Century Support Services is a debt settlement company that has helped more than 250,000 customers settle over $1.3 billion in debt since it was founded in 2012. Century Support Services uses a customer service team, debt settlement negotiators, and client advocates to achieve its mission of helping clients live fuller lives by overcoming their debt.
Century Support Services uses a four-step settlement plan to help its customers repay their debts. First, clients take part in a free evaluation of their debt. Then, the company customizes its settlement program according to the client's needs. Beginning two to four months into the program, the company starts negotiating the client's debts, depending on the customer's monthly savings, number of creditors enrolled in the program, and the balance of each account they're paying off. Finally, the client finishes paying off their debts, and the program ends.
Customers who use Century Support Services will pay a portion of each debt the company helps settle, depending on the agreement the company is able to negotiate, plus additional settlement fees to Century Support Services for each settled debt.
The company is accredited by the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators and the American Fair Credit Council.
Continue reading for more information, as well as Century Support Services reviews.
Before they're obligated to pay any fees associated with the debt settlement program, potential Century Support Services clients can take advantage of a free assessment by talking with one of its debt specialists. The debt specialist will explain how debt settlement works and evaluate the person's debts to find the right solution for them.
Century Support Services is meant to help people who are struggling to make monthly payments, experiencing financial hardship, and those in unmanageable debt. If accepted into Century Support Services program, clients will be asked to set up a separate bank account with an FDIC insured financial institution. Depending on the goals set with the debt specialist, clients will need to deposit money into the account every month. Once Century Support Services has a settlement opportunity (and the client approves), the creditor is paid from the recently set up bank account.
Century Support Services boasts that it only charges fees after a customer has gotten settled in the program.
Century Support Services offers its clients an online portal to access their deposit schedule, program overview, important alerts, a place to upload secure documents, and other resources 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The company also provides a free online resource center and blog with ideas to help its audience budget and save money.
The majority of debt settlement clients will experience collection calls. To relieve some of the stress for its customers, Century Support Services partnered with the United Consumer Advocacy Network (UCAN). UCAN is a consumer advocacy organization that defends consumers' rights against unlawful, unfair, and deceptive practices by financial institutions, creditors, and debt collectors.
Century Support Services believes that all clients should be treated with respect while working toward financial independence, so all clients receive the company's Creditor Intervention Program benefits.
Century Support Services is not available in every state. People in need of debt relief who live in one of the states the company doesn’t service will need to find help elsewhere.
Century Support Services does not service the following states:
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Century Support Services offers only debt settlement services, not other solutions such as debt consolidation.
When someone enrolls in a debt settlement program, they generally stop paying their debts in order to encourage their creditors to accept a negotiated lump sum payment that’s smaller than the total amount of debt owed. This option can save a borrower significant amounts of money compared to what they would have paid over the lifetime of the loan, but it can also lower their credit score in the process.
We appreciate Century Support Services’ dedication to its clients, transparency, and simple/straightforward program. The company appears to be a solid option for those looking for a debt settlement company. Keep in mind though, that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all debt settlement company, so we recommend that all potential clients take advantage of the free assessment. Customers should ask any questions they may have during the application process to ensure they're getting the best possible financial outcome.
Star Rating
26 Reviews
Review Breakdown
Sentiment Criteria
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Dj
I have been with century for 41 months now. I signed up with $35k+ in credit card Debt. When I started I was told stop paying the cards don't take calls, or refer them to century. I was told by the century rep that my credit would tank but start coming back up as accounts were taken care of. All this has been true. I have gone from 600+ to 350 back up to 550. Century tries to get all your credit info from your report, but reports aren't always accurate. I had an account that wasn't in the program and the creditor took legal action, I called century about it and they were able to add it to my program, keeping me out of court. I've had 3 accounts go legal and century handled it very well. I have yet to speak to an attorney or appear in court, thanks to century. If there is an account they can't settle without more of a deposit they call and talk to me about it, sometimes I can afford it other times I can not and things stay the same until another time. The do charge a fee but the fee plus the settlement is lower than the total owed usually by 20-50%. All in all I'm fairly pleased by century's service I had $35k+ in CC debt. Sued 3 times. So far I have paid about $10k under what I owe and have not been in court. And I have watched my credit score slowly work its way back up.
