Due to the struggling economy, many people are finding themselves in a financial hole and many are turning to companies for debt relief.

A local woman started to fall behind on her bills and like many Americans she turned to a debt relief company for help, but now she has a warning for others in the same situation.

Shirley Robinson is the wife of one of our coworkers here at KJCT and when she had to take a pay cut at work, they had trouble keeping up with their bills. So she sought help from a company called Freedom Debt Relief.

"I thought well maybe this was a way we could settle our stuff properly and yet survive with our other things like our home" said Robinson.  

They were making payments for a year when they received a letter from a collections agency saying they needed to go to court, so they called Freedom Debt Relief to resolve the problem.

"They said they needed to stabilize the account and we assumed they were talking to the attorneys" said Robinson.

The Robinsons told the debt relief company that they would resolve it themselves with money received from an inheritance but the company went ahead and settled it without their consent.

"Clearly states that before they settle a debt, they have permission from us" explained Robinson.

Robinson says that if she could go back.. she'd pursue other resources in town that could've helped.

"They seem to be local and they're really after you're welfare instead of after your money" said Robinson.

Officials from the Better Business Bureau say when signing these lengthy contracts, be sure you know what you're agreeing to.

"Never sign a blank contract. Never agree to any terms over the phone. You need to have that contract in your hand and read it" explained Connie Quillen, Executive Assistant for the Better Business Bureau.

Experts recommend reading the fine print and checking the fees you'll have to pay. We called and left a message with Freedom Debt Relief but they haven't returned our calls.