how long before debt is written of is it after seven years?

Answer 1

It depends on the statutes of limitation relative to the type of debt !!

Answer 2

People often confuse the rules of credit reporting (by the credit bureaus) with the rules of the credit card companies.

Legally, the credit bureaus must remove negative information that has been on your report for seven years after the date of last activity. For example, you stop paying your cc bill in January and the company does not turn accounts over to collections until the account is 180 days past due. The date of last activity would be in July b/c that is when it was sold to collections. That is the date that matters.
This also means that it is illegal for a collection agency to buy a debt and re-date it for the date it was purchased in order to start the seven years over.

Whether the debt is with a collection agency OR the original company, you are still responsible for paying the debt even after the seven years. The seven years is only applicable to your credit report. That doesn't mean that the companies will write it off after that period of time. They still have the right to try and collect their money.

Answer 3

It is, by law, seven years from the DATE OF YOUR LAST PAYMENT if it is an unsecured debt, not from the date the loan started. this applys to credit cards, unsecured bank loans, store cards, utility bills, etc etc but not to mortgages, council tax or secured loans. With a mortgage or secured loan you are likely to lose your home to cover the debt, with council tax, you`ll face a CCJ, and at worse a prison sentance.