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What’s the most affordable credit repair company? Well, The Credit People is famous for their low first work fee. Customers pay $19 for the initial evaluation and a monthly payment of $79.
In this The Credit People review 2021, learn more about:
The 90-day & 6-month satisfaction guarantee;
Features of the $79 package;
Credit repair process;
Top alternatives;
Common complaints and the firm’s response.
“Better Credit Awaits” is the company’s tagline. And they are downright approachable and informal. They express that their goal is to go above and beyond fixing credit errors.
A customer was due for a military promotion, but she had bad credit. The Credit People sent a referral letter to her superior, showing their involvement in fixing her credit. It’s just one of the wonderful stories featured on their Results page.
Darren Standfield and Scott Elhenicky (current CEO) founded the company in 2001. They have since removed about 1.4 million negative items. Clients see an estimated increase of 53 to 189 points, according to their homepage.
The Credit People operates like a highly organized tactical team. Three squads directly work with the customer. Led by certified credit experts, the Credit Repair squad challenges the CRBs and intervenes with creditors.
The Score Analysis team combs over reports, spotting potential deletions, and provides credit rebuilding guidance. At the forefront is the Support team noted for being helpful in many TheCreditPeople.com reviews. Additional teams include Executive, Sales, Tech, and Marketing.
The firm claims to offer the “lowest fee in the industry!” Well, they are not the cheapest monthly service, but their first work fee is indeed unbeatable. You’ll encounter their Score-Driven Results® promise. It’s their expressed desire to improve client credit scores by all possible means.
How Does The Credit People Work?
You don’t need the services of a credit repair firm! But The Credit People makes a winning argument. They ask customers to imagine that their car needs an oil change. Rather than waste the whole weekend researching the best oils and learning procedures, it’s much easier to hire a mechanic.
The Credit People is like a mechanic you can do without. But it’s better to have them. Now, their key role is to identify and dispute questionable items. They know which items are often wrongly reported. Their certified and trained experts craft dispute letters.
Within the first 60 days, The Credit People says that clients should start seeing improvements. They also publish the customer’s credit reports and scores in their online portal within the first week. And they keep updating them during the course of membership.
There are extra services, including creditor interventions, debt validation (challenging uncertain debts), and inquiry validation. So, what do they entail:
Creditor interventions: In addition to filing disputes with the credit bureaus, The Credit People takes the extra step to send out letters to individual creditors or information furnishers responsible for the incorrect entries in your credit report. It may increase the chances of having inaccurate information removed.
Debt validation: The service reps may assist in writing a debt validation letter. It’s sent to the collection agency, requesting them to verify the owed amount. You can consider doing this particularly if the debt has been transferred from the original creditor.
Inquiry validation: The Credit People can assist in writing a credit inquiry removal letter. It’s useful for removing unauthorized hard inquiries. After receiving the letter, the credit bureaus should verify if you authorized the hard pulls on past credit applications. They do this by contacting the original creditors.
They may address other things they feel could raise the client’s scores. For instance, past customers mention receiving advice from their account managers on the best credit rebuilding strategies.
Does the company offer in-person visits? The Credit People’s Website discloses that they have office locations in Chicago, Florida, and Utah. They are not clear if they are still offering in-person consultations.
There’s a lot to love about The Credit People. And their services are becoming popular too. In the last month, they garnered 3,409 sign-ups. Here are some of the best highlights of their service:
Unbeatable satisfaction guarantee® – The Credit People will refund the last month’s payment with no charge for the current month if the client is not satisfied with the services. Their 6-month guarantee covers customers who pay the one-flat-rate pricing of $419 for 6 months.
Unlimited disputes + more extras – At $79 per month, the firm provides unlimited disputes per billing cycle. The package has plenty of extras that we deem sufficient.
Personalized help from three teams: How many people will be working with one customer exactly? The number is three. But the firm lets customers choose one expert if they wish.
Assistance beyond credit reports: They write letters to potential employers, recommend the best debt negotiation services, and more.
Extensive credit educational resources: On the credit resource center, visitors will find articles and videos covering topics such as bankruptcy, credit repair, taxes, and scores.
