The Credit People Credit Repair Review

If you have less-than-perfect credit, you know how challenging it can be to qualify for loans or credit cards. If you want to buy a home or car in the near future, you may be considering using a credit repair service like The Credit People to improve your credit score. 

The Credit People claims it can help people increase their credit scores by as many as 187 points. And after using its services, 81% of its customers are approved for new credit. Through its plans, customers can get free credit reports and credit scores, along with unlimited credit report disputes. Plus, The Credit People provides comprehensive support along the way.

As part of reviewing The Credit People, we evaluated 17 credit repair companies in the following categories: costs and fees (40.5%), services offered (34%), customer experiences (22.5%), and stability (3%).

Pros Explained

• Free seven-day trial: You can use The Credit People’s services for free for the first seven days to see if it’s right for you. Your trial includes a free credit consultation and monitoring services. 
• Satisfaction guarantee: You can cancel your plan at any time without penalty. For customers on the monthly plan, The Credit People will refund you that month’s fee and the previous month’s cost. 
• Discounts for couples: If your spouse signs up at the same time you do—or within three days of your order—you’ll both receive $20 off your first payments.

Cons Explained

• High-cost, flat-rate plan: The Credit People offers two plans, a monthly option, and a flat-rate plan. The flat-rate plan is a one-time fee of $599, and it doesn’t include any additional services or benefits. For most customers, the high-cost flat-rate plan is unnecessary. 
• Limited customer support options: Unlike other companies, The Credit People doesn’t provide 24/7 customer support, and customer service is only accessible by phone or email; there is no online chat or mobile app. 
• No optional add-ons available: While some companies offer additional features like identity theft insurance, The Credit People only offers one basic suite of products; there are no optional add-ons.

Types of Services

The Credit People’s credit repair services can help you improve your credit score. According to the company, customers typically improve their scores by 53 to 187 points, but individual results may vary. In most cases, customers can expect to see results within 60 days.

The Credit People provides the following services.

Ongoing Credit Reports

While you can get your credit reports yourself from AnnualCreditReport.com, you are typically limited to one report from each bureau per year. Through The Credit People, you can access your credit reports from each of the three major credit bureaus on an ongoing basis.

Credit Report Disputes

If there are errors on your credit reports, such as accounts that don’t belong to you or accounts in default that you paid in full, The Credit People will dispute those issues on your behalf. If the company is successful, those issues will be removed from your credit reports. 

Late Payment Removal

The Credit People will work with your creditors to remove late payments reported to the credit bureaus. According to the company, it is often successful, even if your payment is 30 to 120 days late. 

Debt Validation

The Credit People will work on your behalf to validate that the outstanding debt listed on your credit reports belongs to you by sending debt validation letters. 

Optional Add-Ons

While some companies offer additional services like identity theft insurance or business credit improvement, The Credit People doesn’t have optional add-ons. 

Company Features

The Credit People offers the following features: 

• Free credit repair consultation: Upon signing up, you will have a phone consultation with a representative to discuss your credit reports and credit score.
• Credit monitoring: The Credit People allows you to monitor your credit through your online account. 
• Money-back guarantee: You can cancel at any time and get a refund of the monthly payment—and the previous month’s cost—if you aren’t satisfied. 
• Educational materials: You can find educational materials, such as articles on building good credit, on The Credit People’s site. 

Customer Service

Unlike some other credit repair companies, The Credit People does not provide 24/7 customer support. Live customer service is only available during business hours Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. 

Customer support can be reached by phone at (689) 214-7813, or you can email questions@thecreditpeople.com. 

The Credit People doesn't offer online chat, but customers can log in to manage their accounts.

Company Reputation

Reviews of The Credit People are mixed. On Trustpilot, the company has a TrustScore of 2.8 out of five. However, there are only a handful of reviews. Recent reviewers complain about poor results and being unable to get a refund. 

Over 65 complaints were submitted about this company through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Customers complained about the high fees and lack of responsiveness from customer support, and they criticized the effectiveness of The Credit People’s services. 

The number of reviews and complaints is relatively small, but you should be wary and read the fine print carefully before signing up with any credit repair company. 

Contract Duration

The Credit People does not require an ongoing contract. You can opt for a monthly subscription, or you can pay a flat fee. 

Cost

The Credit People offers a free seven-day trial. There are two options if you decide to sign up once the trial expires:

• Monthly: You’ll pay a one-time first-work fee of $19, and then a monthly fee of $99.
• Flat-fee: The flat-rate plan is $599 for six months of service (about $100 per month). 

Couples can qualify for a $20 discount. To qualify, your spouse must sign up within three days of your initial order. 

The Credit People does have a satisfaction guarantee. You can cancel at any time, and The Credit People will refund you for that month and the previous month if you’re on the monthly plan. For those on the flat-fee plan, you’re covered by a full six-month guarantee.

How to Choose a Credit Repair Company

When looking for a credit repair company, consider the following factors: 

• Fees: Fees vary by company. Some charge initial setup fees, monthly fees, and cancellation fees. There can also be additional costs for add-on services. 
• Customer service availability: Although some credit repair companies offer 24/7 customer support, others are only available during normal business hours. Particularly if you work evenings, make sure you know when a credit repair company is available. Otherwise, it may be difficult to schedule consultations or get answers to questions. 
• Contracts: Some credit repair companies require you to commit to a contract, while others allow you to pay on a monthly basis with no commitment. 
• Refund policies: Reputable credit repair companies have clear refund policies and will give you your money back if you’re dissatisfied with their service. 
• Additional features: Some companies offer additional benefits that can be helpful, such as debt management plans, identity fraud monitoring, or identity theft insurance. 

Alternative Choices

It’s always a good idea to compare your options. We compared The Credit People to The Credit Pros, one of the best credit repair companies out there. 

The Credit People is less expensive, but it offers fewer services than The Credit Pros. For its higher price, The Credit Pros provides a suite of services like identity theft protection and financial planning, making it a more comprehensive option. If you’ll utilize those extra services, The Credit Pros may be worth the added cost. 

The Credit Pros also has a robust mobile app you can use to monitor your progress and connect with customer support, a standout feature. 

How We Review Credit Repair Companies

Our team evaluated 17 credit repair companies and collected over 600 data points before selecting our top choices. We weighed 39 criteria, giving the highest weights to those that are the most significant for customers.

The top picks were selected based on:

• Costs and fees (weighted 40.5% in total)
• Services offered (34%)
• Customer experience (22.5%)
• Stability (3%)

We took into account factors like how many disputes will be sent per month, what kinds of dispute letters will be sent, cancellation and return policies, and how long companies have been in business. This information was used in our company's star ratings and best picks.