yourself. Wish I had…
Jim;
Thanks for your posting. I have tried for several months (since I learned of CMS’s “problems”) to learn WHO was on their case, but their “Allen” (no last name currently in charge of CMS) said he cannot disclose who is tying CMS’s hands. Now I learn that it is the AL: SEC. Interesting. Have you contacted the AL SEC for any details? I too have had great difficulty in getting the info I need to defend myself in court. The cancelled checks signed by CitiBank agreeing to the CMS Novation are badly needed in my defense, but Allen claims they are not available. My very serious mistake was in trusting one of their Reps, Stephen Luttrell who I had known for perhaps 6 years, and who hooked up with CMS several years ago. At this point, I have not determined whether Stephen Luttrell was conned by Brad Daley and “Allen no last name” or not. But when things are hidden and not disclosed, despite numerous requests, I just should have known, and I have no one to blame but myself. I am now planning to file bankruptcy as my only alternative.
Regards,
Doug Troop
Doug – I have communicated at length with the AL SEC and I can say for certain that there are many complaints filed against CMS / Brad Daley. You should be sure to file ones as well with your state`s AG and AL SEC.
The AL SEC will in turn communicate with the Federal authorities that are investigating Brad and CMS.
CMS refused to provide me the xld checks BUT payments for the purposes of novation are documented on your monthly statements. As part of discovery Citibanks lawyer had to turn them all over to me even though they had originally been sent to the CMS address.
Good luck with everything.