Freedom Debt Relief vs ClearOne Advantage
Freedom Debt Relief and ClearOne Advantage have both been in the debt relief industry for over a decade, though Freedom beats out ClearOne in experience by about five years.
Freedom and ClearOne both offer similar debt settlement services. ClearOne has the added perk of pairing you with your own personal debt specialist to guide you through the process of debt relief.
In terms of overall customer satisfaction, Freedom Debt Relief wins by a long shot. ClearOne has lower average ratings in every category we rank for, and has a larger percentage of dissatisfied customers. That being said, every debt relief customer is different, and ClearOne has made plenty of people happy. You just need to do your research and decide which company is right for you.
Read on for more information comparing Freedom and ClearOne that might be helpful in making your decision.
Overview
Freedom Debt Relief
Undisclosed
$7,500
Debt Settlement, Free Consultation
AFCC, IAPDA
No
22 Years
ClearOne Advantage
Undisclosed
Undisclosed
Debt Settlement, Free Consultation, Online Client Dashboard
CDRI
No
16 Years
Ratings
Freedom Debt Relief
ClearOne Advantage
Pros & Cons
Freedom Debt Relief
PROS
- Incredibly positive reviews
- High value for money
- Available in 42 states
- Reasonable minimum debt requirement
CONS
- Not available in every state
- Not a nonprofit
ClearOne Advantage
PROS
- All major industry accreditations
- Assigns personal debt consultant
CONS
- Higher minimum debt requirement
- Only available in 22 states
Reviews
Freedom Debt Relief
Reviews
ClearOne Advantage
Reviews for Freedom Debt Relief
Helpful Favorable Review
Ron Licht
December 27th, 2023
DETAILS
Edited May 16th, 2024
Review Source
I’m only a little but halfway in the program. They are settling debts but I almost feel that if your gonna stop paying your credit cards you may be better off settling the debts yourself and not give Freedom the huge amount they take for settlements. Yes you save half your debt but than FDR takes their cut. I was also told when I signed up that a few months in I would be able to apply for a consolidation loan with a monthly payment and that wasn’t true
Helpful Critical Review
Tammy
May 7th, 2024
Verified Customer
Review Source
I recently had a mixed experience with this service. There were times when I received helpful assistance and other times when I felt ignored. It was frustrating when I encountered someone who seemed indifferent to my needs. Overall, the inconsistency made it difficult to rely on this service. I found myself feeling like my time was wasted.
Reviews for ClearOne Advantage
Helpful Favorable Review
Keith Snyder
October 9th, 2019
Shamokin, PA
DETAILS
I honestly have no complaints. I signed up with the program in April 2017 and in August of 2019 I was offered a loan to pay the remainder of my debt at the same payment I was making to clear 1. Yes the interest is high, as some reviews have complained about, but what do you expect. All the negative reviews I read could have been avoided had the people listened to Clear 1 associates in the first place. My personal experience was nearly painless, thank you Clear 1.
Helpful Critical Review
Joe Mannino
October 20th, 2023
Beaver, PA
DETAILS
total scam, destroys your credit for life and you still get sued by the creditors at easdt in pa i was sued , they charged outrageous fees and did nothing, unreal that they are still in business , you will be very sorry choosing clearone., and thats an understatement of mammoth proportions.
The Final Word
Company Experience and Expertise (Winner: Freedom Debt Relief)
Freedom Debt Relief has been in business for over 20 years and helped thousands of clients find relief from crushing debt. The company is a thought leader in the industry and maintains a consistently good reputation among thousands of customer reviews.
ClearOne, on the other hand, has about five years fewer experience than Freedom, though this isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker. ClearOne still employs certified debt professionals and has helped hundreds of clients resolve their debts. Overall, we are more impressed with Freedom’s robust network and industry experience, which is why it wins this category.
User Experience (Winner: Freedom Debt Relief)
Freedom Debt Relief averages over four stars on three key areas related to user experience: trustworthiness, quality of service, and value for money. Freedom also scores over 9 out of 10 on likelihood of customers to recommend the company.
ClearOne does not have more than two stars on any of these user experience categories. Many customers have had more negative experiences with ClearOne, which is why Freedom wins this category.
