subject: What To Do If You Want To Negotiate With Credit Card Companies About Your Credit Card Debt [print this page] If you are in dire straits about your debt and have few or little options you should immediately call the credit card company or companies that you owe the highest amount to to try your best to negotiate credit card debt with them. One of the worst things that you can do is do nothing and hope that it will go away.
If you can only make small payments see if you can get your interest rate lowered and possibly move you payment due date to another day. If you have a certain amount in savings that you would be willing to use to settle your credit card debt you can offer to settle for that amount instead of your total amount. Tell the first person that you talk to either make a settlement, payment plan, or lower your interest rate.
Ask to speak to a supervisor or someone that can really negotiate credit card debt with you and make a real decision about your credit card debt. Get the offer that they agree to in writing before you send them a payment on your settlement amount. Do not send the payment before you get their agreement in writing other wise you may still be responsible for your total credit card debt amount.
You will never know how much creditors will settle or negotiate with you until you ask them. Make a list of your debts and start calling them to get a payment arrangement, payment plan, or settlement amount on your debts. Being able to negotiate credit card debt can be freeing. If you can haggle with the best of them try it out with some sincerity in your voice. Really explaining your situation can help them understand you and why you need their help
The fact that so many people are in over their heads gives consumers a lot of negotiating power with creditors. While you can get relief using a counseling agency, most people don't realize that you can actually get comparable results if you negotiate credit card debt yourself. In fact, because you aren't paying a fee to the middle man, you can come out ahead.
If you want to eliminate your debt the first thing you have to do is to make the commitment. Decide that you are going to pay off the debt. Making the decision is the key to paying credit card debt. Once you make this decision everything else will just fall into place. Move forward and don't get discouraged. Believe that it can be done.