Lexington Law shut down in 2023 after a $2.7 billion CFPB judgment against parent company Progrexion. CreditRepair.com, also a Progrexion property, shut down simultaneously. Together they served 4.3 million active and recent clients who were left mid-dispute, with no account of what was completed and what wasn't.
If you were one of those clients — or if you're searching for credit repair help in 2026 and want to know which services to trust — this comparison is built on one central question: does the company's fee model comply with federal law, or is it running the same billing structure that got Lexington Law shut down?
How Credit Repair Companies Are Legally Required to Bill
The Credit Repair Organizations Act prohibits any credit repair organization from "charg[ing] or receiv[ing] any money or other valuable consideration for the performance of any service which the credit repair organization has agreed to perform for any consumer before such service is fully performed." This is 15 U.S.C. § 1679b(b).
The statute is unambiguous. Payment must come after full performance. Not at the beginning of the month in which service will be delivered. Not at enrollment. After the work is done.
In practice, this means a legally compliant credit repair company must either:
- Bill at the end of each service period, after that period's work is complete, or
- Structure the service such that no fee is collected until all promised work has been delivered in full
Most companies in the market do neither. They charge a first work fee ($15–$200) at enrollment, then charge monthly fees at the beginning of each service month. That billing structure is what the CFPB targeted. When you evaluate alternatives, this is the first filter to apply.
The Alternatives: What They Are and How They Charge
Sky Blue Credit
Sky Blue is one of the oldest surviving credit repair companies, operating since 1989. It charges $79/month for individuals or $119/month for couples. The company does not charge a setup fee — but the monthly fee is charged at the start of each service period, before that period's dispute work is delivered. Sky Blue has an A+ BBB rating and generally receives favorable reviews for customer service responsiveness. Their dispute limit is 15 items per bureau per 35-day cycle, and they offer a 90-day money-back guarantee.
The billing timing issue exists. Whether that creates legal exposure for Sky Blue under CROA is a question the CFPB has not resolved through enforcement action against them specifically. But the structural similarity to the Progrexion model is present.
The Credit People
The Credit People charges $79/month or offers a flat-rate option of $299 for six months. They charge a $19 first-work fee at enrollment, which is a direct CROA pressure point — it is a fee charged before service is performed, at the moment the contract is signed. The company has been operating since 2001 and has a B+ BBB rating. They dispute across all three bureaus and offer unlimited disputes.
Credit Saint
Credit Saint offers three tiers: Credit Polish ($79.99/mo), Credit Remodel ($109.99/mo), and Clean Slate ($139.99/mo). All tiers carry a $99 first-work fee at sign-up. The Clean Slate tier offers unlimited disputes with all three bureaus, while lower tiers cap the number of items challenged per cycle. Credit Saint has been in operation since 2004 and holds an A+ BBB rating. Their dispute letters cite specific FCRA sections and they offer a 90-day money-back guarantee on the Clean Slate tier.
The $99 first-work fee is a front-loaded charge before service delivery. Same structural issue as above.
CreditRepair.com (Shut Down — No Longer Available)
CreditRepair.com was also a Progrexion entity and was shut down simultaneously with Lexington Law as part of the same $2.7 billion CFPB judgment. It no longer operates. Any websites or services currently using the CreditRepair.com branding are not the original company. Former CreditRepair.com clients are in the same position as former Lexington Law clients: mid-dispute abandonment, no closure documentation, and no ongoing service. For more detail, see our full post on the CreditRepair.com shutdown.
Creditfix / Ovation Credit
Ovation Credit (sometimes marketed as Creditfix in regional searches) charges $79/month for individuals and $99/month for couples. They advertise no setup fees, which is a structural improvement over competitors. However, the monthly fee is charged at the start of the service period. Ovation has been operating since 2004 and was acquired by LendingTree in 2018. The LendingTree ownership means there is additional financial stability, though it also means lead-generation incentives may influence service recommendations.
