Advice you need to cancel contract with a shady company

The first step I would advise in your situation is to contact the Legal Aid Society or Legal Services in your area to inquire about legal representation. I mention these two services because they charge fees based on a sliding scale according to your income. Since you just lost your job, you likely cannot afford the retainer fee charged by most private attorneys. If you can find a listing under either of these two agencies, or both, a call to ask for an appointment with one of their attorneys will be a good first step. You will explain to the attorney the nature of the problem, just as you have written here. Take a copy of the contract with this company and your attorney should be able to take it from there. Many attorneys will handle this in the simplest, most direct manner; the attorney will send a letter stating that the company has performed no service requiring payment. In addition, the attorney may state that your loss of income has made the contract impossible to perform so that you must rescind the contract. The letter alone should convince the company to stop its demands and close the matter entirely.

If you cannot find Legal Aid, Legal Services, or similar organization in your area which offers reduced cost legal representation, you should contact your state or county Bar Association to explain the situation and request a referral to an attorney who can assist you. Most bar associations will provide you with a free or low-cost consultation with one of their member attorneys; during the consultation, you and the attorney can discuss representation and the potential costs involved. If all you want the attorney to do for you is to render an opinion about the validity of the contract and draft a letter to the company, your costs should be minimal. I strongly recommend the use of an attorney to represent you, at least in sending a letter to the company, because this is exactly the approach that I have seen make an end to murky contractual messes like the one in which you have landed.

It is these kinds of services found all over the internet (and, of course, marketed every other way), with programs appealing to people who have usually just suffered a loss of employment, divorce or any other event leading to a financial turmoil, that tend to fold quietly when confronted. A letter from your attorney, who would know how to alert the responsible regulatory agencies to investigate this company, increases that probability of the matter being resolved in your favor. I would never presume to predict the proper steps for your attorney to take, but I would like to describe what you might look for to finalize the matter after the company agrees to cancellation of the contract. You should expect a settlement letter rescinding the contract and relieving both sides, that is, you and the company, from any further performance under the contract. The settlement letter might include, among other elements:

• a mutual release which would bar either party from suing the other for any act or failure to act occurring on or before the date of the settlement letter
• that the company will reimburse the actual fees paid to your attorney, since they improperly forced you to obtain representation
• a promise that the company will not report any default in payment on the contract to any credit reporting agency.

You might be prepared that all may not go as smoothly as I have advised here, but your attorney will be able to explain any problems as they arise. However, I think it much more likely that this company will agree to cancel your agreement without further conflict. If the company does create any additional problems for you, your attorney may recommend that you file a complaint with your state Attorney General’s office and with the Federal Trade Commission. These agencies, especially your state’s Attorney General, should give added weight to your position, as no company wants to be scrutinized by these investigative agencies, especially when engaging in questionable business practices.

I wish you the best of luck in resolving this matter.

I hope this information helps you Find. Learn & Save.

Best,

Bill

bills.com