Posted on June 16, 2009 at 2:38 am i need help with my debts. hav 23500$ in credit card debts. also am being called by collectiors day in day out. i want calls to stop, they have been calling my workplace and i have told them to stop calling there but they arent. i am hardly getting by, i have three other mounths to feed. i don't want to file for bankruptcy just yet. i know this situation is beyond my control and i need help. thx for answering

Posted on June 16, 2009 at 3:18 am yeah i agree. the Internet isn't really so helpful, all i see are sites telling me not to seek debt relief. how do you know what is the REAL DEAL, anyway?

Posted on June 16, 2009 at 4:11 am One way for you to choose the best debt relief company that can help you out in your situation is to check their records with the Better Business Bureau. This organization helps in determining how companies address customer concerns and complaints. After all it is the BBB's objective to deliver quality service to consumers. Working with a BBB-accredited firm can help you out a lot and ensure that you're receiving the services that you paid for.

Posted on June 16, 2009 at 4:42 am If you also know of family or friends who have gone thru the same situation as you have, you can ask them. At least you'd be able to receive first-hand feedback from people that you trust.It would be best to go company-shopping. Do research on the companies that you would wish to work with. Aside from people you trust, check with your local Attorney General to see if any citizens from the state you also reside in have made complaints against these companies. Also ask for their rates: how much do you need to pay, and how often. Clarify if these payments can be amounts that you can afford each month.

Posted on June 16, 2009 at 5:07 am Seeking Help, I'm sorry to hear about your situation. In fact I'd like to commend you for not taking the bankruptcy route just yet--if anything it should be a last resort. Bankruptcy has long term consequences that may prove to be more difficult for you in the long run.I agree with both points raised earlier, and I'd also like to add that there are debt consolidation companies with very high up-front fees. They claim to be non-profit yet charge exorbitant fees. That would defeat the purpose of trying to apply for debt help in the first place, if you won't be able to afford the services of the company.What you can also do is log on to DestroyDebt.Com and fill out a form so you can be matched with a qualified provider. Doing this is free, too, so that can help you out a lot.

Posted on June 16, 2009 at 5:17 am thanks so much for the suggestions, they are really helpful, i shud start doing my reserach soon. how do i get the calls to stop though.

Posted on June 16, 2009 at 5:35 am Writing a cease & desist letter to your collectors will make the calls stop. Simply making a request that you no longer wish to communicate with them via telephone is enough; the next time they speak with you, ask for the address where this letter can be sent to. The calls may stop when you make a verbal request, but as a general rule, they should no longer be contacting you. Have you asked them to stop calling at your workplace, anyway? They should be doing so once you've made even just a verbal request to stop calling at your office. If you want all calls to stop altogether, a written request should be made.

Posted on June 16, 2009 at 5:51 am Right, 'coz according to the FDCPA any verbal request from the debtor to stop calling at the place of work should be immediately taken note of. Just so you know, debt collectors aren't allowed to disclose information about their purposes of the call, either. I hope they haven't done that to you.Besides, the cease and desist will help you gain peace of mind, in the telephone-ringing department at least, but you still owe the debt and still are responsible for it. Sorry if this may sound harsh but that won't keep them from still bringing you to court

Posted on June 16, 2009 at 8:05 am The nice thing about the BBB at this time is that they changed their ranking policy for debt settlement companies. Before, they ranked a debt settlement company as having a "satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory" rating. That doesn't really you tell you much right? Now however, they have implicated the standard A through F grading system. As a result, consumers looking into debt settlement can get a much better idea of how reputable one particular company may actually be compared to the next.

Posted on July 8, 2009 at 4:20 am Karess, how can bankruptcy be more disadvantageous for me in the long run? Isn't it a more helpful--if not the most helpful way for me to get rid of all my debts???