I am very grateful to have my creditors paid off but the process of getting to this point has been nothing short of miraculous. While Robert Gitmeid was able to negotiate with my creditors in reducing my debt, I still could never have paid this off in any kind of timely manner had I not been blessed... by an extremely generous family member. I don't see how this program could possibly work for anyone without a lot of extra money to spend or help from someone else and obviously if you are looking at debt consolidation, your finances are probably already stretched thin. If you are considering this, please allow me to share my story. In 2012 I was in great financial shape with a full-time job, part-time job and excellent credit score. My credit cards were paid off monthly and I had only a few more car payments to make. My house payment was my biggest expense and it was reasonable. Everything changed that year. Within a few months my income was reduced to a part-time salary and small pension and my car totaled by an uninsured maniac driver who was trying to speed around rush hour traffic. I had to foot the bill for another car and medical bills all on a reduced salary. To add insult to injury, I still had to pay the IRS a substantial amount of income taxes each year despite my reduced income. Also, I live in a city where property taxes are the highest in the state. All of these things forced me to become dependent upon my credit cards and the more you charge the higher the interest rates get and don't even think of being a day late or they add an unbelievable charge. I soon maxed out 3 cards and had nothing to show for it. I managed to pay off the car I had to buy in a timely manner and when I did I tried to focus more on paying down my cards, but by this time the debt was out of control. In 2017 I enrolled with Robert Gitmeid. I was very honest and upfront with them about how much I owed and how much I could afford to pay each month. The person that enrolled me seemed very helpful and understanding, unfortunately that was the only time I spoke with him. As instructed, I stopped paying the credit card companies and began paying R.G. a monthly amount suggested by them that was significantly less than what I had been paying my creditors. Needless to say, my phone rang constantly when I stopped paying the card companies, my relatives received calls about me and I was threatened with a lawsuit. It was not until the first lawsuit that R.G. made any attempt at negotiating with my creditors and even then it was only with the suing creditor and I had to increase my monthly payments to cover that. It was a painstakingly slow and embarrassing process waiting for each of my creditors to sue me and for R.G. to negotiate a settlement with them and call me back each time asking for more money. My monthly payment soon doubled and they still asked for more and still had not settled with all of my creditors. Once I made my R.G. payment, house payment, utilities and taxes, I literally did not have enough money left for groceries. In 2019 I was very blessed to have a generous relative who paid off my house. At this time, I called R.G. and told them that I would increase my monthly payment to them the amount of my house payment if they would finish negotiating with my creditors. It was not until then that any real progress was made and yes when you get to the end they do keep a substantial amount for themselves. So if you are thinking about doing this, look at it this way....It took the full amount of my former car payment, house payment and what I had been paying to three credit cards to finally make this work! Sure R.G. negotiated lower pay off amounts from my creditors, but if I hadn't been blessed by the generosity of a family member, I would never have paid this off in three years or thirty for that matter.

I thought doing a debt relief program would be the way to go instead of filing Chapter 13 - I should have filed Chapter 13. I made the call to National Debt Relief initially and ended up with Robert Gitmeid, I'm guessing NDR just passes people to other firms. In the beginning, I thought it was great.... Several accounts were settling fairly quick. However, I have had 4 lawsuits, which has been disappointing and stressful. Those accounts were eventually settled, but it was the point that they were filed in the first place. The money you "think" you are going to save...you really are not. Between their fees and the 1099C you receive at the end of the year from each creditor, you are STILL paying just as much if not more. YOU ARE BETTER OFF FILING CHAPTER 13 than going through this nightmare. IT IS NOT WORTH IT! I keep being contacted to send them a notarized POA for one of my creditors that I have ALREADY completed twice before. Gitmeid keeps coming back to me saying I didn't put something on it, when I wrote everything on that piece of paper that I was told. Here it is, the end of October and they are STILL putting me through this crap. They also give you the option after you have been in the program for awhile to be "qualified for a loan" for the remainder of your accounts. If you choose to do this, yes, all of the creditors will be paid off HOWEVER, it is now a "loan" and you will pay 24% interest for another 4 or 5 years. So however long you have been in the debt relief program will feel like you are starting all over again. NEGOITATE WITH YOUR CREDITORS YOURSELF OR FILE CHPATER 13...this was a HUGE mistake that I cannot undo now.

My biggest issue right now is that I paid my debt off earlier than they had estimated since i made extra payments ect. I was told in the beginning I was allowed to do so without penalty. They still have me scheduled for deposits even though everything is paid for. I've called multiple times and spoke...n to multiple different people who promise me i wont get money taken out of my account again and they still continue to do so. Plus it takes them 45 days to refund the money. Absolute bull.