Phillip Velasco
Here is the straight-up in my experience, I have only done a couple reviews in my life but people should know: -They offer debt settlement services but prefer to call it debt resolution, I think because it sounds more palatable to those looking to avoid a hit on their credit - read more about that below. (CCS agents make this 'correction' on 2 occasions). -They start off with a rep who sells you their services, then hands you off to the general pool which is operated by agents, along with persons who try to to settle you debt by reaching out to the debtors on your behalf. - They Charge 25% of the ORGINAL debt - they don't hide that fact. - They Claim to usually settle for about 50% of the original debt, which is about what I experienced. -You will pay taxes (debtors will send 1099 for year payment was completed) on all debt settled. Shame on me for not reading the fine print and just taking the word of the moderately charismatic sales rep. THIS IS VERY REAL, BE CAREFUL. - To sum up the end cost of settling debt, 50% of debt + 25% of original debt + taxes on debt paid off = you end up paying the same or maybe even more of the original debt total. -They will claim debt will be settled quickly, in my case it has not. (3 yrs into it and another 2 years left because they settled some account year(s) after I joined their program) -They will claim you credit will rebound the same year- paraphrasing exactly what the sales rep told me. This is NOT the case, my credit is much worse off now, in the low 500's now. The debt paid off shows as CHARGE OFFS on my credit, these negatively impact your credit. -They will take on debt they know they cannot settle - for example, they took on my Discover Credit Card and Chase Credit Card debt, they could not settle and I am having to settle with them outside of the over $1k I pay a month to CSS. -I filed a BBB complaint, Rep contacted me. She was nice and heard me out but also stated everything is in the contract. Again, shame on me for being duped by the guy who makes you feel like there is no need to read through the contract because "I will give you the summary". (Paraphrasing here) You decide....
Dawn
Don’t fall for it. I consolidated all my debt with Century originally, they called me and said because I made so many on time payments that I’m eligible for an “expedited” loan program which happened to be New Credit America. I didn’t quite understand all the jargon so I agreed without doing my homework because who doesn’t want to pay off their debt faster, right? Century had my loan ending in 2022 with some fees and interest but they “expedited” my loan by sending me to New Credit America that tacked on a 29.70 interest rate and increased my loan date to 10/2023. More than half of my $200 a month payment goes toward interest with this company. Update: since my review was posted Century reached out to me to explain the program (New Credit America) is expeditious in that it settles your open accounts and gets the creditor paid off faster, not that it’s actually expeditious in ending the consumers payments. I wish someone would have explained it to me like that a long time ago.
Reply from Century Support Services
Feb 05, 2021
Dawn, We appreciate you sharing your Century experience. Our records indicate you spoke with your Senior Customer Advocate Kasey to review the concerns mentioned in your review. As discussed with Kasey Century’s program is not a consolidation loan. The Century debt settlement program is designed for clients in a financially distressed situation, when keeping up with even minimum payments on their unsecured debt, is becoming a financial burden. Our goal is to negotiate on your delinquent debt for less than the full balance. When you enrolled in your debt settlement program, a plan was created for you to meet your program goals over an estimated time. Every month, you deposit a preset amount into your dedicated reserves account. While funds are building in this account, Century Negotiators are reviewing your file for the most strategic times to initiate a settlement. Settlements can happen at various times and will depend on several factors, including your monthly deposit amount, the number of creditors you have enrolled, and the balance of each individual account New Credit America is a company that offers a loan. This loan can be an option for a client that wishes to accelerate completion of their debt settlement program which ceases additional interest and fees accruing on the enrolled accounts and eliminates any further collection efforts including lawsuits. This puts clients on a path to restoring their credit profile. New Credit America loans are used to fund the completion of the client’s current debt settlement program. We appreciate you giving Kasey the opportunity to address your concerns. We are regret to hear that you are not completely satisfied with your Century experience. We wish you the best in your future endeavors.
Verified Customer
John Wagner
Great service, excellence customer support.
Reply from Century Support Services
Jan 26, 2021
John, Thank you so much for your positive review and rating! We value the partnership we have established with you. Our representatives have a passion for building relationships with our clients and we strive to deliver the highest level of customer experience excellence possible for you. Our records show that you have completed your Century program! We appreciate the opportunity to provide you our service and wish you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors. Congratulations on a successful program completion!
Verified Customer
Hank Fults
Excellent Service! From beginning to my last correspondence, the CSRs at Century Support Services did everything to make the transition to becoming debt free as easy as possible! Thanks CSS!
Reply from Century Support Services
Jan 26, 2021
Hank, Thank you for your positive review and rating! It’s wonderful to hear that our efforts have had such a positive impact on your life. We appreciate your taking the time to register in your MyCentury portal. The portal provides you access to the specific details of your account including, recent activity updates, pending settlements, and many other resources. The Century team will continue to work with you to successfully complete your program as efficiently as possible.
