Yes, stay off the phone!!! Do not ever talk to a CA!!! NEVER!!! Only use certified Mail-Return Receipt Requested to communicate. Don't believe them for a second that they will work with you. They have many dirty tricks and no morals. Once they get something out of you, they will sell your file to another CA. Unfortunately, this is between you and them now. If they bought the debt and the file has your name on it, you are going to have to deal with this. The good news is that CAs are usually quite stupid and make their money off of uneducated people who don't know their rights. CAs break the law over and over in their attempts to collect (whether it's a valid debt or not). With those violations you can turn the tables around. Go to a site like http://www.creditboards.com to get up to speed. Read and ask many questions.