<prompt> Human: Hi All this is my story. I got a call a couple of days ago from a law firm saying they were serving me with a summons to appear in court within 24 to 48 hours. I called immediately to speak with someone. I had to pry out all the info I got. They said it was for a credit card I had close to 8 years ago. I have been clearing up all credit issues I had and this was not on any report. I asked why I had not been sent a letter or notification about this debt. She said they had sent letters to a old address that I no longer lived at. I had a hard time with this because when a lawyer wants to find some one they can! She offered me a settlement that I could not pay, She offered me to be able to make payments at a ridiculous rate. I was able to talk her into paying a small amount in good faith.Which I really did not want to do. Now to my questions. What are my options? I have heard that paying on this would put this back on my credit even after it has been charged off. Can I buy more time with these guys to come up with a better option for pay off? Any help is greatly appreciated.  <response>: They cannot send you a summons to appear in court within 24 to 48 hours. Dont be scared of them and dont let them bully you into doing anything. Take your time to understand your rights.To serve you a summons they will have to give you paperwork and have proof, such as a certified letter, that you received the letter. As far as I understand it, if the debt is truly 8 years old it is over the statue of limitation and it cant be put on your report and they have no recourse. Please correct me if I am wrong. Keep monitoring your credit report. If it isnt on there dont worry about it. If you get a summons, show up to court, demand proof that they own the debt and that the debt is yours. 