Consumer complaint received 2025-12-18 00:00:00
Product: Debt or credit management — Debt settlement
Issue: Charged upfront or unexpected fees — 
Company: Consumer Financial Services Solutions, Inc.
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
I enrolled in a debt settlement program with Beyond Finance in XX/XX/year>, enrolling approximately {$95000.00} in unsecured debt. I was led to believe that fees would be reasonable, performance-based, and aligned with actual settlement progress. 

Over the course of the program, Beyond Finance withdrew over {$10000.00} in program fees, while only {$1700.00} was paid toward actual creditor settlements. Fees were assessed immediately after token settlement payments ( as low as {$10.00} {$50.00} ) were made to creditors, resulting in extreme front-loading of fees and depletion of my XXXX XXXX Account ( SPA ). 

As a result of this fee structure and account administration : My escrow account was drained prematurely There were insufficient funds to support ongoing settlement payments Existing settlement agreements were placed at risk, as acknowledged by Beyond Finance in writing Progress on the remaining enrolled debts stalled I experienced significant financial harm Although Beyond Finance claims this fee structure is permitted under their contract, the manner in which the program was administered was unfair, misleading, and harmful, and inconsistent with industry best practices ( including XXXX standards they claim to follow ). 

Account Termination and Communication Issues I formally cancelled my enrollment under the contracts cancellation provision. After cancellation : Beyond Finance refused to provide written confirmation of settlement documentation they obtained while representing me They refused to confirm or initiate a refund review in writing They attempted to force all communications into phone calls, despite a long email correspondence history They avoided answering direct written questions about fees, settlement status, and account handling This refusal to communicate transparently in writing has prevented me from fully understanding how my funds were handled and whether fees were fairly assessed. 

Escrow / XXXX XXXX Account Concerns My escrow account was administered through XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ). The final account statement shows that the account was drained to {$0.00}, largely due to Beyond Finances fee withdrawals. A small fee reversal occurred shortly before closure, but no meaningful refund review was conducted. 

Beyond Finance disclaimed responsibility for escrow matters while still directing fee withdrawals that caused foreseeable harm. 

Why I Believe This Violates Consumer Protection Principles While the contract language may technically permit fees after an initial settlement payment, the implementation of the program : Prioritized fee extraction over successful debt resolution Created foreseeable risk of settlement failure Failed to maintain adequate escrow balances Misrepresented the practical impact of the fee structure Constituted unfair and deceptive acts or practices under consumer protection standards The program functioned in a way that benefited the company at the expense of the consumers ability to resolve debts.

Steps I Have Taken to Resolve the Issue Repeatedly requested written explanations and refund review Cancelled the program to prevent further harm Contacted the escrow provider directly Attempted to resolve matters with Beyond Finance in good faith Beyond Finance has failed to address these concerns adequately or in writing.

What Resolution I Am Seeking I am requesting that the CFPB require Beyond Finance to : Conduct a formal refund review of the excessive and front-loaded fees Provide a written explanation of all fees assessed and calculations used Issue appropriate refunds or fee adjustments where fees were unfairly or prematurely assessed Provide full transparency regarding settlement documentation obtained during their representation Review their program administration practices for compliance with consumer protection standards

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation