American Credit Repair – Worth It or Nah?

J

James white

Member
Yo, quick question for anyone who's tried American Credit Repair.

I’m thinking about using them to clean up my credit a bit before I go house hunting but I’m not trying to get scammed or waste time. Their site looks decent, but we all know that doesn’t always mean much.

So if you’ve used them were they solid? Did anything actually change on your credit report? Or was it just a bunch of phone calls and no real results?

Would love to hear the real deal before I sign up
 
Yeah i used them back in 2022 when I was trying to get a car loan with decent terms. They were... okay. Some stuff came off my report mostly medical collections but it wasn’t magic. Took about 3 months and a lot of emails. They did deliver on some removals, though so i won’t say it was a scam. Just not a miracle cure.
 
Honestly i felt like i could’ve done most of the stuff they did myself. They sent out dispute letters and a bunch of boilerplate stuff. Credit Karma had guides that looked pretty similar. That said if you don’t have the time or energy, paying someone to do it might make sense. Just don’t expect a 700+ score overnight.
 
I’ve had a totally different experience. I was sitting at a 540 and jumped to 670 in about 5 months. They were consistent, answered my questions and actually got 3 collections deleted. Not affiliated or anything just giving credit where it’s due.
 
Look into whether they’re bonded and licensed in your state. Some credit repair companies operate in a gray area and can get shut down mid-process. Also the FTC has sued a bunch of these types. If you’re gonna go with them, read the fine print twice.
 
Used them last year and they were mid. Like not terrible not great. I got like one thing removed but it was already scheduled to fall off soon. Felt like I paid for them to babysit my report. I guess that’s fine if you’re too busy but i expected more.
 
I work in lending and see a lot of reports. The people who go through credit repair services sometimes come out with cleaned reports but the underlying issues (like high utilization) are still there. Better to focus on long-term habits. But yeah they can help with errors.
 
Bro i paid $300 to get a letter mailed that i could’ve printed myself. i’m not even mad, i’m just disappointed. Learned my lesson, though. Now i just use free resources and dispute stuff myself through Experian directly.
 
I actually liked their customer service. Very responsive always emailed me back within a day. Didn’t get huge score jumps but they were upfront about that. Felt more legit than some others i researched.
 
I actually used American Credit Repair last year when i was trying to get an auto loan. I had some charge-offs and late payments dragging me down. They did get 2 out of 4 items removed, which helped bump my score about 40 points over 3 months. Not miraculous, but legit. It’s not instant though expect back-and-forth, verification requests, etc. They called and emailed a lot, which felt excessive sometimes, but they followed up on stuff. Would I recommend? Yeah cautiously. Don’t expect magic. But it ain’t a scam either.
 
I didn’t use them but my cousin did. He swore up and down that they changed his life but when i looked at his credit report 6 months later like one collection account was gone. Everything else was the same. He still got denied for a mortgage. I feel like these companies prey on hope. If you’re just starting out, maybe try self-disputing with Credit Karma tools first? Way cheaper.
 
Bro I work in underwriting and let me just say… we can spot credit repair attempts from a mile away. Disputes don’t always mean clean credit. Lenders are hip to it now. Also, sometimes those deleted accounts can reappear later when verified. Not saying it’s a scam, but don’t think it’s a fix it and forget it thing. It’s a short-term boost sometimes. Just keep paying stuff down and build with secured cards. That’s what actually works long term.
 
Used them back in 2022. I had a repo, two collections, and a bunch of late payments. They helped delete the collections, but the repo stayed. Took 4 months and about $400 in total. Was it worth it? Kinda. I got a better rate on my car loan than before, so it paid for itself, i guess. But they weren’t miracle workers. It’s just structured dispute letters you could technically send yourself if you’re motivated.
 
Honestly felt like paid for a ton of phone calls and stress. I didn’t see anything removed from my report that i hadn’t already tried to handle myself. Customer service was polite but pushy. The minute i hesitated, they tried upselling me on Turbo Boost Credit which sounded super sus. Gave up after 2 months and disputed stuff myself. Got the same results.
 
Here’s my 2 cents:
they helped me raise my score from 570 to 660 in like 5 months. I was getting denied for literally everything before. After working with them, i qualified for a Capital One card and got approved for a lease. So yeah, they worked for me. BUT i had to be consistent and provide documents. It wasn’t a set it and forget it thing.
 
I used them for 4 months and saw zero change. Nada. Zilch. Then they told me I had to wait longer or upgrade my plan. Yeah no thanks. Felt like a gym membership I couldn’t cancel. You can legit just write your own dispute letters. The info is all online. Save your money.
 
Used ACR for my wife and myself. Mixed results. My wife had 3 medical collections removed, but I had one old utility bill that wouldn’t budge. Score jumped 60 points for her, mine only went up like 10. So hit or miss. Customer service was good though. Not pushy and they explained stuff clearly.
 
My experience was meh. They cleaned up a few things, but I still ended up doing more work myself. I learned how to use the CFPB site to file a complaint against a stubborn collector, and that worked better. Wish I had started there first.
 
Been with them for 6 months. They’ve removed two things off my Equifax report and one from TransUnion. Experian? Still the same. It’s frustrating, but they’re trying. It’s slow and steady but i’ve gained about 50 points total. Just don’t expect your score to explode overnight.
 
I work in real estate and have seen clients try credit repair before closing. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it delays things. One client used ACR and got a collection deleted, but then had to explain multiple disputes to the underwriter. Just keep your lender in the loop if you go this route.
 
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