I have a few debts in collections and a few different circumstances here.

1. I owe 2 different cell phone companies 2 different amounts; each is under 600.00. One of them has been in collections since 2003, one since 2004. I want to know what the statute of limitations is for unpaid debt, and if it will disappear off your file like a paid debt would after 7 years (is what I have heard). If I pay this debt will it just be on my file as bad debt, but paid for another 7 years? What if I just don't pay?

2. I owe a gym membership because I was unable to use their facilities due to my bad back (I had a fall at work a year prior and thought I was able to live my life). The membership company had given me strict instructions to provide them with a doctor's note and then pay the cancellation fee of $100.00. They all of a sudden, once I faxed them the note, decided they did not want to go this route and did not let me know. After 4 months of wondering what was going on ( I realize I didn't have to wait that long but I thought they had cancelled the contract) I contacted them and they started threatening me for legal action if I did not pay the full balance of the contract. So I fought with them about the prior situation and then months go by, along with threats, yelling and rudeness, and then they report me to a collection agency who in turn lies to me and tells me that they will not report me to the bureau if I give them a settlement offer that we can all agree upon and pay at the end of the month. I give them a settlement of what I think is fair, the original agreed amount of the cancellation fee and the original doctors note along with a new one, and then I do not hear back from them for 3 months. Then I finally get a hold of them (I called them, again) and asked what was going on. It was passed on to someone else who starts threatening me and telling me I have been non-compliant. I replied that I was waiting for an email from the last representative. Anyway to make a long story short, they reported be the same day the told me they would give me until the end of the month to pay the settlement and then they did not get back to me with the offer I gave. Its been almost a year and I don't know what to do. They have done this 2 times. Very unprofessional.

For the cell phone questions... the debt will be gone from your credit report in 7 years. But you will owe the debt until the day you die... if you made the bill it is yours to pay it will never go away. At any point this can be sold off to a collection agency at any time and can be sold time and time again. With each time it is sold you should get a new offer to settle. If you pay it today then it will show up on your report for another 7 yrs starting today.. Yes they can take you to court and try to garnish your wages... however if you are on public assitance, ssi , receiving child support they can not touch your money... But the debt is still yours On the gym membership, I would advise them to take me to court if they chose to do so. In the mean time I would document every time I spoke to someone time name and date... highlights of conversation. If I could remember the past conversation and dates I would document this as well. If they decide to take you to court you will have a certain amount of time to dispute the claim in writing, you will need to send the company a certified letter and take a copy of it to the clerk of courts in your area and file that you dispute this clam. Then you will be given a court date to explain your case. Good luck

p.s every state has different laws... the statute of limitations vary depending on the kind of contract that you have.