[dixiechick]

Hey there - any advise would be great.
Have an outstanding debt back home in Ireland which I cant afford to pay here - have given them explanations etc.. but now gone to a debt collector!
The exchange rate between the euro and dollar is a nightmare. Being honest I dont think I will ever go back again and am half and half about going bust there. I have asked to have payments reduced which still means paying at least $150 a week for the next 3 years from NZ - money I dont have! What do people do? All my mates are Kiwis so not much help as never been in the situation! cheers,

[willsken]

If you are planning on leaving a debt behind, think carefully about it. If you do decide to ever go back, saying never is a long time, then it may well catch up with you. I know if the debt isn't large then it will most likely be written off but that black mark will stay against your name. At the end of the day if you have tried to talk to them and come to an arrangemet and they don't want to know, I'm not sure what you can do.

[Chiba]

Depends on the kind of debt. If it's anything you can go to jail for, meaning tax and the like, then you must pay it off. It doesn't sound like this is the case. If it's a credit card bill or what have you, then negotiate. Show them details of your income and expenditure (there are standard sheets you can find online) so you can show you only have X dollars per week available, ask for them to freeze or reduce the interest so you at least have a chance to pay it off, etc.

If you were in the UK, I'd say talk to the Citizen's Advice Bureau. They can do the paperwork with/for you, and they know the correct tone at which to sell your proposed payment schedule.