
Debt Relief A La Carte, founded by Jared Strauss, former Debt Collector, built this business around what he learned in the collection industry: approximately 80 percent of collection account debts are never collected because a debtors assets are not enough to solve their debts. Handling each case on his own, Strauss provides consumers a debt settlement service with a goal of settling ALL of his clients’ accounts.

The Good
Strauss has not had a single complaint filed in the past 3 years. His method is not like any other settlement company, strictly limiting his service to consumers who have the financial resources to settle their debts in a matter of months rather than the typical 1-4 year time frame. Strauss offers this service with no up-front fees, and always has, even before they were banned by the FTC in 2010. He implements a five step process, outlining the method on his company website. However, what sets his method apart is clients are able to participate in each area of the process, including the negotiation process, something we have yet to see in our research.
The fees charged by Strauss are 10-15% of what is saved on the total amount of enrolled debt. Many debt settlement companies in the industry charge 18-25% of the total enrolled debt, or the total amount of debt resolved. So far, this is the best pricing we have seen. Strauss provides his clients with a range of options to choose from if creditors are being less than willing to settle for what clients are able to accumulate, and options are always appreciated.
Another aspect setting Strauss apart is the length of time required to settle a debt. Many leading settlement companies provide services under the expectation to resolve total enrolled debt in 12-48 months. While 12 months is fairly reasonable, and all dependent on the client’s ability to save funds, Strauss takes a different approach with the average length of time to settle all of his client’s debts standing at 72 days. This method saves consumers by taking out all those monthly fees assessed with other settlement programs and minimizes exposure to interest charged by creditors during a lengthy settlement process.
There is no minimum amount required for qualification and asks consumers to feel free to contact him to discuss delinquent accounts. Debt types which qualify for the program are unsecured, such as credit cards, private student loans, repossessions, medical bills, and collection accounts. He can even help on some deficiency balances on foreclosures.
Highlights of this company include:
- Best industry prices at 10% to 15% of amount saved
- Free consultation
- Client involvement
- 72-day average completion
- Combined 20 years of industry experience
The Bad
As with any debt settlement company, there are risks consumers must heed before taking action. Strauss outlines plainly and clearly the risks on his website such as tax liability, credit score hits, and possible litigation.
Debt Relief A La Carte is a smaller, one-man-band company, which requires a little more quick cash than most consumers are able to fork out, especially so quickly to resolve all creditor debts at the same time. His process is thorough, quick and has an exceptionally high success rate among his clients, at just over 88 percent the last time it was assessed, compared to 10 percent, according to a report released by United States Government Accountability Office, 2010.
Although it has been in the debt relief industry for over 10 years, Debt Relief A La Carte does not have any accreditations that we could find. Missing accreditations include AFCC and IAPDA.
The Bottom Line
Debt Relief A La Carte, operated by Jared Strauss, is certainly filled with an array of aspects any consumer would be pleased with, such as low fees, full transparency, debt settlement literacy, exceptionally high success rate, among several others. However, there is one single attribute which may cause concern for many individuals carrying the heavy burden of debt: A lump sum of cash. Consumers will need to have access to a fairly significant amount of money to go through the process of settling with Strauss and creditors. While many have found a way to make it happen, many may not have such financial luck. This company is one we recommend taking full advantage of the consultation to determine if it will pave your way to financial success.
Contact Information
Website: avoidbk.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 800-354-9102
Address:
Debt Relief á la carte, Inc
406 S Boulder, Ste 400
Tulsa, OK 74103
How Much Does Debt Relief A La Carte cost?
The company (Jared) offers a much lower percentage settlement fee for services when compared to the average larger debt settlement company. The typical debt settlement company charges on average of 20-25% of the total of what a client owes in debt as a debt settlement fee. Debt Relief a la Carte charges 10-15% of what you SAVE. A breakdown of fees can be found on the “FAQ” page of the website.
Are There Any Up-Front Fees?
