Pacific Debt Relief Reviews

Dena Standley | May 25, 2023

Edited by Hannah Locklear

If you are looking for a way out of unsecured debt, you may have heard about Pacific Debt Relief. The company has received excellent reviews from satisfied customers. But will it work for you?

Before you sign up for a debt settlement program, you should understand how debt relief companies typically work. Ask yourself questions such as How does Pacific Debt Relief make its money? How does it negotiate debt settlement? Can you do it yourself? And how will settling debt affect your credit score?

This comprehensive review by SoloSuit answers these questions to help you make an informed decision.

Is Pacific Debt Relief legit? What do its customers think?

Yes. Pacific Debt Relief, or Pacific Debt, Inc, is a legitimate debt relief company based in San Diego, California. It has been in business since May 2002 and serves 29 states, including Washington, DC.

Pacific Debt Relief has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) since 2010, and the company itself has been in business for 21 years. The BBB gives the company an A+ rating, the highest possible.

Customers on Google are largely happy with the company. As of May 2023, Pacific Debt has a 4.7-star rating on Google out of nearly 200 reviews, and it has 4.93 stars on BBB out of more than 1,000 reviews.

It’s pretty evident that Pacific Debt Relief is a consumer favorite for settling debt, especially considering the fact that they have only closed three complaints in the last three years. That being said, not all consumers are happy with their experience at Pacific Debt Relief. For example, the following is a complaint from a real Pacific Debt customer.

“They use the front Pacific Debt, but they will transfer you to a different company called Clear One which has a lot of bad reviews! They will talk you into joining the program, and once they're done, they will not help you get your account cleared. I've been on hold for an hour to cancel my account with Clear One because Pacific Debt Relief washed its hands off it.”

The following section explains what you should know before signing up for the Pacific Debt Relief program.

How does Pacific Debt Relief work?

Consumers enroll debts into a program that aims to pay accounts off for much less than they owe. For example, if you owe $20,000, Pacific Debt Inc aims to settle for as low as half the amount.

The company works out monthly repayments that you can afford. It opens an escrow account where you deposit that money instead of making payments to the creditor. Eventually, your account goes into collections (if it hasn't already).

After depositing enough money into the escrow account, Pacific Debt Inc makes settlement offers and accepts those favorable to you. They will continue approaching your creditors until you have zero balances on all enrolled debts.

The program can take up to 48 months. However, if it is successful, you will be out of debt and can start repairing your credit. Some features customers appreciate include:

• You get a free consultation.
• There are no upfront fees.
• You get a personal account manager.
• You may eventually pay less than you owe.

Have you already been sued for debt? That means you have to respond to the lawsuit before your state’s deadline, otherwise, you run the risk of losing the case automatically when a default judgment is filed against you.

SoloSuit makes responding to a debt lawsuit simple. Watch the following video to learn more.

Now, let’s explore everything you should know before enrolling with Pacific Debt Relief:

• Pacific Debt Relief only works with unsecured debts, such as credit cards, deficiencies on repossessed vehicles, and personal loans. You cannot enroll secured debts into the program.


• You must be at least $10,000 in debt. If you owe less, try another debt relief company or use SoloSettle and learn how to settle the debt yourself.


• Despite its popularity, Pacific Debt Relief is only available in 29 states and Washington, DC.


• You will notice an initial drop in your credit score. Debt relief companies typically stop repayments to all creditors so that they can negotiate for settlement after you default. Defaulting causes your credit to drop because repayment history dramatically affects your credit score.


• Pacific Debt Relief is not free. The company pays itself a percentage of the debts you enroll. It can range from 15–25%, which can be an expensive option for clearing unsecured debt. Consider this amount when calculating how much you will save after settling.


• Your creditors may not accept Pacific Debt Relief's offer. Some creditors refuse to work with for-profit debt relief companies. They reason that forgiving debt does not make sense when most of the discounted amount goes to another business.


• It is possible to save more by settling the debts yourself. You can negotiate directly with a creditor or debt collector, settle for less, and save on the would-be debt relief company fees.


• Pacific Debt Relief can transfer you to companies like ClearOne Advantage. Whether you get transferred depends on your state of residence and the type of debt. If this happens, you will be working with a different company than you signed up for.

Whether or not you need a debt relief company is a personal choice, so it’s best to be well-informed before you make that decision.

While Pacific Debt Relief customers quickly join the program because of the zero upfront fee policies and free initial consultation, you should also beware of the program's limitations. For example, consumers with less than $10,000 in unsecured debt do not qualify, and those eligible see a drop in their credit.

If you want to settle a debt but do not qualify for Pacific Debt Relief, try SoloSettle.

Settle debts on your own with SoloSettle

You can take matters into your own hands and settle your debts by yourself with the help of SoloSettle.

SoloSettle, powered by SoloSuit, is different from traditional debt settlement companies. Here’s how:

• You can settle the debt on your own with SoloSettle.
• You have legal defense built in with SoloSuit. You can respond to a debt lawsuit and fight off collectors in court while working on the settlement.
• You don’t have to make any payments until you’ve reached a debt settlement agreement.
• You can settle a debt of any size with SoloSettle. Many debt settlement companies require you to have a large debt of $15,000 or more to enroll.
• You stay updated with each step of the settlement process until an offer is accepted by your creditor or collector.

Check out this video to learn more about how to settle your debt on your own—once and for all.

What is SoloSuit?

SoloSuit makes it easy to fight debt collectors.

You can use SoloSuit to respond to a debt lawsuit, to send letters to collectors, and even to settle a debt.

SoloSuit's Answer service is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your Answer. Upon completion, we'll have an attorney review your document and we'll file it for you.

>>Read the FastCompany article: Debt Lawsuits Are Complicated: This Website Makes Them Simpler To Navigate

>>Read the NPR story on SoloSuit. (We can help you in all 50 states.)

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