On October 26, a loan representative named Avery Bennett called and said I had been approved for a $5000 loan. He said the company was Barondale Equity Group. I asked him about the details. He was very imformative and polite. Since I have bad credit, he said that I would be required to make the first 4 payments in advance and the money would be deposited the next business day. The payments were $223 a month so it was $894 total. He faxed me the contract and told me to look it over. He called several times to see when I would be sending the money. I work two jobs and have two children with no support so it took me several days to get the funds. I called him and he told me to Western Union the money to a man named Victor Pittman in Toronto, Canada. FIRST RED FLAG!!! I asked him why I was sending the money to a person instead of a business and he said that man was the accounts receivable clerk at my lender's business. I told him that sounded shady and he assured me that it was all on the up and up. I went to Western Union and got the form to fill out. The form plainly states that sending money for a loan was an indication of consumer fraud. My heart fell. This was my rent, utility, and food money all in one lump sum. But I was desperate to pay my bills and fix my car so I needed the money. I called Mr. Bennett obviously upset and he assured me once again that I would have my money the next day and there was nothing to worry about. I told him that this would devastate me financially if this were a scam. "Nothing to worry about". Just call me when you make the transfer. RED FLAG!!!
I sent the money along with a $76 Western Union fee, $966. I called him and gave him the reference numbers and he said I would have my money the next day and to call him and let him know when I got the money. That was on Monday, November1. He said the funds would be in my account by 5 the next day. The next day I got a message from a man named Ed McBride, a manager from Barondale. There was a complication with my loan. I returned the call and Mr. McBride told me that I would have to pay 4 more payments up front to get my money or I could terminate the agreement. The contract said the lender could ask for more security but why would you pay $2000 up front for a $5000 loan. I was at my attorney's office about a probate matter and he advised me ot to deal with this company and I should have listened.
I work at a factory and I was outside with tractor trailers and I must have been talking loud. I told him I should have known better than do this and he went ballastic. He started screaming at me and told me I was too stupid to read the contract. I mentioned my attorney and that made him even more angry. He said my lawyer was an incompetent fool and I was ignorant and just in case I got smart enough to read the contract, my refund date would be the 26th of November and he slammed the phone down. So I have no idea if I will get my money back or what. I have tried to call numerous times and the phone is busy. It is scary to think that somebody that is unstable enough to go off on a woman over the phone is a manager of anything in a company. This was all the money I had in the world. My parents both died within months of each other and I have no one to help me. I cannot pay my rent or anything else. Please do not use this company.
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