I have a lot of experience with this so just hear me out. Most people will tell you that you should not duck your head in the sand and that you should stand up and face the music. Just pick up the phone, make arrangements and pay what you owe. You made the bill…pay the bill. I’m not most people.
Now, I’m not telling you that you should not pay what you owe. You should most definitely pay your bills unless you have the mental fortitude to deal with the onslaught of debt collector calls and harassment that will be headed your way the moment you decide to stop answering calls.
Stay with me for a moment. There is a method to the madness. It’s all situational. By situational, I mean that whether you pay your past-due debt should depend on a couple of factors. One of which is how close are you to the statute of limitations for the state in which you incurred the debt?
If the debt is due to fall off 5 years from now and you are trying to rebuild your credit, then I suggest that you answer the call and try to work out a “reasonable” and viable settlement that works for both parties involved but never let yourself be raked over the coals by paying more than the original amount of the debt. That’s just crazy.
However, if on the other hand, you are near the statute of limitations for debt collection which is roughly 7 years and 90 days, and the debt is due to fall off of your credit report organically, then I would ignore all debt collector calls. They are well aware that your debt is about to become non-collectable and they want to talk you into making a payment before it’s too late.
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