State Availability (Winner: Freedom Debt Relief)
Freedom Debt Relief is currently available in 42 states, while ClearOne is available in 22. All 22 states that are serviced by ClearOne are also serviced by Freedom, so if Freedom doesn’t service your state, neither does ClearOne.
Cost (Winner: Tie)
From what information the companies have provided, it seems that Freedom Debt Relief and ClearOne Advantage have similar pricing structures and charge about 20 percent (on average) of a client’s enrolled debt for their services.
Debt relief companies aren’t always super transparent about their pricing, as it varies so much by case. Thus, you might be best off getting a quote from both companies before deciding which one to go with.
Minimum Debt Requirement (Winner: Freedom Debt Relief)
Freedom Debt Relief has a lower minimum debt requirement ($7,500) than ClearOne Advantage ($10,000). If you don’t have enough debt to qualify for ClearOne, you might still qualify for Freedom.
However, if you have over $10,000 in unsecured debt that you are looking to resolve, both companies will be able to assist you.
Freedom Debt Relief vs. ClearOne Advantage: Which Is Better?
In all categories we reviewed, Freedom Debt Relief either won or tied. We can confidently say that at this point, Freedom Debt Relief is the best option for most clients.
Freedom services 42 states vs. the 22 serviced by ClearOne. Freedom also has an average star rating above 4.5, while ClearOne hovers around an average rating of 3 stars. Overall, consumers are more likely to recommend Freedom Debt Relief than they are ClearOne Advantage, so we feel comfortable doing the same.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a debt relief program?
Debt relief can come in two main forms: debt settlement or debt consolidation.
With debt settlement, you work with a debt relief company that negotiates with your creditors on your behalf to settle your debts for less than you owe. You then pay the debt relief company settlement fees, and pay off your debt once a settlement amount has been agreed upon.
With debt consolidation, you receive a loan from a debt consolidation loan company that allows you to pay off your existing debt. Then, because of your loan, you are now in debt to the loan company, but you can now focus all of your energy to pay off that loan, rather than paying off multiple creditors at once.
This option does not reduce the total amount of debt you owe, but rather just consolidates it in one place so that it is easier to keep track of.
How does Freedom Debt Relief work?
Freedom Debt Relief doesn't charge an upfront fee or any other fees until after debt is settled with creditors. This practice is standard for the industry. Debt relief companies, like National Debt Relief and Pacific Debt, also do not have upfront fees.
Upon enrollment, customers will open an FDIC-insured bank account that the client controls. Clients will put all of their money that would have gone toward paying their debt into this bank account instead. This is the main reason why this program hurts your credit score more than debt consolidation.
Next, FDR or its representatives or agents will negotiate with your creditors to settle on debt to pay.
Freedom Debt Relief makes money by charging fees on the enrolled debt amount. Its average fees are a bit high (around 22 percent fees on enrolled debt), but its services are thorough.
The company's ability to help clients find an easier road to financial freedom and paying off debt is highly valuable.
How does ClearOne Advantage work?
Personal Debt Settlement Consultant
ClearOne Advantage understands that one customer's financial situation will be entirely different than another.
Because each customer can have any number of unsecured debt problems (credit card debt, medical debt, student loans, etc.), ClearOne Advantage assigns one debt settlement consultant to each customer.
Customers won't have to worry about explaining their situation to different consultants every time they ask for an evaluation or progress report. Additionally, assigned consultants are much more likely to be invested in your financial relief options and concerns than a complete stranger to your case.
Debt Settlement Process
Debt settlement clients choose to stop making any monthly payment on their debts. Instead, they deposit money into a separate bank account to be used to pay settlements with each creditor.
The debt settlement company will negotiate with each creditor to reduce the total amount of debt clients owe. Debt settlement companies do not charge until all of the enrolled debt has been settled with each creditor.
Because debt settlement clients stop making monthly payments, their credit score drops. This can have some short-term consequences, so you should have a plan to rebuild your credit before having a company settle your debt.
It's also worth noting that settled debt is marked as settled on your credit report. When looking at your credit report, people can see that you did not pay all of your debts in full.
While there are risks and disadvantages when choosing a debt settlement program, it can be a better alternative than bankruptcy.