Verified Customer
Tracey Bilger
Customer service is excellent, helpful and friendly. Anytime I call they get me answers right away.
Reply from Century Support Services
Jan 26, 2021
Tracey, Thank you for your positive review and rating! Century has very knowledgeable employees, and we love to hear how well they are doing for our clients. In addition to our expert representatives, we also have the MyCentury client portal, which provides you access to the specific details of your account, including recent activity updates, pending settlements and many other resources. We look forward to helping you successfully complete the journey you have partnered with us on to achieve financial freedom.
Verified Customer
Linda Plew
The best without a doubt.Treat you with respect and courtesy.
Reply from Century Support Services
Jan 26, 2021
Linda, Thank you for your positive review and rating! Our representatives strive daily to deliver an excellent customer experience to each and every client on the program. We appreciate your taking the time to register in your MyCentury portal. The portal provides you access to the specific details of your account including, recent activity updates, pending settlements, and many other resources. The portal is available to you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for your convenience. The Century team will continue to work with you to successfully complete your program as efficiently as possible.
Verified Customer
Milton
Great service and handling of questions and or concerns
Reply from Century Support Services
Jan 28, 2021
Milton, Thank you for your positive review and rating! Century has very knowledgeable employees, and we love to hear how well they are doing for our clients. In addition to our expert representatives, we also have the MyCentury client portal, which provides you access to the specific details of your account, including recent activity updates, pending settlements and many other resources. We look forward to helping you successfully complete the journey you have partnered with us on to achieve financial freedom.
Verified Customer
Hilary Tredennick
Great, always extremely helpful. Courteous customer service reps & very efficient with responses. I would highly recommend Century to others!
Reply from Century Support Services
Jan 26, 2021
Hilary, Thank you so much for your positive review and rating! We value the partnership we have established with you. Our representatives have a passion for building relationships with our clients and we strive to deliver the highest level of customer experience excellence possible for you. In addition to our expert representatives, we also have the MyCentury client portal, which provides you access to the details of your account, including recent activity updates, pending settlements and many other resources. Through our portal and our experienced representatives, we will continue our efforts to achieving your goal of financial freedom.
Verified Customer
Elizabeth
Great understanding helpful go Beyondi never have a problem
Reply from Century Support Services
Jan 28, 2021
Elizabeth, Thank you for your positive review and rating! Our representatives strive daily to deliver an excellent customer experience to each and every client on the program. We appreciate your taking the time to register in your MyCentury portal. The portal provides you access to the specific details of your account including, recent activity updates, pending settlements, and many other resources. The portal is available to you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for your convenience. The Century team will continue to work with you to successfully complete your program as efficiently as possible.
Verified Customer
Drema Burner
I have called a few times, when needed to. They have been helpful.
Reply from Century Support Services
Jan 26, 2021
Drema, Thank you for your positive review and rating! It’s wonderful to hear that our efforts have had a positive impact on your life. We appreciate your taking the time to register in your MyCentury portal. The portal provides you access to the specific details of your account including, recent activity updates, pending settlements, and many other resources. The Century team will continue to work with you to successfully complete your program as efficiently as possible.
Dylan Lyons
I paid more than i owed on my original debt . They contracted to pay only 2 years . But they found multiple reasons to steel money by extending me to three years .
Reply from Century Support Services
Dec 17, 2020
Dylan, We appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns with us and for speaking further with your Customer Advocate, Jennifer. Our goal is to negotiate settlements on your delinquent debt for less than the full balance. In review, we were able to successfully negotiate a favorable settlement on your largest debt account, with a realized savings to you of over $1,300.00. Being able to show a client the value of our program as quickly as possible is an important part of this partnership and we were able to achieve this successful milestone 3 months into your estimated 29 month program. When you enrolled in your debt settlement program, a customized plan was created for you to meet your program goals over an estimated time. The strategies involved in creating and executing on your customized program are based on years of experience working with creditors. Allowing the program to progress through the process will allow the strategy to play out and lead to the most success. As Jennifer explained, the funds that you deposit monthly were being utilized to pay the settlement agreement, on your first settlement. As funds build in your third party account, we have the ability to negotiate settlements on your remaining accounts. One of the major benefits of our program is that we do not earn a fee for our services until we've successfully negotiated a settlement, that settlement has been authorized by you and a first payment has been made toward the settlement to your creditor. The fees associated with the work our representatives do for your debt relief program are reviewed with you, prior to your signing of our Debt Resolution Agreement, and they never change during your program. This allows you to know the cost of the program before committing to this journey with Century. We regret that you were not completely satisfied with your Century experience, but we do appreciate the opportunity to have been of service to you. We wish you the best in your future endeavors.
