After I tell the electronic voice to drop dead.

Tell them you won't pay and they'll have to write it off.

Then block their numbers and ignore their mail.

Trying to work with sharks like that never turns out well. They'll squeeze you dry and then still stick you for whatever's left. The principal will magically never go down.

BK it out if you have to. They'll pull $100k out of you for a $3k debt if you allow them to.

Do NOT let them control your life. The 20x calls/day thing is unlawful and you should start recording the times they call.

I was in that situation once. As much as I tried to honestly pay it down they pulled every trick in the book to keep it perpetual. Eventually I realized it was a no-win game, and stopped playing it.

Look up "debtor's rights" and find the laws specific to your state. You may be able to sue them and make a profit out of the situation.

There are rules about what debt collectors can and cannot do.
These guys usually break them.
You can document the calls, date/time/person and if they violate the rules ( times when they can call, who they call, etc)
you can file for money in small claims court.

If they are debt collectors and NOT the original credit card company, it means they bought the debt for pennies on the dollar.
They have to play by the rules.
Those rules were passed thanks to Elizabeth Warren, btw.
Look the rules up online, keep a copy, and during any calls, pepper THEM with questions about who is calling, what their name is, company name.
The rules say if you request it, they have to stop calling you, and only contact you by mail...

get tough, stand up to them. They are playing on your fear and insecurity, but YOU have the power to take control.

if you can find one, they should be free to you
they will negotiate with the creditors
and then the creditors won't call you

credit counseling services work FOR the companies calling and it's a bigger hit on the credit report (since it says you can't handle your own debt).

Thanks for the tip, but I'm willing to work this through.

I was just curious if other people have been receiving calls like this.

and the FICO score does not treat credit counselling negatively: it is not a bigger hit to your credit report

"mpact on your credit score
There was a time many years ago when paying off a credit card through a debt management program could lower your credit scores. The credit card account was reported to the credit bureaus as being paid through non-profit financial counseling. That notation was considered negative.

That is not the case today. Going into a debt management program is benign to your credit scores. And, while the credit card issuer is being paid through the program they will report you to the credit bureaus as being “paid as agreed,” which is also good for your credit scores. When you exit the program you do so without any credit card debt and solid credit scores, which has to be a great feeling."
https://www.creditsesame.com/blog/does-credit-counseling-hurt-my-credit-score/

AVOID DEBT SETTLEMENT...that is different and that will hurt worse.

How does credit counseling affect my FICO® score?
Published 01/08/2006 01:22 PM | Updated 05/20/2015 03:24 PM
How will enrolling in a debt counseling program affect my FICO score?

Using a credit counseling service and having this situation reported in your credit report should not have any negative impact to your FICO® score. However, the actions you take based on the recommendations of a credit counselor may sometimes affect your score. For example, choosing to make partial payments or agreeing to settle for less than the full amount on accounts may be regarded negatively by the FICO® scoring model. Additionally, any late payments occurring either before or after you began the plan may also be regarded negatively.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://myfico.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/70/~/how-does-credit-counseling-affect-my-fico%25C2%25AE-score%253F

credit counseling services are a ripoff. Most of them are working on debts (unsecured) too old to collect on.

Either don't answer or tell them to fuck off.

After speaking with relatives, my brother has decided to pay off the credit card bill for me. I have to repay 1/2 of the normal payment every month, zero interest, until I save up and pay him back 100%.

The family knew nothing of my situation and got upset with me for not coming forth earlier.