I've settled nearly ten thousand dollars of debt for far less than what I owed over the years thanks to the introduction of these programs, getting me to a point where I finally had my own credit cards instead of being an authorized user a few years earlier than I would have been able to.
It is unfortunate that I had to attribute this ability to pull myself out of dire straits to being rear-ended by a teenager texting, and getting a larger than expected settlement through a referral to an accident attorney from a close friend of mine -- and a lot of teachings from the experience of my father, who dealt with quite a 180 of his financial situation during the great recession.
I really can't put into words how much of a relief it was to stop fearing The eventual litigation of most of these debts, having my credit damage for another 7 years into the future, having what wages I was earning at the time garnished... The psychological damage that some of these outfits play too in a way is reprehensible in my opinion.