Lisa Cimoric
I was told my program would be complete in 52 months. I even started paying a little more than the required monthly fee. I have been in the program for 48 months and now they tell me they don’t know when it will be complete because I still have 2 accounts not settled. Turns out these 2 accounts will not talk to third parties so I settled them myself and saved Centuries astronomical fees to settle accounts
Reply from Century Support Services
Oct 19, 2020
Lisa, Our team appreciates you sharing your feedback, which we do take very seriously. We acknowledge your feelings that there may have been a gap in our communication with your creditors. Your Senior Customer Advocate, Kasey, has made several attempts to follow up with you to discuss the concerns, mentioned in your review, and provide you with more details. Our goal is to negotiate on your delinquent debt for less than the full balance. When you enrolled in your debt settlement program, a plan was created for you to meet your program goals over an estimated time. Every month, you deposit a preset amount into your dedicated reserves account. While funds are building in this account, Century Negotiators are reviewing your file for the most strategic times to initiate a settlement. Settlements can happen at various times and will depend on several factors, including your monthly deposit amount, the number of creditors you have enrolled, and the balance of each individual account In our attempt to resolve your debt as quickly as possible, we may be presented with a settlement opportunity that would require you to commit to some additional funds, in order for you to take advantage. You are not required to make any additional deposits; however, we want to present you with these negotiation efforts so you can decide the best path to move forward. Each creditor employs their own policies, and some chose to only speak with their customer. Our team makes every effort to foster good communication during your Century program and the possibility of coached settlements on difficult creditors would have been reviewed in your Debt Resolution Agreement. We review our settlement strategies with our clients in advance and in our review of your program, we believe that by following these strategies, we would have been successful in settling the remainder of your accounts if given the opportunity to do so. We regret that we were unable to reach you to discuss the specific details of your concerns and that you were not completely satisfied with your Century experience, but we do appreciate the opportunity to have been of service to you.
03srambokc
Worst company ever! They can never be consistent with their answers! One minute you’re done and the next you owe more money!! I hate this company! None of their supervisors no what they’re doing! I completed their program, never missed one payment. As the time got close for me to end the program. I called to get my exact amount and was told three different answers! One supervisor said we owe you 200 and then called back 3 hours later saying you owe more money! I’m thinking about getting a lawyer to sue!
Tim
1 Star and that’s generous from me. I was with them for 2 months and they only accepted 1 of the 6 things that I allowed them to try and help me. They are the worst. They took over 200 a month and out of that $10 of that went to the creditor and the company took the rest. I tried asking for a refund of the rest, which they said that if I wanted to get out of the program all I had to do was say I wanted to stop and want a refund, they didn’t give me a refund at all from my supposed account. I had a major credit hit. Thought that it was supposed to be going up. I guess I was wrong. If I could I would give them a negative 5 stars.
Mark Garret
Century is absolutely horrible. Refused to work with my credit union and resolve my balance with them, then they turned around and liked to me telling me the attorney refused to work with them. I found that not to be the case at all. They let it actually get to court, and garnishments me issued against me, doing nothing to resolve the issue. I had to to take it upon myself to resolve the issue and paid off the debt settlement in 4 months!!! Always a constant battle with them, no direct answers. Told me the needed $7000 to finish resolving my debt, even though I told them that was well over $1500 to much. They basically told me I didn't know what I was talking about. I now have $1700 left in the account, and they have done nothing to refund that amount. RUN the other way!!!
VM
I have been with Century for a year and while I have one credit card paid off and another one half paid off, Century never warned me about any legal action that can take place. Last week I was summoned by a creditor with a court date. I was told Century reaches out to ALL of my creditors and informs them I am in a debt settlement program. With that, you'd think anything legal would not take place. WRONG! I brought this up to Century and they informed me I had to upload the summons and wait 24 hours for a priority team member to review it and call me back. I get a call back from their priority team member and they told me that Century can't reach out to this law firm because I am already in the middle of another settlement and that is where all of my funds are going to. The only thing I could do was add in additional money. I clearly joined this program because I was unable to pay towards my credit cards! How do they expect me to find additional money so THEY can reach out to this law firm and come to an agreement? Regardless, I was able to add additional funds and expected to have the priority team reach out to this law firm immediately, but of course they didn't and of course, I never receive updates on my accounts. Their lack of empathy for people going through legal action is disheartening and their lack of communication regarding your accounts is pitiful. I feel like I am just left in the dark, not knowing what's going on. If I have to respect your processes, you should respect my right to be aware and updated constantly on my accounts. Please be advised that their customer service is not favorable, you can potentially become a victim of legal action, AND, you better have additional funds on the side to afford their fees as well as help their negotiation team make settlements with your creditors.
