1800NotFair

My parents found it easier to spell than "Iron Man".

We actually did a story as a joke several years ago indicating that Kimmel & Silverman had NOT broken up. Thank you for your interest.

You may need a lawyer. The good news is that representation is free. The types of calls you're speaking about come under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. You may be entitled to as much as $1,000 from each caller, plus legal fees paid. Plus, the calls will stop as soon as the caller is notified that you're represented by legal counsel.

The answer to your question is that few attorneys would be interested in helping, because the caller is so clearly making an illegitimate claim of being a debt collector. What you should do is contact your phone carrier to determine how you can block calls from this number. If it's a cellphone you can use the phone's software to block the call

Most creditors and debt collectors will not negotiate unless the debt is in default. If you are current on your bills, you will be unsuccessful in having them agree to accept less. If in default, typically you need to put enough money aside before you will be able to settle what's being claimed. That's where most people have difficulty, because they do not have money put aside to settle the debt. If you are uncertain that you owe the debt or are uncertain of the amount, you should first seek validation of the debt in writing from a creditor. If you dispute any action of what is claimed, you should file a dispute on your credit report.

If you pay a debt to a debt collector in satisfaction of a claim, you always want them to delete the trade line on your credit report. You should tell the so in writing as a condition of payment. It will take 10-12 weeks, but it will come off.

The percentage discount that you can expect in settling a debt is based upon several factors. If the debt was resold to a third party, it was sold at a discount, meaning the face value of the debt was not paid to acquire it. That affords you more opportunity to negotiate the repayment amount. This varies from debt to debt. If the debt is outside the statute of limitations, never offer anything, no matter what you are told. If you are unsure of the statute of limitations, pay nothing until you consult with an attorney and find out.