Full Comparison Table
| Company | Monthly Fee | Setup/First-Work Fee | Billing Timing | CROA-Safe? | BBB Rating | Still Operating? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington Law | $89–$130 | $14.99 | Start of period (pre-service) | No — shut down | N/A | No |
| CreditRepair.com | $69–$119 | $14.99 | Start of period (pre-service) | No — shut down | N/A | No |
| Sky Blue Credit | $79/mo | None | Start of period (pre-service) | Unclear | A+ | Yes |
| The Credit People | $79/mo or $299 flat | $19 | Start of period (pre-service) | Unclear | B+ | Yes |
| Credit Saint | $79.99–$139.99 | $99 | Start of period (pre-service) | Unclear | A+ | Yes |
| Ovation Credit | $79–$99 | None | Start of period (pre-service) | Unclear | A+ | Yes |
| Restore Credit | $99–$149 | None | After service delivered | Yes — software, not CRO | N/A (new) | Yes |
Why "Unclear" Is the Honest Answer for Most Alternatives
The CFPB enforced against Progrexion, not against the industry as a whole. Sky Blue, Credit Saint, and The Credit People have not faced similar enforcement actions. That doesn't mean their billing models are legally sound under CROA — it means the CFPB hasn't gotten to them yet, or has decided not to pursue them, or is building a case. It means nothing about the underlying legal exposure.
For a consumer choosing a service today, the practical question isn't "has this company been sued?" It's "is this company billing in a way that could result in me losing my service mid-dispute when a federal enforcement action catches up with them?"
The history of the credit repair industry suggests that regulatory cycles move slowly and then all at once. Progrexion operated for years before the CFPB acted. The same could be true of its surviving competitors.
What Restore Credit Does Differently
Restore Credit is software, not a credit repair organization. The legal distinction matters. Under CROA, a "credit repair organization" is defined as any person who, for payment, provides services to improve a consumer's credit record, credit history, or credit rating. Restore doesn't provide those services — it provides tools that help you provide those services to yourself.
You pull your own reports. You identify your own disputable items. You review and approve every dispute letter Restore generates. You sign them. You mail them. Restore handles the letter generation, bureau tracking, response monitoring, and timeline management — the infrastructure around your own exercise of your own FCRA rights.
This isn't a marketing distinction. It's a structural one. The CFPB's action against Progrexion was specifically about a credit repair organization charging before service delivery. A software tool that helps consumers exercise their own direct FCRA rights doesn't fit that category in the same way.
Ranking the Alternatives: What Actually Matters for Your Situation
If you have a straightforward situation — a handful of negative items you want help disputing, and you want professional guidance — here is how to think through the options:
If CROA compliance is your primary concern: Restore Credit is the only option in this list that isn't structured as a traditional credit repair organization charging in advance of service.
If you want a human you can call: Sky Blue Credit has the most consistent customer service reviews in this category. No first-work fee, A+ BBB rating, and they've operated for three decades. The billing timing concern remains, but they've survived the regulatory environment so far.
If you want unlimited disputes across all three bureaus at a predictable monthly rate: Ovation Credit or Sky Blue are the most commonly cited options for high-volume dispute work under a full-service model.
If you want to understand exactly what's being sent in your name: No traditional CRO gives you the letter-by-letter control that software does. Restore generates the letter, you read it, you decide whether to send it. No surprises, no generic templates sent without your review.
The Self-Service Option Is Always Available
None of the above services do anything you cannot do yourself. The FCRA dispute right belongs to you directly under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i. You can write a dispute letter, send it certified mail to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, and the bureau has 30 days to investigate and respond. No company required.
The value of any service in this category — including Restore — is efficiency, structure, and tracking. If you have three items to dispute and three hours to research the process, self-service is viable. If you have fifteen items across three bureaus and a job and two kids, the infrastructure matters.
Bottom Line
The Lexington Law shutdown created a search vacuum. Millions of people looking for credit repair help are finding alternatives that, in most cases, use the same billing structure that Lexington Law was shut down for. The billing model is the risk factor — not the company's age, BBB rating, or marketing copy.
If you want a service that is structurally different — not just better-marketed — the options narrow significantly. Restore Credit is built on the premise that the consumer should exercise their own rights, with software support, and pay after the service is delivered. That's not a novel idea. It's what the law requires.
Credit Repair Done Right — Billed After Service
No upfront fees. No first-work charge. No minimum commitment. Generate FCRA dispute letters, track all three bureaus, and control every step of your own dispute process.
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