The Credit People has fewer limitations than its numerous advantages. Some aspects of the service that were not satisfactory include:
The lack of mobile applications: The Credit People doesn’t have mobile apps. Customers use the online portal. While apps are not necessary, it’s more convenient to receive alerts on your phone.
Little information about the team members: The company does little to reveal the people working on their team. There are no profiles of the founders either. The Credit People client reviews prove that clients appreciate more information and transparency.
Positive The Credit People Reviews
Most of The Credit People Reviews are overwhelmingly positive. A commonly recurring theme is the level of quality services the company provides. We have highlighted some of the reviews left by previous customers:
In this featured review, the customer expressed that they were skeptical because of the public messaging about avoiding credit repair scams. He was worried about losing his money. However, the company provided outstanding services, allowing him to avoid higher interest payments.
In our second highlighted review, the customer stated that he was highly satisfied. He received help from about six people at the company, with everyone being very nice and helpful.
Are you looking for more The Credit People credit repair reviews? Check the testimonials section of their website.
The Credit People Complaints
For the grievances, we first checked The Credit People BBB page. They are not BBB accredited, but this is not a reflection of their service quality. The accreditation fosters trust that the company will resolve complaints amicably.
There were nine complaints closed in the last 3 years, with the most recent grievance recorded on 03/12/2021. In The Credit People Review, the customer complained about paying their monthly charge since September 2020 but not seeing any results. The client wanted to cancel and receive a full refund.
The Credit People responded by saying that their refund policy specifies that customers can cancel at any time without getting charged for the current month of service. As an additional courtesy, they also refund the last month’s payment despite two removals from the customer’s reports.
The customer was satisfied with the response. We generally noted that the company addressed complaints well. The Credit People testimonials on other review sites are highly positive.
How Much Does The Credit People Cost?
Most credit repair services will offer customers up to three plans. The basic plan typically has creditor interventions and bureau disputes. You’ll often need to pay extra for services such as report updates, debt validation, or Goodwill interventions.
The Credit People’s pricing is quite different from similar competitors as they only have one package inclusive of all service features. Still, customers can choose from different payment schedules, each with its inherent benefits. The Credit People plans include:
Monthly membership
The initial setup fee is $19, and clients will pay $79 each month. Is this affordable? Compared to other providers, it’s quite pocket-friendly. The first month’s cost is only $98. We tend to see high first-month costs with similar providers, ranging from $150 to $300.
The benefit of choosing the monthly subscription is that you don’t need a lot of money to get started, and canceling the service is relatively straightforward, as you pay for the services at the end of the month.
Six months membership
Why six months? It’s the average time that most people stay with credit repair companies. The firm offers a flat rate of $419 for six months (about $69 per month). A six-month satisfaction guarantee also backs it.
The advantage of this pricing schedule is that customers can enjoy savings of up to $74, which is about the cost of one month’s membership.
Do they have discounts on The Credit People Monthly fee? Couples signing up together get up to $20 off on their first monthly fees.
Alternatives to The Credit People
Want to see how The Credit People stacks up to some of the best credit repair services? Here are comparisons with other top repair firms, including industry leaders: Lexington Law and Credit Saint:
Sky Blue vs. The Credit People
Sky Blue shares several similarities with The Credit People. Both services have one simple pricing package at $79/monthly. They provide similar extra services, including credit rebuilding guidance, creditor interventions, and debt validation.
Sky Blue has a clear refund policy of 90 days — and it’s condition-free. But its initial first-month fee is higher at $79. The firm limits the challenges to 15 items every 35 days. The Credit People beats this with its unlimited disputes.
Sky Blue
The Credit People
Best for
Money-back promise
Lowest first-work fee
Credit repair experience
32 yrs (1989)
20 yrs (2001)
Guarantee
90-day money-back
No charge for mid-term cancellation, *1-month courtesy refund
Pricing range
$79 – one package
$79 – one package
Initial work fee
$79
$19
Estimated 1st-month fees top plan
$158
$98
Services
Limited challenges
Score analysis & monitoring
Creditor interventions
Credit rebuilding help
SOL research
Debt validation
Unlimited disputes
Score analysis & monitoring
Creditor interventions
Credit rebuilding help
Debt & inquiry validation
Mobile Applications
Not available
Not available
Credit Saint vs. The Credit People
The Credit People outperforms Credit Saint on many fronts. Customers can expect to save up to $217 by foregoing the most aggressive Credit Saint package at $119 per month. The firm also provides unlimited disputes.
