I called this company who advertised in the telephone directory in Buffalo, NY because I wanted a quick, uncontested divorce while keeping my location and identifying information secret from an abusive, stalker spouse.
Every attorney I contacted either did not do divorces, or charged such an exhorbitant retainer fee that I could not pay, I turned to an ad in the Yellow Pages offering an uncontested "divorce by phone" for several hundred dollars. I had no children and no interest in pursuing any financial relief and couldn't afford to incur any more debt on top of what I already had, so I called.
The woman (Sarah) who I spoke to assured me it was perfectly legal and as long as he didn't contest it, I'd be divorced in no time. She charged me a "special" rate for that day of $550, to be charged to my credit card. After trying to get away from this predator's clutches for two years, I was eager to sign up and give my money to a company who promised to help me while keeping my location a secret. I was assured repeatedly that there was no way this information would go to my estranged spouse.
I was assured my paperwork would be prepared and sent to me within five days. I perceived this to mean that all necessary, relevant and correct documents would be delivered to me via postal mail or courier service completed except for signatures.
I was told I needed to sign a document and fax back an acknowledgment of the service I was receiving and agreeing to pay for. The document states in bold about 2/3 of the way down "Important note: As a courtesy, please return this document signed", which I did.
I received an email with attachments, including sheafs of documents (most of which did not pertain to my particular case) and instructions that were convoluted and unclear. I had to print almost 100 pages of paper AT MY OWN EXPENSE. With ink cartridges running at almost $50, this is cost-prohibitive, and should have been included in the $550 I was charged.
After reviewing the documents, the documents were incomplete, and many were unrelated to my case, and included sensitive contact information on the documents that were to go to my estranged spouse. I immediately contacted the company, and requested revised documents, which were promised to me that afternoon, but I didn't receive them until the next day. Again, I had to download them and reprint them at my expense. Another almost 100 pages of documents, most of which did not pertain to my case.
I called several times for assistance, but the process (even with a customer service rep and the endless pages of instructions on filing) was convoluted and extremely frustrating. I should add that I am not a stupid person, having a college degree and hold a job in public service on a Federal level. I could not seem to get the correct documentation and file it correctly.
I ended up receiving more help from the county clerk's office (and a FREE divorce packet with the documents relevant to my case) in completing and filing the correct documents. I had already sent documents to serve my spouse from them which included my location and (unlisted) phone number. They neglected to tell me that I could black out my location information; I was assured it would be confidential. This was a potential detriment to my safety.
Another point: the $550 fee I was charged did NOT include filing fees, which were buried in the myriad of paperwork I had to print out. It cost me $210 for an index number, an $80 service fee to have my spouse personally served), another $125 for other court fees, and I'll have to pay another fee at the time I pick up my final decree. I do not recall off hand what the exact number was, but I calculated that by the time I was done paying the fees, it would be almost as much as the $550 fee I was charged by this useless, predatory company. So what, exactly, did the $550 fee cover? Documents were at my own expense, and all filing/service fees were my responsibility. These people were not attorneys, or, as I came to find out later, legal representation; merely salespeople who were somewhat privvy to procedure in various states. I could have gotten better assistance from calling a "Lifeline" while on a t.V. Game show.
Less than a week after my initial contact with this company, I called and requested a refund as the "service" I received was unsatisfactory, documents were incorrect and my confidential information had been compromised, in addition to the majority of the documents not being completed prior to sending them to me. I spoke to Holly, Maria and Frank (the supervisor) after three attempts (and three cleverly concealed refusals under the guise of continuing to "help" me by phone) to get a refund. After a particularly tense exchange between the second rep I spoke to, and ended up hanging up on, I received a phone call from the supervisor (Frank), who attempted to placate me while I continued to insist on a refund, and again hung up the phone because I was upset. This individual took it upon himself to call my former spouse to discuss the divorce with him and called me back saying that he agreed to not contest the divorce. I was furious, as I didn't want any contact with this man whatsoever. I made three attempts to get a refund, and three times I was refused.instead they insisted upon "helping" me. The company did nothing to "help" me in the first place with incorrect/incomplete documents and telephone assistance.
I filed the necessary paperwork, paid the filing fees and was guided seamlessly through the process by the county clerk's office in the county in which I filed the divorce action... All the assistance and correct paperwork was FREE.
This company is a scam, with no website or physical address and a staff who preys on low-income, desperate people who have no where to go to get out of a horrible domestic situation. I finally tracked them down to Las Vegas based on one of the return phone calls I received from a 702 area code phone number. However, I should add the emails that came from customer service with (both sets of) documents came from a "rogers.com" domain, which is actually a Canadian internet service provider just over the border from Buffalo, NY.
So one is left to wonder where, exactly IS this company located? Repeated attempts to locate them on the web resulted in my being directed here, which is a blessing in disguise, because I can finally let people know what a scam this company runs in fleecing desperate, low-income, vulnerable people who do not qualify for free (or low-cost) assistance, or the level of income which allows them to hire the best representation they can afford.
My story (hopefully) ends with me contacting my credit card company and filing a dispute, with my documentation of (a streamlined) version of events that led me to request a refund. My credit card company has issued a refund and sent a charge-back to this company. So far, it is a done deal, but I believe the company has 30 days in which to respond, which makes it possible (to a small degree) that my dispute may be challenged and the charges reinstated to my credit card. I intend to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau in the event that I am denied my relief with the credit card company.
I sincerely hope that anyone who has been fleeced by this shady operation file a complaint, and if need be, go to the Attorney General's Office to keep this company (and others like it) from taking advantage of desperate, vulnerable people in the same situation I found myself in.
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