How to proceed with intrum justitia debt collection?

Hi I am looking for some advice with dealing with Intrum Justitia.

Last August I bought a phone from 02 online and was on a €100 a month price plan for 18 months.Soon after wards my phone was stolen and I called 02 asking to blacklist the phone.They did this but they said I would have to keep paying the €100 a month until the contract was finished, obviously I didn't want to do this as it would be paying for nothing so I asked to cancel the contract but it was over €1,500 to do this so I just left it and canceled my direct debit.

Im living away from home and I went home last week to find about 8 letters from o2 ,Centurion Collections, Intrum justitia and the latest from Bill Holohan & Associates Solicitors saying that I owe €1700 and that if I didn't pay within 7 days the would issue legal proceedings against me without further notice.

I know I cant ignore them but I have no Idea what to say to them, I'm unemployed, have no savings and have no idea how I can pay it back.

Also will this affect my credit rating?

I would be so grateful if anyone could advise me how to proceed??

Hi, what you say to them is what you have said here and that is that you are unemployed and have no savings. Did you have any insurance to cover the phone, or would it be covered on your household insurance? Tell them your circumstances as soon as possible and offer them a small monthly payment in the meantime while you get sorted out. They can't have what you haven't got and it's not a hanging offence. Dont panic it's not the end of the world!!

By the way did you pay by credit card? you might be insured that way.

I have justed posted on the Consumer thread about a demand I have from Intrum Justitia. I never heard of them before. Possibly I should have posted here. I do not know what the demand is for can I dispute it?

Ring them and ask them.They work for phone companies?

Mod bump. topic raised again today.