There are no upfront fees, only a percentage of total debts owed paid as a service fee once the debts have been settled.
Can I Get A Free Consultation?
A free consultation is provided upfront to assess each individual’s circumstances and lay out a plan for settlement.
Does Debt Relief A La Carte Offer A Money-Back Guarantee?
You may have some available settlements that may not be low enough to allow you to settle. In this situation the client is given the following choices from Jared:
“I can continue negotiations with all of your creditors while I attempt to gain the cooperation of the less negotiable one(s). Or you may choose to settle the ones that make sense and have me continue to negotiate the remaining account(s) to make a lower settlement. Or you may have me negotiate a payment arrangement for you free of charge. Or you may un-enroll the account(s) from my service, so you may save up additional funds to settle it/them in the future. In the event that you do not like the result and choose not to settle any of your debts, there will be no charge.”
What Types of Debt Does Debt Relief A La Carte Work With?
Debt Relief a la Carte is able to attempt to settle only unsecured loans including medical, credit card, installments, student loans, lines of credit, legal bills, collections, deficiency balances on repossessed cars, or even deficiency balances on foreclosures.
About Debt Relief A La Carte
From once working in the debt collection industry, Jared Strauss now uses his knowledge to help others get out of debt. Jared owns and operates Debt Relief A La Carte. Since 2002, he has helped individuals and families settle millions of dollars in debts. Jared promises that you will have the option of knowing what enrolled accounts will settle before you spend any money.
Time in Business
Jared Strauss, the company owner, and main operator, has been helping with settlements for over 13 years.
Debt Education
Clients can learn much from working one on one with Jared will provide a lot of insight on how to manage collections calls and situations, how to avoid more dangerous financial scenarios and how he will step by step settle your debts quickly.
Mobile-Friendly Site
Yes, the site is mobile friendly.
Services Provided
The primary service is debt settlement done in a quicker manner than the average debt settlement company.
Minimum Debt Accepted
There is no minimum amount of debt required to enroll in services with Jared Strauss, he will also help with delinquent accounts of varying amounts though for those situations he asks to be contacted to discuss the amounts personally.
Online Dashboard
As with many debt settlement companies, there is no customer account portal through their website. However, clients meet directly with the CEO, Jared, to go over all of their account information.
Accreditations
No, this company has no accreditations with the AFCC or IAPDA.
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User Score101 people found this review helpful!Jared S is everything he promises to be. To me, he proved to be a steadying anchor on the other end of the line. Somehow, through his confident and peaceful manner, he managed to turn a very stressful season in our lives into one where we felt that everything was finally under control. It felt so good to be able to let go of the stress, understand how collections works from his knowledgable insiders perspective, and trust that Jared knew how and when to resolve our debt with our creditors. He is a confident but gentle natured person who just makes you believe that everything is going to be okay. The best part of it is that he actually delivers on that promise. We ended up settling over $70,000 in credit card debt for less than $20,000 over the course of 6 months! Even in moments when curve balls were thrown, Jared handled it with the remarkable calm, seeing straight through the problem to the solution. I am beyond grateful to have found Jared S and his company!Was this review helpful? Yes
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User Score103 people found this review helpful!Recently I found myself in a dire situation. I lost my job and there is very little chance to find a job for me in the near future. my debt to CC was very large. The bankruptcy was not a choice for me. I started calling to companies that offer debt settlement, and after talking to couple of them I realized that instead of helping me, they will put me into more debt that I am already. They are charging people the percentage and a huge one from the amount that they settle for. So it is in their benefit to settle for bigger amount + I have to pay them more than 50% of the settlement amount. Eventually I would’ve saved maybe 3-5%. and then to my great luck my friend, trying to help me in my situation, found “Debt Relief A La Carte” on line. We called and described my predicament. Right away I felt that I am talking to a person who is proficient, knowledgeable, well spoken and obviously well educated. He made me feel confident that I could actually get out of my debt, and start anew. And his pay