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Thursday, November 7th
DRB Capital is a company whose policies reveal unscrupulous practices in the purchasing of structured settlements. We'll state right up front: we feel there are better companies out there.
Well managed reviews: disgruntled employees
While DRB Capital has well-managed reviews on aggregate review sites, looking through employee reviews on Glassdoor reveals a different story. Many employees complain of a frenetic sales environment in large call-center locations, in which workers are pushed to use high-pressure sales tactics on people who may not fully understand the implication of selling their structured settlement. Employees also complain that when they did attempt to buy structured settlements, it was exceedingly difficult to make a sale, as competitors would offer better rates.
An exploitative website and practices
DRB Capital's website is a barren information desert designed to drive technologically-inept customers into a sales call. With a confusing user interface, frequent chat box pop-ups, and endless prompts to call for a "free quote”, their website feels more like a minefield of potential exploitation than any kind of legitimate business. DRB Capital goes to great lengths to assure you that they offer "fast cash” and that selling your structured settlement is "easy”. Few major financial decisions are ever easy. When it comes to something as important as selling a structured settlement, most who say anything like that are trying to scam you.
Tread carefully
And in fact, you need to be careful. Hidden behind all the buzzwords is this bombshell of a sentence: when describing their process, they state that "all you have to do is provide us with the paperwork for your structured settlement or annuity, and fill out a few forms that allow us to work on your behalf”. To translate, this means that they want you to sign away your representation in the mandatory court hearing (meant to ensure you are not being scammed), all under the guise of making things "easy”. Yes, this makes things easy - but agreeing to this means you're giving the company the rights to look after your money, when in reality they have their own best interests at heart.
Discrepancy between rating and reviews
DRB Capital has an "A+” rating on the Better Business Bureau, but a 1.67/5 from customer reviews on the same site. This discrepancy between their rating and their reviews is likely due to the fact that they respond to and "resolve” every complaint actually posted to the BBB website, even as they engage in potentially unscrupulous practices. Reviewing DRB Capital's profile on the Better Business Bureau reveals a company whose modus operandi is the harassment of beleaguered customers.
You're on the list
Clients frequently complain that DRB Capital spams them for years with calls from changing phone numbers. Customers also receive unrequested advertisements from DRB Capital made to look like real checks sent through the mail promising upfront cash payments. While it seems that DRB Capital addresses these complaints once they show up on the BBB page, if a customer doesn't formally complain, then the calls and emails simply continue.
"Best price guarantee” offered
DRB Capital does have some perks when compared to competitors, including a "Best Price Guarantee”. If you receive a better offer than the one DRB Capital provides, then they will match the price or pay you $50. However, doing so means you need to give your contact information to DRB Capital, and then agree to sell all or part of your settlement to them. Reading from customer reviews alone, we would be hesitant to give DRB Capital any kind of contact information, let alone agree to sell all or part of our structured settlement to them for a mere $50 dollars extra.
Settlement buying sweatshop
Almost everything we found about DRB Capital points to a predatory settlement-buying sweatshop, one that targets their customers with unending mail and spam calls. Their focus seems to lie more in exploiting their call center-esque employees and promoting their brand management online, as opposed to actually helping their customers. The fact that DRB Capital states they "work with the courts” on your behalf is very misleading. All it means is that they are trying to make it so you don't work with a person - an attorney or a financial advisor - who is looking out for your best interests.
Well, it's a critical question, and one that should be explored with care. Many receive a structured settlement as an annuity paid over a long period of time in compensation for injury or malpractice. While the stable income of a structured settlement can be a necessary key to financial security, many people are often left in a bind when they need money for a sudden expense or emergency, and are unable to procure the collateral for a loan.
That's where structured settlement buyers come in. These companies offer a single lump sum of cash in exchange for your monthly payments, giving you the up-front capital you need to manage a crisis, or make a needed purchase/investment.
It almost goes without saying that you should take care when you sell your structured settlement. While there are reputable buyers out there, many companies appear out of nowhere, or engage in less-than-reputable business practices. As the sale of a structured settlement is a major decision, a bit of careful investigation to determine the quality of the buyer can go a long way towards a transaction you'll be happy with.
Typically the sale of a structured settlement requires that you appear in court to talk to a judge in order to determine that you understand the particulars of the sale of your structured settlement, and that the sale is in your best interest. While potentially annoying, your court appearance is a critical step in the process, and something that directly protects you as a consumer.
Before this step, companies are required to advise you in writing that you can hire independent legal counsel to review your sale in court with you. This is strongly recommended, as legal counsel and financial advice can give you power and leverage in your structured settlement sale, making it so you get a better deal, and potentially earning multiple-thousands more from the sale of your settlement. If you sign this away to another person or a company, they may represent their own best interests, rather than yours.
So, which structured settlement buyers are worth your time? As you investigate the options, here are some tips for you to keep in mind:
At Top Consumer Reviews, we want to make sure that our readers are well-equipped to navigate the sometimes murky waters of the structured settlement industry. We've gathered the best companies we could find, and ranked them based on their overall reputation and business practices. As you shop around for the best deal in the sale of your structured settlement, you should feel comfortable using our curated list as a starting point for finding a fair and honest buyer.
Select any 2 Structured Settlement Buyers to compare them head to head