I once read one way of getting (sort of) rid of them is by moving abroad and no longer paying. The debt holder won't be able to collect. Then, when living abroad, you negotiate the debt down to 20-25% of the original amount, and you pay that in one lump sum. Result: you saved a ton of money. Doesn't seem too bad of a deal, given near bankrupt companies do this all the time. Financial engineering (or shenanigans, whatever you want to call it) ahoy!