Complaint Review: Preferred Financial Services - PFS1.net - Lawrence Massachusetts

I understand the frustration expressed here, believe me.
I've been a "client" for over a year now. Every month they auto-debit about 200 out of my checking account, take their percentage (somewhere around 10-12% I think) and deposit the remainder in a trust account held by PFS1. This account builds capital to leverage settlements against the accounts you owe. The entire process has been harrowing and I've called and emailed numerous times just trying to get a status update to find out when we'd be able to settle my accounts. The responses were usually "still trying to reduce the settlement amount, currently around 70%" or something to that effect.
I was also told once that a number of their clients are sued by companies that they owe money to. That made me worried. What scared me to death was when a lawyer actually called me with a 24-notice until filing suit against me. This was about a year after I stopped paying that monthly bill. I immediately called PFS1 and my case manager called the laywer to discuss the matter. In three hours - I'll say again: 3 hours - they had settled the ~$1500 debt for just over $600.
If you look at the whole mathematical picture (what I've paid into the account and what they've taken as payment for services rendered and pit that against the amount I'd have paid over that time including accrued interest) they managed to save me a few hundred dollars. That might have just saved me from getting my car repo'd.
The remainder of my account is now going to be leveraged against the sole debt I have left in their care. Another few months and that'll be handled so PFS1 and I can part ways.
I was stressed, frustrated, scared, and confused most of the time, but they did end up doing what they said they would.
I think the misunderstanding and mistrust from the public stems from them wanting to stretch things out a bit to get the settlement down to a percentage they can advertise and be happy about while making a bit off the people they're trying to help (this is a capitalist nation, though, is it not?). It won't get to 50% overnight. It won't get there in a few months either. That time could make anyone raise an eyebrow and start fighting against the people trying to help them; I know I ruffled some feathers more than a few times just out of sheer panic.
At the start of it, I didn't know if I could trust them. Even after settling an account for me, I don't fully trust them. That's the problem with these companies is that they don't facilitate trust well at all. To start all over again, I would have researched more into government sponsored options for debt help. Also, just calling your credit account's customer service line and asking what they can do to help is always a good idea. They might reduce your interest apr just for asking, or they might have a settlement option that'll get them money faster and get you out of debt faster.
I'd have done it differently, but I'm not horrified by the path I chose.

I hope this offers a different perspective.