Anonymous
map-marker Dallas, Texas

DON'T DO IT, IT'S DEFINITELY A SCAM!

I was also in need of dental work and had no money to pay for what I needed. This "grant" is total BS!

They told me there was only one participating dentist that was about 40 miles away from where I live and they asked me for the $50 deposit. I told them I wasn't comfortable giving the money to them and that I'd prefer to pay the $50 AT the dentist's office and they said that was OK. I went in for an assessment and x-rays and then was told I'd have to come up with $12000 to pay the difference of what the grant would cover on the total amount of $20000, and offered to help me obtain a loan. They asked me info, I thought, to apply for the loan, but what they were actually doing is electronically signing fraudulently for a loan with Lending USA.

They told me that I would get an email shortly letting me know if I was approved and asked me to schedule another appointment for the dentist to take impressions of my teeth, which I did for the following week. In the interim, I hadn't gotten any word about the alleged loan and whether or not I was approved, AND what the terms of the loan would be so I'd know if I could afford to repay the loan. The girl named Ashley that was applying on my behalf lied to me and said she didn't know why I hadn't heard back from the lender (I still didn't know the name of the company), but she thought they might be having problems with their server! When I arrived the next week for the impressions, I asked to speak with Ashley, who conveniently wasn't in the office.

I demanded they get her on the phone because I didn't want to waste my time or the dentist's time if I wasn't actually approved for the loan and didn't know if I could even afford to accept it if I was approved. Ashley said I WAS approved and that the monthly payment would be around $300! I told her I couldn't afford that and she had the audacity to say these exact words to me: "If you don't really care about your credit, you should just let us do the dental work on you, and not worry about paying back the loan"! I told her I DO care about my credit and wasn't looking to defraud anybody!

I left the office and thought that was the end of it, but it wasn't over yet! Fast forward to a month later, I got an email from Lending USA telling me my first payment for my loan of over $12000.00 was due! Keep in mind that I never saw OR signed ANY paperwork for this loan and of course never got any money, so I instantly knew that I'd been scammed! I first contacted Lending USA, who told me that Pristine Smiles of Rockwalll had been funded that money just 2 days after I went to the dentist for my assessment, yet Ashley was telling me she ddn't know if I was approved yet at that time!

When I contacted Ashley next, she immediately went on the defensive and said it will take at least 90 days for the money to be refunded to the lender, and offered no explanation or apology for what happened to me! It took me almost 4 months to get that money refunded back to Lending USA and thankfully so far anyway, it hasn't shown up on my credit report. I'm not sure if the actual dentist was in on this scam or not, but FOR SURE, Cosmetic Dentistry Grants.org, Pristine Smiles of Rockwall and Ashley are in cahoots! I filed a police report in Rockwall, TX and although they "investigated", they said it was my word against Ashley's and that there was NOTHING I could do!

I don't feel like they took it seriously and haven't pushed the issue further, but I'm not only pissed off that this happened, but I hate to think about how many other people have been scammed by this so called Grant! Buyer Beware!

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Michael C Ieu

No Concern for Borrower, only Profit

stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full

I took out a loan, then lost my job about 6 months later. All of my payments had been on time, so I called and explained that I had no job or income, but I had money in savings to pay off the majority of the loan.

They refused to even listen to an offer or attempt to negotiate. Absolute disregard for borrowers. They are only interested in keeping me on the line, so they can continue to collect the interest from my loan and increase their profit.

Now, I will have to work with a debt relief company which will cost them time and will also cost them money in the end. It doesn't make sense as a business.

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Loss:
$10800
Pros:
  • Initial ease of opening the loan
Cons:
  • Refusal to work with someone in a financial hardship
Reason of review:
Poor customer service

Preferred solution: I want to make a lump sum payment that will close the account and keep my account from gaining interest while I am looking for a job

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