Citizens Debt Relief (www.citizensdebtrelief.com) has a 4.0 out of 5 rating on OK.one, based on 100 user reviews collected here. It is listed under Money & Insurance and its reputation is good. 22% of reviews are 1 star, a relatively high share; The business has replied to 23% of negative reviews; 75 of them were added in the last 12 months. Last updated 2026-08-30.
Reviewers had a great experience with this company. Customers frequently praise the helpful and knowledgeable staff for guiding them through the debt relief process with incredible patience and very clear explanations. People deeply appreciate the supportive customer service, noting that representatives make them feel truly comfortable and confident during extremely stressful financial times. However, some reviewers were not happy with the communication and support, mentioning ongoing difficulties in reaching anyone via phone or email for assistance. A few other people also felt that the overall debt settlement process did not meet expectations, pointing out persistent issues with accounts and a lack of follow-up.
Auto-generated from all reviews of this business. For reference only.Tony Diab along with his right hand Erika Cortes now Erika Matsumiya work here. They most likely go by different names but they have been scamming people since coming from Litigation Practice Group. Google his name and learn. You won't find anything on her since she uses a fake name but wherever he is so is she.
The gentleman who I spoke with was professional yet kind. He explained clearly how the program works. Was also patient leading me through each step. Texted me his card to call with any questions or concerns. It was what I had been praying for 😊 Thank you
Brandon was amazing. He put my mind at ease and I’m so happy he didn’t give up on helping me when I didn’t answer . Thank you for everything
The gentleman that I spoke with was very helpful and made sure I understood everything. I've even recommended him to one of my friends
Talking to Alex was a good experience, made me feel like they really care to help and willing to make sure I am taken care of
We had Brandon, a very friendly guy who knows his stuff. We had a relatively painless interaction which I know is in our best interest. I recommend this company for anyone who is being crushed by debt!
Very smooth well informed easy to understand
BRANDON WAS VERY NICE AND EXPLAINED EVERYTHING THOUROUGHLY.
The person explained the program to me. My account was set up quickly. I am very satisfied with the attention I was given. I recommend this company to anyone considering debt consolidation .
A gentleman by the name of Anthony Ortiz helped me and was actually able to find out more in regards to my issue and was very communicative I really appreciated his help thanks
I cannot recommend Citizens Debt Relief based on my personal experience. I enrolled in the program JULY 2024 believing they would prioritize resolving my debts and negotiating with my creditors. Instead, after reviewing my account, I discovered that I paid $2,232 in fees, while only $2,100 of my funds was actually paid toward my creditors. Seeing more paid in fees than applied to my debt was extremely disappointing. Despite making payments into the program, I continued to face collection activity, and some of my debts remained unresolved. After 2 years, only 1 account had be resolved. This left me questioning whether my financial interests were truly being prioritized. Communication and follow-up were also frustrating. When I needed answers about my account and concerns, I did not receive the level of responsiveness I expected from a company entrusted with helping people through difficult financial situations. If you're considering this company, I encourage you to carefully review how fees are assessed, monitor where your money is being applied, and ask detailed questions before enrolling. This review reflects my personal experience and the information contained in my account records.
Ethan was very friendly, knowledgeable, helpful..thank u!
Have been making payments to CDR for about 3 years now, & I have no idea what’s going on with my payments. The statement that I get from the payment processor says they’ve taken more in fees than they’ve paid on my debts. I still get regular notices about one of my accounts being delinquent. I’ve called, emailed, opened cases on their website, & I can’t get ahold of anyone. No one ever gets back to me. I don’t know what’s going on, but it smells like a scam to me. Will be stopping my payments if I don’t hear back.
Read the positive reviews and notice first and last names mentioned - it's a pattern that may point to the reviews being somewhat manufactured. My experience aligns strongly with the other negative reviews. Poor/non-existent communication after I declined their loan offer for estimated settlement amounts. Attempts to negotiate essentially stopped after that, as well. Not only did Citizens fail to handle the majority of the enrolled accounts, but they also significantly overcharged us fees which are stated in the agreement to be 25% of the original debt amount of settled accounts. Despite tireless efforts to contact customer service and being passed around to no less then four different "supervisors", we made little to no progress getting the overcharged fees returned to us. Additionally, the funds we built up were pulled out of the account we had visibility into and moved elsewhere. I believe they do this to generate additional revenue through interest bearing accounts they control. It took a negative Trustpilot review to finally get someone engaged who genuinely seemed to want to get things straightened out. The overcharged fees would be used to pay the negotiated amounts in lump sums (yes, we were overcharged that much) and we would receive a full accounting of funds that went in and out, but only if we removed the negative review. Review removed and explicit expectations were set. A month later, it was if we never had the conversation. After much effort and complaints to state and federal consumer protection groups, we finally received confirmation that settled accounts were paid off. We are still waiting for that document detailing exactly where our money went. We believe we have suffered damages from the additional financial hardship we endured due to Citizens' poor, if not shady, handling of our account. We are currently in discussions with an attorney to determine what options we have to be made whole. We did receive acceptable outcomes on 1/3 of the accounts enrolled which is why I gave two stars. If you're willing to take a loan out with them, you may want to consider their services and may have a better experience than I did, but I strongly advise you keep excellent records of all your conversations
I have had a positive experience with Fischer and Julia Moorehead. My accounts were resolved on a timely basis. Stayed in touch every step of the way. Was a big relief. Cathy
Ethan is an asset to the company. He has a calm caring voice and he knows the business. Glad to have found you today!
After months of not being able to reach anyone to resolve the last of my accounts, Julia and Thomas were able to help move things forward and I am hopeful that my score will start to climb in the coming months, with the actions we discussed. Both were very helpful and professional.
Working with Paul Hyland and Citizens Debt Relief has been a truly positive experience during a stressful time in my life. From the very beginning, Paul took the time to understand my situation without judgment and clearly explained my options for debt consolidation. His communication was consistent, honest, and easy to understand, which made a complicated process feel much more manageable. I always felt like I was in good hands and that my financial well-being genuinely mattered. Thanks to Paul and the team at Citizens Debt Relief, I now feel more in control of my finances and have a clear path forward. They helped reduce the stress and confusion I was dealing with and provided real solutions that fit my needs. I would highly recommend Paul Hyland and Citizens Debt Relief to anyone looking for trustworthy, professional support with debt consolidation.
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