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Debt Management Rhetorical Analysis

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Debt management firms employ rhetoric in online marketing and misrepresented claims of efficacy, the use of urgency as a tool to coerce and compel the engagement of services, over the phone consultations, and cold calls to already apparently financially stressed consumers. The techniques discussed below relate to representations related to the services provided.

ONLINE MARKETING
Many of the advertisements include representations that the firm can “Write off up to 80% of Your Debt” or “Reduce debt in 10 minutes”, or grant “15sec Approval[s]” of loans, and that “Financial harship [sic] can be solved by entering into voluntary bankruptcy.” The reality of these representations is practically irreconcilable. These representations exaggerate the effectiveness, ability, and nature of the services debt management firms offer, and omit the likely suitability and cost of the services to any given consumer.

The troubling aspect of these claims is that they are intended to be taken literally, or are at least so enticing to an individual experiencing financial hardship. Such representations are particularly appealing to individuals unaware or uninformed about the likely outcome in practice.

URGENCY AS A TOOL …show more content…
Firms tap into this urgency, using it to motivate the consumer. Some statements that appear include “Call us now - If you don't, things could get worse and you may end up deeper in debt.” The fear that is exploited is that if the consumer fails to act in a timely manner, and without the assistance of a debt management firm, their financial position will deteriorate further. For that reason, it is necessary that a consumer speak to a representative as soon as

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