This should just be illegal

Is the economy REALLY so bad that air time should be sold to the LIARS at Credit Card Answers?

"President Obama has signed the Credit Card Reform Act." Well yes, this is true. And it's pretty much the last piece of accurate information we are going to hear from the good people at Credit Card Answers.

"You now have the right to settle your debt for a fraction of what you owe."

Um, no. You don't. You have the right to negotiate with your creditors. Just like you did before the legislation. You don't have the "right" to settle your debt for less than you owe. That's just plain dishonest.

"The Credit Card industry has been handed billions, and need to clear their books once and for all."

Yes, they've been handed billions. No, they aren't having a fire sale. They don't need to "clear their books." They aren't going out of business, and they aren't "eager to settle with you." Again- just plain dishonest.

"We'll tell you your rights in a Government Bailout Era." First, "Government Bailout Era" already seems dated, doesn't it? Second, why trust a company that has spent the last thirty seconds lying it's ass off to you to tell you what your "rights" are? My guess is that the principal "right" that you have, according to these guys, is your right to pay a big upfront handling fee to hire Credit Card Answers to do what you are perfectly capable of doing yourself- calling your creditors and asking for help in creating a payment plan.

What really irritates me about commercials like this is that the information SOLD by Credit Card Answers is available for FREE from the federal government. The Feds are also interested in helping people drowning in debt with tax problems, too. In short, nobody NEEDS Credit Card Answers, Credit Debt Solutions, Credit Card Relief, or any of the other "counselors" who draw desperate people into their net by claiming that they have some imaginary "right" to duck out of their debts.

If he economy was humming along, I'd still find these commercials offensive. With unemployment hovering just under 10% and personal debt reaching historical levels, I find them especially sleazy. I especially wish that XM/Sirius would stop going for the fast buck and selling ad space to these crooks. But I guess Satellite Radio has books to clear, once and for all, too.