Overview
Debt Free Hawaii is a legal firm based in Honolulu, HI. They focus on debt relief as well as credit repair, and help customers get their financial cards in order by helping them understand the implications of bankruptcy, while also providing debt settlement and negotiations
Pros
The first positive aspect of the company we found was that they have a professional, easy to navigate website. The information the company provides is easy to locate, and it’s organized in a logical, easy to follow manner. This puts them above many other credit repair companies we looked at, whose websites either lack information, or bury the data consumers are looking for under obscure menus and categories. Not only does this save consumers time and help them get the info that they are looking for but it also demonstrates a commitment to providing a high quality service. Therefore it’s not surprising that companies with good websites generally received better customer feedback and had higher customer satisfaction ratings.
Debt Free Hawaii has the additional benefit of they have solid consumer information regarding credit, credit services, the credit reporting process, and more. This gives them a boost because our research shows that companies that put more effort into consumer information and education generally have better marks when it comes to customer service and customer satisfaction. Moreover, consumer education shows a greater focus on helping the consumer with their financial situation, and less like the credit repair company views itself as merely another business.
Lastly, they offer debt collections help in addition to credit repair. This can be a huge relief to consumers being hounded by collections agencies, and getting collections agencies to back off can give consumers the time they need to get their affairs in order. Moreover, some consumers may be entitled to legal recourse depending on how the collections agencies are attempting to get paid, and that information can be extremely valuable to troubled consumers.
Cons
Debt Free Hawaii does have some downsides, for example, they don’t have the detailed list of services that we want to see from the best credit repair companies. A detailed services list is a good indicator of the resources a company is willing to put into the repair process, and is important when judging the value-for-money of their services. Companies that have a clear list of the services they offer generally did better in terms of the customer service and satisfaction ratings they got from us, other reviewers, and customers.
Debt Free Hawaii has another problem, namely that they don’t have a clear description of their rates and fees on their website. This forces customers to reach out for more information, which is a sales tactic. The result is that consumers may lose valuable time in meetings or on the phone only to find out that they do not like or want the services the company has to offer. This lack of transparency also corresponds to lower customer satisfaction ratings and costs the company points in our review.
Debt Free Hawaii loses points because they are more focused on debt relief and bankruptcy than they are on credit repair. If a consumer wants to repair their credit but doesn’t want to declare bankruptcy then this firm probably isn’t right for them. We’d like to see their services coupled with things like report disputes and other common aspects of the credit repair process.
Verdict
Debt Free Hawaii is a good choice for some customers, but their focus on bankruptcy and debt relief takes them out of the running for our list of the top credit repair companies. However, if you live in Hawaii, and have unmanageable debts or are considering declaring bankruptcy, then they seem like a good option.
