Do Credit Repair Companies Come With a Guarantee?

Written By Jeff Hindenach
Last updated February 2, 2021

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Credit Repair
January 23, 2020

Simple. Thrifty. Living.

Many people find themselves in financial trouble from time to time. These money issues can drive down your credit score. What do you do if your score has suffered? Many people turn to the best credit repair companies to help them fix their credit scores. The problem is that there are many companies out there that are scams. So how do you know which one to pick?

One of the easiest ways is to look for a company that has a money-back guarantee. This gives you the option of trying out the service with your option of getting your money back if you aren’t satisfied. Just be sure to read the fine print, since some guarantees will have rules, such as you only get your money back if the company doesn’t remove any negative items from your report. Here are some tips on looking for a credit repair guarantee.

The 7 Best Credit Repair Companies

RankCredit Repair ServiceBest ForMonthly FeeExpert Rating
1Lexington Law Credit RepairOverall Service$89.95★★★★★
2CreditRepair.comExtra Features$99.95★★★★★
3Sky Blue Credit RepairAffordability$79★★★★★
4The Credit Pros Comprehensive Services$69★★★★
5Credit SaintTransparency$79.99★★★★
6The Credit PeopleTrial Run$79★★★★
7Pyramid Credit RepairNo Initial Fee$99★★★

The most important thing to remember when looking for a guarantee is that credit repair is not a magical fix for your credit score. Credit repair companies are required to work within government laws that police credit repair, and those laws restrict what credit repair services can promise. Here are some things to look out for when looking for a guarantee.

Guarantees to Avoid: Credit repair companies are not allowed to promise or guarantee that they can raise your credit score. It’s a government regulation. So, avoid any company that says they can guarantee to raise your credit score; they are breaking the law. Also, any credit repair company that gives you 100% certainty that they can remove negative items from your credit report is one to be cautious about. This doesn’t include companies that give you your money back if they don’t remove any items.

Guarantees to Look For: Any service that will return your money if you are not satisfied for any reason. Make sure to read the fine print of the contract (which companies are required by law to provide) to make sure there are no loopholes. Credit repair services that offer a refund if they don’t achieve the required results are also a good bet.

Remember, there is no guarantee that a credit repair company can raise your credit score. Their man job is to dispute negative items on your credit reports. If those items get removed, then your score will more than likely go up. There is no guarantee, however, that the credit bureaus will remove those items.

Before signing on with any credit repair company, you should check to see if they offer a money-back guarantee. Many offer a 90-day money-back guarantee, but there can be stipulations that go along with it, so be sure to read the fine print. Here are the guarantee options that the top credit repair companies offer:

Sky Blue Credit Repair: The company has one of the best money-back guarantees that we’ve seen. It allows you 90 days to ask for a refund if you are unhappy with their results. To learn more about the guarantee and how the company works, check out our Sky Blue Credit Repair review.

Credit Saint: Credit Saint offers a similar service, although the rules are different. If the company doesn’t remove any items from your credit report within 90 days, you get your money back. Check out our Credit Saint reviews to learn more about the guarantee.

The Credit People: This company offers a money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the service in any way within the first six months. The Credit People also offers a $19 seven-day trial period to try out the service. You can learn more by reading our The Credit People review.

Pyramid Credit Repair: Much like Sky Blue and Credit Saint, Pyramid offers a 90-day money-back guarantee if you aren’t satisfied with your service. It also doesn’t charge an initial fee to start, which is a good way to try out the service. Check out our Pyramid Credit Repair review to learn more.

Lexington Law: Lexington Law warns prospective clients that their results cannot be guaranteed due to the complexities of the service offered. But on the other hand, they only charge for work completed.

CreditRepair.com: This company works similarly to Lexington Law. CreditRepair.com can guarantee they will perform the work promised, but do not offer refunds if you decide you don’t like it.

If you are still not sure which service to choose, you can also weigh these factors alongside their Better Business Bureau ratings and decide for yourself. In fact, before deciding on any company, it’s important to check their online reviews and status with the Better Business Bureau.

Credit repair businesses can help you rid your credit history of unfair or inaccurate negative items. Research these companies and check their refund policies before becoming a customer.

Late payments, bankruptcies, collection efforts — these are just a few of the things that can drag your score down by hundreds of points. Credit repair companies can help you remove some of these items from your credit reports, particularly if they are incorrect. Not all of these companies are created equal, however. Certainly, some companies are more successful than others in removing these negative items.

You need a company with knowledgeable employees who will aggressively pursue the removal of negative items. Remember, some credit histories are easier to fix than others. If you have multiple collection items or late payments on your record, no company can get you to an excellent credit rating in just a few months. They can help you get long-term results through credit monitoring services and financial planning advice.

Here is what to look for in a reputable credit repair company:

  • Transparent pricing: If you can find pricing easily on a company’s website, it’s a good sign it is a legit company.
  • Contract: By law, every credit repair company must present each client with a contract that lays out pricing, the work that will be done and any stipulations that must be followed. If you don’t get a contract, that is a red flag.
  • Easy cancellation: The law also requires companies to allow clients to cancel the service easily. Most companies offer month-to-month services, so you can cancel at any time.
  • No empty promises: Companies are not allowed to make promises when it comes to raising your credit score. If a company guarantees that you’ll see a score increase, that is another red flag.

Always do your research when it comes to credit repair to avoid being scammed. The laws around credit repair are clear; if you know them, you can avoid being tricked.

About the Author

Jeff Hindenach

Jeff Hindenach is the co-founder of Simple. Thrifty. Living. He graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. He has a long history of financial journalism, with a background writing for newspapers such as the San Jose Mercury News and San Francisco Examiner, as well as writing on personal finance for The Huffington Post, New York Times, Business Insider, CNBC, Newsday and The Street. He believes in giving readers the tools they need to get out of debt.

About the Editor

Mary Beth Eastman

Mary Beth Eastman serves as the content manager for Simple. Thrifty. Living, where she is dedicated to helping readers use money and credit wisely. Mary Beth believes that access to the right financial information paired with a growth mindset are essential tools for getting out of debt and building wealth. Mary Beth has a degree in Journalism from Bowling Green State University and has focused her 20-year journalism career on putting readers front and center, carefully considering their concerns and presenting information that will help them in their everyday lives. She has won numerous statewide journalism awards. Her writing on personal finance as been featured on numerous websites in addition to Simple. Thrifty. Living, including Huffington Post and Lexington Law blog. Mary Beth resides in Pittsburgh, Pa., with her family and two rescue dogs.

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