Dear Debt Adviser,
A collection agency is asking me to pay a debt. I asked them for a payment plan but the agency wants the full amount of the debt. I tried to get a loan to pay them off but was denied.

I have decided to give up my car so I will have that extra money to pay on the debt. I informed the collector of this but the agency wants all the money.

I'm trying to eliminate different things from my budget, such as cable and my cell phone, so I can make this debt good. But how do I make the collector understand that I am trying to pay this? I don't know where to go from here.
-- Esther

Dear Esther,
You've probably heard the expression "you just can't please some people." Your collector fits this category like a glove. I want you to stop worrying right now about pleasing this maniacal collector. Instead, step back and get some perspective.

You are doing all the right things. You are communicating with the collector and letting the agency know what you can do. All you can do is your best to make good on the debt, and you are doing that.

The collector is the problem here, not you. You are doing your best, but the agency wants more.

Every collector I have worked with wants a "promise to pay," and is willing to establish a reliable "repayment schedule" before moving on to the next challenge of the day. Having offered all of the above and being told it isn't enough tells me you are dealing with a nonprofessional.

I recommend making an appointment with a qualified credit counseling agency. There, your counselor -- an unbiased third party -- will discuss your financial situation and your options for repaying the debt. The counselor also will discuss how best to proceed with a collector who seems to enjoy making you miserable more than getting a payment.