Credit Saint has its upsides. It offers a 90-day money-back guarantee but it’s subject to strict terms.
Credit Saint
The Credit People
Best for
Customized arguments
Lowest first-work fee
Credit repair experience
17 yrs (2004)
20 yrs (2001)
Guarantee
90-day money-back
No charge for mid-term cancellation, *1-month courtesy refund
Pricing range
$79.99 — $119.99
$79 – one package
Initial work fee
$99 — $195
$19
Estimated 1st-month fees top plan
$315
$98
Services
Unlimited challenges
Score analysis
Experian monitoring
Creditor interventions
Inquiry targeting
Unlimited disputes
Score analysis & monitoring
Creditor interventions
Credit rebuilding help
Debt & inquiry validation
Mobile Applications
Not available
Not available
Lexington Law vs. The Credit People
Lexington Law has long been taunted as the gold standard in credit repair. But it’s quite easy to pinpoint why The Credit People may be better. They are more affordable with more years of credit experience. Customers are not charged for canceling mid-month, and the firm provides a courtesy refund of one month of service.
Lexington Law has the upper hand in technology as they provide mobile applications, personal finance tools, and ID theft protection.
Lexington Law
The Credit People
Best for
Lawyer-driven process
Lowest first-work fee
Credit repair experience
17 yrs (2004)
20 yrs (2001)
Guarantee
Not offered
No charge for mid-term cancellation, *1-month courtesy refund
Pricing range
$89.85 — $129.95
$79 – one package
Initial work fee
$89 — $129
$19
Estimated 1st-month fees top plan
$275
$98
Services
Limited сhallenges
Score analysis
Inquiry targeting
TransUnion monitoring
FICO analysis
Creditor interventions
Personal finance manager tools
Identity protection & insurance
Credit score coaching
Unlimited disputes
Score analysis & monitoring
Creditor interventions
Credit rebuilding help
Debt & inquiry validation
Mobile Applications
iOS & Android
Not available
Is The Credit People Worth It?
The Credit People is worth the money. It has an established track record of successful removals, a great reputation, and comprehensive market experience. Many reputable websites have published The Credit People reviews. The firm personalizes its services with up to three experts serving each client.
It’s also a great choice if you are looking for relatively inexpensive credit repair services. For instance, they can charge $79 as their setup fee, following industry norms. However, customers only pay $19 for the initial review, which is quite affordable.
The Credit People excels in several aspects. They have a simple-to-understand price package that includes unlimited disputes. The initial work fee is $19, and the cost is justifiable as they may spend this money fetching reports for analysis. That means that the free consultation is indeed free.
The firm also features past client stories and ratings. We like the website very much. It has plenty of explanations, including why it’s worth it to seek credit repair.
The firm’s main office is in Cotton Heights, Utah, and its customer number is 866-382-3410. They operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. MDT.
They can remove inaccurately reported items, including collections, bankruptcies, charge-offs, or late payments. According to their FAQ page, late payments are the most commonly removed items. But items on the public record such as repossessions, foreclosures, or bankruptcies are hard to remove.
Credit repair companies cannot offer a definite timeline as each case is unique. Someone else may have more or fewer disputes. It’s hard to predict how the CRBs may react to each case. They may ask for correspondence and drag out the case. But generally, clients should start seeing results in about 60 days.
You may choose to cancel the service after being satisfied with current improvements. The team may also recommend the best time to cancel. Now, thecreditpeople.com does not come with an automatic cancel button. They require customers to contact them when they need to cancel their subscriptions. The recommended way to reach out to their support team is by submitting a new support request. Customers can also send emails to [email protected] or call 866-382-3410×4.
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Gerald Dunigan
Gerald is the founder and editor-in-chief of CreditFixed.com. Over 13 years of experience in credit repair companies and finance. Each text is published after its detailed proofreading