Beyond Finance

I will preface my review by saying a few things...One: I did *** research on how to go about getting my debt resolved. I knew it wasn't going to be a quick, easy process. I knew that my credit would initially take a hit (and it had already taken so many). I knew using a lawyer or myself to negotiate terms may have been recommended as a better way to settle/resolve. However, I chose a debt management program because it was the best option for MY individual situation.Two: Beyond isn't the best at follow up, and that's why I knocked off a star. More about this soon.Three: Beyond didn't ask me to write a review. I did this on my own.I was just about $8000 in debt. I had about eight different accounts that I was having to keep up with every month. That means eight different payments every month. (I was doing my best to make at least the minimum payment on each, and was doing well with not having defaulted on my accounts.) I live on my own so I pay my own rent, I pay a cell phone ***, car payment, utility bills, etc. All together that made about 10-15 *** MONTHLY PAYNTS. It was getting a bit ridiculous. Even having a few of my creditors change my due date to match up with other due dates wasn't feasible. I would get myself mixed up easily, it would cause anxiety, and negotiating for lower balances was daunting to me, to say the least. I work a full time job and do get a pretty healthy weekly paycheck... but I had already gotten in over my head, and no paycheck in my line of work would have helped at that point. (let's face it, I'm not a CEO/CFO.)I have been with Beyond for two years. I currently have two accounts being settled, three have already been settled, and there are two more to go. One of those accounts currently being settled and paid towards is Discover. They are accepting payments WHILE in the process of suing me. They are halfway paid, but the lawsuit is still open and active (tell me how that makes sense...). Beyond hasn't been super vocal to me about what's happening or why I was served with court documents 8 months after a negotiation was reached. I'm in the dark currently. I understand that the litigation/court process isn't a quick one. But this does put me in a tough position. I'm staying on top of Beyond and documenting every piece of correspondence I've had in regards to the suit. Just in case... This still isn't a reason to knock off more stars though, because Beyond has helped with a lot of my debt so far and seem to work fairly quickly in getting negotiations done. Upon starting the program, Beyond was upfront with me about fees, the process, how to handle certain creditors, how my credit would look over time, and informed me that not ALL creditors would settle. I asked questions and (for the most part) got answers. They were nothing but transparent with me. *** put... I knew what I was getting myself into. Again... it was the best option for . Loans charge crazy interest, and no loan is being dispersed to someone with terrible credit anyway...unless of course you put up your car as collateral. No thanks. So that wasn't an option for me. Lawyers charge fees, too. Anyone who says debt management/settlement is quick, easy, and cheap, is lying. If you've gotten this far in my review, great. I will tell you that debt settlement companies *** NOT FOR EVERYONE. Your individualistic situation is exactly that... individualistic. No two people have the same financial situations, and no two people will completely benefit from the same type of debt reconstruction. If you sign up for Beyond, *** THEIR WELCO*** PACKET. Everything is outlined in there. *** QUESTIONS. Keep them honest and be sure to stay on them about following up. These are my only suggestions. And oh yeah... do your research before committing to ANYTHING!"