Rita C. Boerger
DON'T DO THIS!!! This company vows to help eliminate your debt, their instructions is to stop payments, don't accept phone calls, and leave all interactions and negotiations up to them. I was in their program for 6 months, and out of 5 accounts to settle, they only settled one. There has been no contact from them with any of my creditors. As a result, my credit has gone down the toilet. If you need help financial due to hardship like me, or other reasons, stay away from this company.
James Keeley
As is usually the case I was offered the debt settlement program with the enticement that would protect me from creditors and pay them off. As it happens I am now being sued for one of the major credit cards the company never bothered to attempt to pay because it concentrated on lesser debts while collecting a hefty fee each month. After paying over a years worth of fees and payments I was sued by a credit card company for $2400. I was led to believe that I would have protection from lawsuits which I did not have. Meanwhile central support services has been collecting a nice healthy fee has now leaving me out hang out to dry with absolutely no support with the lawsuit situation. My only option now is to face the lawsuit without support of the company that was taking my money to pay them.
Kristi Wood
Do not use them!! I did for one c.c. that had a balance of 1500, by the time it got to 1900(they don't contact the c.c company until they have half of what you owe in their hands) then you are called saying they got a 65 % settlement. That's 35% off the debt. So that's misleading. So you say, okay go ahead. Then you find out t hey want that 400 you saved as t heir fee. Very misleading. Never use them !!
Ullanda Berry
This company is a rip off and should be shut down they sat on my accounts for over a year and to only settle with two accounts is horrible. I have better negotiation skills then they do. Even after being served papers to go to court they lied and told me that they reached out to the creditor to only find out that it was false. They made me believe this whole time they were handling my accounts when I come to find out that they only let them know that they were my power of attorney. To make a long story short. The creditor took me to court to then come to find out they were willing to settle, my account was settle and for free. I have had the worse experience with this company. A supervisor name John is extremely rude and has help me make my final decision today with pulling out of the program...Thank you John! Just be cautious and aware of this company I advise you to run and not even bother to contact them or inquire, their program is a total rip off.
sfhamden
I signed up with CNI last year and I think they are great. My credit score is rising and they stopped creditors from calling. I would highly recommend them. Since I was 10,000 in debt they have worked wonders on negotiating down my debt. I would pay whatever fees to help me with this outstanding debt since I am on a fixed income.
M.K
Customer service with this company has been great so far. Every time I call, they are polite and pleasant and try to help. For me, I started the program dealing with Accredited Debt Relief, and then Century. They do nothing for your credit score while you are waiting to settle, and the accounts usually go delinquent before they will settle, so your credit is screwed. Then they charge you a fee of 25% of the original amount that was owed in the debt. So if you owed $2,000, the fee would be $500, not including the amount the debt was settled for. I am still not sure if it is worth it for me.
Joe
I signed up with ClearOne for debt settlement, which was then transferred to CNI. I have been on the program for 3 months and so far everything is great! The company informed me from the start that I will continue to receive collections calls, but to ignore them- the calls will continue until settlement is reached (this mainly to counter the reviews complaining of still receiving collections calls). By month 2, I already had one debt settled, on a 6 month payment plan, for 50% of the original balance. So far so good! The customer service is pretty good as well. If I ever have any issues or questions, I just call or email and am satisfied with the service. Sometimes it may be 2-3 days to receive a response by email, but usually have a response within 1-2 days. Overall I am satisfied with what and how CNI is doing. Starting with ClearOne was a great experience, and that great experience has continued with CNI.
Reo
Ive made two payments to this company so far and have not been called/emailed about my accounts. Me and my wife get phone calls on the daily from the collection companies. They are not doing whats promised and i expect a full refund.
Ben
This is by far the best debt settlement company out there. If you want better service with employees who who are knowlegable and will get the job done right, the price is worth it. They take no fees up front at all, nothing hidden and their average is between forty to fifty percent of what you actually owe. You cannot beat it ! They also service contracts through freedom debt relief and clear one advantage. So even if you sign up with those,companies they only sign you up CNI actually does all the work !