single317dad;3289439]While I believe both jal and dc have provided "correct" answers, I have to side with dc on the execution. In the days of my own debt problems, I finally stopped answering calls because there was no advantage to doing so. I started saving money toward whatever goal (bring account current, negotiation of payoff, etc) and ignored all calls from that point.
when I was younger I got into a bit of financial trouble myself. My method forestalled a suit from one creditor. With another, it resulted in them accepting a stupid low payment arrangement. With the latter, after the arrangement was made and I made the first payment, the head of the collections department called me and said; sorry but this isn't acceptable. I argued back; sorry but not only did your collector accept the agreement, I have made a payment which you accepted as proof of ratification of the agreement.
the sad part was I was in a position much like the OP. My unemployment benefits were delayed for about 2 months and I was eating mac and cheese regularly. I had been informed my UI was approved but for some reason it was not released for payment. I explained this telling them as soon as the payment is released to me I would pay them 1/2 of the debt and make arrangements on the rest. They said; nope, need payment arrangements now or this is going to the next level. I said all I could afford was $5 a month. They accepted that. When the department head called she said, do you realize it will take you 5 years to pay this debt at that rate? I said; yes, I surely do but hey, you agreed to it. I further went on to say that in the time between making the agreement and this phone call I received all of my UI owed. I would have paid them 1/2 of the total as I offered but I had also realized the payment was greater than expected and actually would have paid the debt in full but hey, so much for that, we now have this agreement of $5 per month.
I made my regular payments for nearly a year before I got so tired of it I just paid it off.
Sometimes it is better to believe there are honest people out here that aren't out to shaft people. I understand a large percentage of debtors would love to avoid their debts but I'm just not one of them.
Just because you talked to them and made some sort of agreement doesn't mean they'll stop calling until the agreed upon time. It's very disheartening to explain that you'll have a payment for them next Thursday then another two Thursdays later which will catch the account up, then continue to receive calls and have to make the same explanations and the same agreement repeatedly for the same account.
it is more likely the calls would continue. Given the systems CA's use, the delinquent account would continue to pop up in a ca's list of people to call.
so, as I said before; the debt was mine and due to my circumstances. While I loathe bad CA's, I have no ill will towards CA's in general. They are simply doing a job. If they want to work with me, great. If not, I'll take my lumps as the law allows them to administer them. My debt is not their fault.
