American Debt Relief [2024]

American Debt Relief is a fairly well-known debt relief company that helps you settle your debts for substantially less than what you owe. If you have a lot of unsecured debts and are struggling to keep up with payments, you can enroll your debts in the program to become debt-free sooner.

Read this American Debt Relief review to learn more about how the company works, the type of services it offers, customer reviews, and its pros and cons.

How does American Debt Relief Work?

American Debt Relief offers prospective clients a free consultation where a team member will chat with you to get your details and assess your debts. This is also a good opportunity for you to ask questions and learn more about the program.

The company offers debt settlement, which involves negotiating with your creditors to reduce the amount you owe in return for a one-time, lump-sum payment you’ll make to them. Once you enroll in the program, you’ll stop making payments to your creditor(s) and start saving money in a separate savings account each month, to accumulate funds for your lump-sum payment.  The payment amount will be negotiated with your lender(s) by the debt settlement firm for you on your behalf. This amount–which can be as little as 50% of the amount you currently own–must be acceptable to you, just as it is with your creditor(s).

Once you save enough money, the debt settlement company will make a lump sum payment to your lenders to settle your account. You’ll pay a fee to American Debt Relief for their services, but only once they’ve successfully negotiated a settlement for you. The entire process typically takes 24 to 48 months to complete.

Pros and Cons of American Debt Relief

Weigh these pros and cons to make an informed decision about whether American Debt Relief is the right debt relief company for you.

Pros

• Free debt consultation
• No upfront fees
• High ratings on Trustpilot
• User-friendly client dashboard

Cons 

• Not BBB accredited
• Fees are not disclosed on the website
• The minimum debt requirement to become a client is not listed on the website

Services Offered by American Debt Relief 

American Debt Relief offers debt settlement as its only client service. It doesn’t offer any other forms of debt relief. If you have good credit, aren’t already behind on your payments, or don’t have a lot of debt, you may want to consider other options.

Costs and Fees

American Debt Relief doesn’t clearly disclose the fees they charge on the website, however, most debt settlement companies charge 15% to 25% of either the amount of debt settled or the amount of debt that you originally enrolled in the firm’s debt settlement program.  This is an important distinction, because the two amounts can be quite different from each other.

However, the company does say that clients who complete the program save an average of 55% before fees or 30% after fees. These numbers translate to an average net savings of 25% of enrolled debts when all is said and done.  

Time To Complete the Program

American Debt Relief says that its debt settlement program usually takes 24 to 48 months to complete. However, the timeframe can vary based on several factors, such as how much you can put aside each month, the amount of debt you have, and whether your lenders are willing to negotiate.

Expected Relief Amount

The company claims that clients who remain with the program until completion may be able to save 55% of their enrolled debts. However, you’ll also need to pay the settlement company’s fees, which account for approximately 25% of enrolled debts, although their exact fee structure is not indicated on American Debt Relief’s website.

Customer Service Options

American Debt Relief clients can review their account details and submit documents through an easy-to-use client portal. Here are the company's other contact details.

Existing Clients:

Phone Number: 1-800-976-4872 (Monday to Friday: 7 AM to 11 PM CST, Saturday: 8 AM to 8 PM CST)

Email: accountsupport@americandebtrelief.com

Fax: 1-877-316-4617

General Inquiries:

Phone Number: 1-800-752-3612 (Monday to Friday: 7 AM to 11 PM CST, Saturday: 8 AM to 8 PM CST)

American Debt Relief Reviews and Feedback

If you’re thinking about settling your debts through American Debt Relief, we recommend taking an in-depth look at the company’s reviews on various platforms. The company is certified by the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA).

American Debt Relief Reviews on Google

American Debt Relief has 4.2/5 stars from 445 Google reviews (as of August 2024). The positive reviews highlight satisfaction with the outcome of the program and the amount of debt reduction the team was able to achieve for clients. Here’s one positive review we found on Google:

“I am very pleased [with] the progress that American Debt Relief has made with reducing my high interest debt by negotiating much lower settlement amounts. It has helped reduce my stress levels exponentially! Thank you American Debt Relief!”

However, we also found a few negative reviews that mentioned a lack of transparency, communication issues, and problems canceling the program:

“This place is a TRAP ! I have called to cancel multiple times they argue with me every time and I have just had to put the account on hold every three months because they won’t cancel it’s always an argument and someone assuring they can help when the only thing I’m asking for is a cancellation, this place is a nightmare.”

Some of the negative reviews highlight a lack of transparency when it comes to fees and incessant prospecting calls. Here’s one example:

“Will not stop calling from spoofed phone numbers! I have asked them to stop calling me to no avail. My credit score is 871 so I don't understand why I am being targeted. Stop Calling Me!!!!!”

American Debt Relief Reviews on Better Business Bureau

American Debt Relief has an A+ BBB rating but is not currently accredited. It has 1.87/5 stars from 15 customer reviews as of August 2024.  There are 19 complaints on the BBB’s website that have been posted by current or former clients, but all of them have been responded to and/or addressed by the company, which is one of the main reasons for their A+ rating.

Only two of the reviews on the platform have a 5-star rating. Here’s one such positive review we found on BBB:

“American Debt Relief has forever changed my life. They saved me! ******** and her staff are so helpful and knowledgeable and will go above and beyond to do whatever it takes to help her clients and get the results you want. Please call ******** and her staff for help with your debt problems. You will not regret it!”

Some of the negative reviews we found on BBB highlight some prospects receiving incessant calls from the company:

“Will not stop calling from spoofed phone numbers! I have asked them to stop calling me to no avail. My credit score is 871 so I don't understand why I am being targeted. Stop Calling Me!!!!!”

American Debt Relief Reviews on Trustpilot

Unlike the BBB’s website, American Debt Relief has 4.9/5 stars from 5,651 customer reviews on Trustpilot as of August 2024. Clients are happy with the knowledgeable and helpful staff members. Here’s one such review:

“Austin, was very professional, explained everything to us and answered all our questions. It made making the decision to work with American Debt Relief very easy. Now we have a plan that will save us money, reduce the stress and payoff our debt in a timely manner.”

Only 1% of the reviews on Trustpilot have a 1-star rating. Here’s one example:

“Customer service takes weeks to respond. I ended up paying 90% of my enrolled debt anyway. I had to settle some accounts on the side myself after legal action was threatened. I wish I would’ve just negotiated debt with the companies myself would’ve saved my credit score and paid the same amount. Complete regret and waste of time.”

How American Debt Relief Compares to Other Debt Settlement Companies 

With so many debt settlement providers in America, it can be difficult to pick one that works for your needs. Here’s how American Debt Relief compares to other competitors.  

Is American Debt Relief Worth It?

American Debt Relief can be a good choice if you’re struggling to keep up with minimum payments on unsecured debts and want to settle your debts for less than you owe. Use the free consultation to ask questions about how the program works to decide if it’s the right option for you.

While the company has good reviews on Trustpilot and Google, it isn’t BBB accredited, and the customer reviews on that platform are quite low. Be sure to compare multiple debt relief companies before you pick one. 

We also recommend checking if other debt-relief solutions may be right for you, such as credit counseling, debt consolidation loans, and debt management plans. You may also want to speak to a bankruptcy attorney to determine if, after trying other debt-relief options, bankruptcy may end up being the right option for your personal debt situation.