Has anybody used 1 of those companys who help clear your debts its not a loan?

my husband and i were reeled in by an iva and after paying out to them for a couple of months we realised that we were no better off financially each month AND we were still getting letters from our creditors so god knows where those two payments went. in the end we cancelled our iva and went direct to our creditors who were really understanding and everything is now back on track. please dont be fooled by these companies who promise to reduce your debt/outgoings if you need help either go to CAB or contact your creditors directly yourself. good luck!!