UCC statement service scam - anyone else get burned by fake filing companies?
Got completely ripped off by what I thought was a legitimate UCC filing service. They charged me $450 to file a UCC-1 continuation that I could have done myself for $12 through the Secretary of State portal. The worst part? They filed it wrong - used an old debtor name format that doesn't match our current corporate entity name, so now I'm worried the continuation might not be legally effective. Has anyone else fallen for these UCC statement service scam operations? I'm seeing ads everywhere for companies claiming they'll handle your UCC filings for hundreds of dollars when the actual state filing fee is under $20. How do I know if my continuation is actually valid with the name discrepancy?
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Samuel Robinson
Oh man, you're not alone. These scam filing services are everywhere now, especially targeting small business owners who don't know they can file UCC documents directly through state portals. The name issue you mentioned is actually a huge problem - if the debtor name on your continuation doesn't exactly match what's on the original UCC-1, you could have a gap in your perfected security interest.
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Camila Castillo
•This is exactly why I always double-check every UCC filing myself, even when using legitimate services. One letter difference in a debtor name can void the entire filing.
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Brianna Muhammad
•Wait, so if they used the wrong debtor name format, does that mean the continuation is completely invalid?
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JaylinCharles
These UCC statement service scam companies prey on people's fear of making mistakes. Truth is, filing a UCC-1 or UCC-3 continuation yourself through your state's online portal is straightforward. The key is making sure your debtor name matches EXACTLY - character for character - with the original filing. Some states are more forgiving than others, but you don't want to risk it.
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Eloise Kendrick
•Exactly! I've been doing my own UCC filings for years. Takes maybe 15 minutes and costs the actual state fee, not some inflated service charge.
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Lucas Schmidt
•But what if you mess up the collateral description or use the wrong form? I'm terrified of filing incorrectly and losing my security interest.
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Freya Collins
•That's a valid concern, but most state portals have pretty good help sections and form instructions. Way better than trusting some random service company.
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LongPeri
I had a similar nightmare with one of these companies last year. They filed my UCC-3 amendment with completely wrong information and then disappeared when I tried to get it corrected. Learned my lesson about checking if these services are actually legitimate. For peace of mind now, I use Certana.ai's document verification tool before finalizing any UCC filings - you just upload your Charter and UCC documents as PDFs and it instantly catches any name mismatches or inconsistencies between documents.
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Oscar O'Neil
•Never heard of Certana but that sounds useful. How does it work exactly? Just drag and drop the files?
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Sara Hellquiem
•Yeah, it's pretty straightforward - upload your Articles of Incorporation or Charter, then your UCC-1 or continuation document, and it automatically cross-checks that all the debtor names and entity information align properly.
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Charlee Coleman
These scammers are getting more sophisticated too. The one that got me had official-looking letterhead and even called themselves something like 'State Filing Services' to sound government-affiliated. Charged me $380 for a simple UCC-1 termination that should have cost $15. Filed it three weeks late too, so I had to pay penalty fees.
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Liv Park
•That's infuriating! Did you report them anywhere? These companies need to be shut down.
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Leeann Blackstein
•I tried filing complaints with the BBB and state attorney general, but not sure anything came of it. They're probably just operating under different names now.
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Ryder Greene
•The late filing penalty is the worst part. That's your money they wasted through their incompetence.
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Carmella Fromis
THESE COMPANIES ARE THE WORST. Sorry for caps but I'm so sick of seeing people get ripped off. Filed my continuation myself last month - took 10 minutes online, got immediate confirmation, cost $12. Meanwhile these scammers are charging hundreds for the same thing and doing it wrong!
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Theodore Nelson
•Which state are you in? Some state portals are definitely more user-friendly than others.
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AaliyahAli
•I feel your frustration. The markup these companies charge is absolutely ridiculous for what amounts to basic data entry.
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Ellie Simpson
For anyone dealing with name discrepancies like the original poster, you'll want to file a corrective UCC-3 amendment ASAP. The longer you wait, the bigger the gap in your perfected security interest. Most states allow you to correct debtor name errors, but you need to reference both the incorrect name as filed and the correct name you're amending to.
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Arjun Kurti
•This is solid advice. Don't let that gap sit there - file the correction immediately.
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Raúl Mora
•Would it be better to file a new UCC-1 with the correct name instead of trying to amend the existing one?
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Margot Quinn
•Depends on the situation, but generally an amendment is cleaner if it's just a name correction. New UCC-1 might create confusion about which filing is active.
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Evelyn Kim
I've seen these UCC statement service scam ads on Google and Facebook constantly. They make it sound so complicated to file yourself, when really the state websites walk you through everything step by step. The scare tactics they use about 'legal consequences of improper filing' are mostly BS designed to get you to pay their inflated fees.
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Diego Fisher
•The fear-mongering is real. Yes, you want to be careful with UCC filings, but it's not rocket science if you follow the instructions.
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Henrietta Beasley
•Those Google ads are so misleading. They make it seem like you need a lawyer or professional service when you absolutely don't.
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Lincoln Ramiro
Had to learn this the hard way too. Used a service that charged $290 for a UCC-1 filing that ended up getting rejected because they used abbreviations in the debtor name that weren't allowed. Ended up having to refile myself anyway. Now I always verify everything matches between my corporate documents and UCC filings using tools like Certana's verification system before submitting anything.
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Faith Kingston
•Getting rejected after paying those ridiculous fees must have been so frustrating. At least you learned to do it right the second time.
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Emma Johnson
•The rejection fees on top of the service fees really add insult to injury. That's why double-checking everything upfront is so important.
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Liam Brown
Quick tip for everyone - most Secretary of State offices have helplines where you can call and ask questions about UCC filings for free. Way better than paying these scam services hundreds of dollars. I called about a complex collateral description issue and they walked me through exactly how to format it properly.
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Olivia Garcia
•That's great advice! I never thought to just call the state office directly.
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Noah Lee
•The state employees are usually pretty knowledgeable about their own filing requirements. Makes sense they'd be the best source for accurate information.
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Ava Hernandez
To the original poster - definitely file that corrective amendment for the name issue. And maybe consider small claims court against the scam service if they're local. You shouldn't have to eat that $450 loss for their incompetent work, especially since they created a potential legal problem with the incorrect debtor name.
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Isabella Martin
•Small claims is a good idea if you can track them down. A lot of these companies seem to operate and then vanish though.
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Elijah Jackson
•Even if small claims doesn't work out, reporting them to your state's consumer protection agency might help prevent others from getting scammed.
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Sophia Miller
•Document everything - their ads, your payment records, the incorrect filing they submitted. You'll need that evidence for any complaint or legal action.
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Lucas Bey
This whole thread is eye-opening - I almost fell for one of these services last week! They were advertising on LinkedIn claiming to be "certified UCC filing specialists" and wanted $395 for a simple continuation. Something felt off about their pushy sales tactics, so I ended up going directly to my state's Secretary of State website instead. Filed it myself in about 20 minutes for the $15 state fee. The online portal was actually really straightforward - they have dropdown menus for everything and clear instructions. I can't believe these scammers are charging 20-30x the actual cost for what's basically just copy-pasting information into a web form.
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