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BlueHippo Funding






BlueHippo Funding
An Investigative Series
by Joseph S. Enoch

BlueHippo: Extreme Layaway
A Short History
The BlueHippo Foundation
Trouble Follows BlueHippo's Founder
What Should You Do?
BlueHippo's Response
BlueHippo Has Many Clones
---
News
FTC Files Contempt Citation Against Blue Hippo
Buying A Computer With Poor Credit
Gateway at Risk in BlueHippo Class Action
Blue Hippo Pays $5 Million To Settle FTC Charges
Federal Court Strikes Blue Hippo's Arbitration Clause
BlueHippo Funding Settles $1 Million Maryland Case
West Virginia Sues Blue Hippo
Class Actions Target Blue Hippo
Consumer Complaints

BlueHippo, based in Baltimore, claims to be "the nation's leading direct response merchandise lender," whatever that might be. It advertises heavily through infomercials, always a warning sign.

So what does BlueHippo do? Its Web site says it "helps consumers purchase and finace the products they want and need, inidependent of their credit history." As far as we can tell, it sells plasma TVs, computers and other merchandise through a pay-in-advance credit plan.

To be blunt, it sells stuff to people with bad credit. Its Web site states that customers pay $99 down and make 13 weeks (that's weeks, not months) worth of payments. After that, the merchandise is sent to them and the payments continue until the purchase is finally paid off.

Is this a good deal? Who knows? It's very hard to know what the real cost of the merchandise is, as it's not very clearly disclosed. If it's like most such schemes, the products are priced at full retail and then some, and the fees and interest rates aren't immediately apparent.

On its Web site on March 17, BlueHippo was offering a desktop computer for $99 down and $39.99 per week. It's not immediately apparent how long the payments last but it's quite likely most consumers could find a similar computer for a lot less if they saved their money and paid cash.

But don't take our word for it. Here are some of the BlueHippo customers we've heard from ...

LaShonda of Orlando, FL November 20, 2009

Blue hippo went in to my bank account as well and took 35.00 per week which ended in 1000's of dollars and overdraft fee. Constantly sent emails ater the certain amount of weeks about sending the computer which never arrive, than after they say you've paid enough for them to ship the computer, come again with another fee they started taking until my account got so behind, the bank stopped paying

Lee of Houston, TX November 20, 2009

I brought a computer in 2007, paid the 39.99 for 52 weeks and after paying for the computer I will be getting a 32"LCD TV and color printer "FREE" along with a 300 rebate. Then two month before the final payment I was told that I was deferred because of a miss payment and was ask to pay a 20.00 late fee. I paid the late fee, but I call and wrote the company to let them know that I was never late paying.

Then in October or November I got a letter said that I was entitle to the free items and 300 rebate which will be ship within 6 weeks.The weeks pass and no items or rebate. So in July of 2009 I file lawsuit. I didn't get the free items that I was entitle to, but I did file a lawsuit against the company and is asking for the correct mailing so I can file a WRIT OF EXECUTION-MONEY JUDGMENT.

Margaret of Indiana, PA November 19, 2009

I started out by placing an order for computer through Blue Hippo, I soon realized that with the payment plan they were providing I would be wasting my money. So I decides to cancel, upon doing so I was given a promo code and told that since they could not refund my money that they would return it in the form of store credit. I purchased an Olympus digital camera(FE-3000) through Blue Hippo with the store credit promo code, then I was also instructed to mail a money order for the amount of 30.34, which I did.

I ordered this item on June 24, 2009 and here I am almost 6 months later still waiting. I was told by a woman representative that they have the camera and are just waiting for a tracking number from the company olympus, which I thought sounded like B.S. If you review my account on the blue hippo web site you can see that my balance is zero, the camera ia paid for in full yet I still have not recieved it. Now I am wondering why they have my moeny and i do not have the item i paied for.

Tiana of Tulsa, OK November 18, 2009

I signed up for financing on a computer, made the required number of payments on time. I was repeatedly put off whenever I called in. I was always told I could be expecting it to show up any time, that it had been ordered, or a manager had to sign something before my computer could be shipped. I never received anything and after about a year, I called and told them I wanted to cancel my order. They did it for me with no problem but then I got on-line to spend "my money" and realized I couldn't afford to spend it.

Johnny of Austin, TX November 11, 2009

Will not honor Refund.In Dec. it will be a year. The refund is for 125.00. In this day and age, i cannot afford to lose that kind of money.

shavonna of north charleston, SC November 11, 2009

on sept.1,2008 i send in a payment of 99.00 and to send in biweekly payment every other week i send these payment in consectively but on 2 of my payment have defulted i send in a payment of 69.98 on 9/10/08 which this pay was a defult and i double the payment when i was due again of 159.86 on 9/24/08 and each payment of 69.98 on 10/8,10/22,11/19, 12/3, 12/31 all of 2008 i was told over and over it take 6-8wks for my computer to be send out i finally cancel my order and order the sony sourround sound and a 19inch flat screen t.v. in which i had to send in two different money order of 35.50 on 6/26/09 and 35.60 on 7/20/09 and still this day i don't have merchandise or the money that i requested for a refund i told the coustomer service rep. today would be my last day callin i will contact bbb. and consumer affairs as well as my lawyer also i send in a fax requesting for upper mangement to contact me asap or they will hear from my lawyer.

Jose of houston, TX November 10, 2009

I have been paying on my product since april of 09 . Its nov.of 09 and still have not received anything. when I call they tell to be patient they are working on the problem . I ask them "what is the promblem ? " all they tell me is to wait a little longer . I cant seem to get a staight answer from bluehippo . I regret this purchase .

bonnie of Fort Smith, AR November 4, 2009

On 6/3/2009. I ordered a computer thru blue hippo cause i seen this comercial on tv were u dont need a credit check so i called them they got my information from my checking account they started amediately taking my money out.first they took 99.00 dollars to start then every week 47.99 as of today they have took out almost 2000,00 dollars .they lied to me when it would be shipped to me after 13 payments .so far as of today its been 21 payments .i have called them repeatly and they keep telling me it is being shipped from factory .then they told me this last time not to call back.and if i wanted to cancel i would not get my money back.they have lyed and scamed me.i dont no what to do.i need help.i have all the paper work they have sent me and my statements i printed off my account statements from them and bank statements.

Loren of Newark, NJ October 27, 2009

I entered into an account with this company and was told that I would get a refund as long as the computer wasn't not ordered. When I cancelled the account before the computer was ordered I was told that I could only get a store credit, The credit was for approx 400.00. I ordered a cheaper computer in July that was paid in full with the store credit. To day I have not received the computer. When I call I keep getting the run around telling me that I needed to wait and that there was not supervisor there for me to speak with. I am out 400.00. I promised this computer to my niece for school now she doesn't have a computer to do her school work with.

Melzina of Bloomington, IN October 26, 2009

I cancelled my order to Blue Hippo the day after i placed my order. I spoke with a supervisor named Lisa who informed me that they had already taken the money out of my account. They were supposed to send some paperwork the next day, and the debit was not supposed to had been taken until the day after. I was informed that it could get back my 124 in 45 days. Can they do that?

I cannot access my account online neither, to make sure it was cancelled. I am going to wait and see if I get my money back, and if not I going to sue them. They can't just take people's money and get away with it. I wish I would have done my research. They are trying to steal my money. They have done this before and continue to do it even though they broke the law.

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