will depend on how much he manages to save me. I knew that he will be working on saving me as much money as he can, because it is in his interest also. AND I WAS SO RIGHT TO START THE PROCESS WITH “DEBT RELIEF A LA CARTE”! I am out of debt now having paid to credit cards only some small percentage of what I owed them. Jared has the ability to talk to people with respect and get what he wants. When we called the first company I was nervous, and did not know what to expect, but after listening how Jared explaining my situation to people, and how seemingly effortlessly he is getting results, I was completely convinced that I am in good hands. I trusted Jared, and was right to do it. He took me out of my situation, he advised me on how to correctly do my taxes. The large weight came off my shoulders. We became friends over the phone, and I am hoping to meet in person someday to express my deep gratitude to Jared face to face. I could talk and talk about it, but the bottom line is: people who are in debt please do yourself a favor and call this number. You will see how it relived and happy you will be. Jared, thank you from the bottom of my heart! You are the best! And I wish you big success in what you do and I want you to be happy! Respectfully Inna H.Was this review helpful? Yes
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User Score103 people found this review helpful!Before I had to stop paying my bills due to an unexpected financial situation, I had a great credit score. In less than six months I went from receiving unwanted increases in my credit lines, to relentless unwanted calls day and night from debt collectors.
I managed to hedge the calls for about a year and while I gathered the funds I needed to start settling my debt. Once I had the money saved I called the creditors myself – but they were only willing to setting for about 60% of what I owed. It seemed generous, but was still far above what I could afford. I gave up on that method and began searching online for a better payoff tactic to use. I happened upon Jared’s website and poured through the content. I called the very next morning.
Jared called me back right away. Before ever signing me, he counseled me and patiently answered all of the questions I had. Even questions about how to improve my credit score after I paid everything off. We started working together shortly after.
At first I was nervous to call these numbers that had been harassing me for so long. But Jared handled all of it. I was on the line to confirm my information but he led the way through the rest. By our third call I was no longer anxious; now looking forward to attacking the debts. Initially, some of the collectors seemed like they wouldn’t budge – Jared assured me that they would and it would just take a couple more calls.
Sure enough, they did.Within three months Jared helped me go from about $19,000 of debt to being debt free. We settled on average for about 25% of the balances owed. His fee is modest (and he doesn’t charge until the settlements are complete) and he worked hard to help me get my finances back together. I’ll disclose that I can be a bit high maintenance – I communicated to him through text, email, and phone calls and he always responded promptly and with this complete attention.
I sincerely cannot thank him or recommend him enough for his services.
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User Score107 people found this review helpful!Review of Debt Relief A La Cart by Dim C.
I was in trouble. I was in a big trouble with over $25,000 delinquency to the major credit card company. For about 18 mo I have tried to pay about $250 to $500/mo, but I was still falling behind. I made many attempts to discuss the situation with the credit card company by asking them to agree to reschedule my debt and to negotiate the payment relief. I could not see how I could pay off my debt and eventually I stopped payments.
My credit card file was closed and the debt was sold to a debt collector. In about 2 years it came down to the collection through the court system.
Searching through the Web and reading through the numerous articles regarding the debt collections I came to the site by the Debt Relief A La Carte, Inc. Jared really surprised me. Instead of immediately offering to assist me with my case, he explained in a great detail how to do it by myself. He even referred me to many very useful publications for me to learn how to fight with the debt collector and to defend myself in the court.
After learning about other similar agencies and making many inquires about bankruptcy, I made decision to stay with Jared for the negotiation with the debt collector. Jared made no promises and no upfront payment was required. Other charged up to $6000 for this fun process of negotiations.
In a little over 1 month it was over and Jared help me to negotiate settlement with considerable reduction in the balance.
I really glad to know that help by honest and reasonably priced professionals are still available.
October 2014Was this review helpful? Yes
4 Debt Relief ALaCarte Reviews