If at first you don't succeed...

If you are truly willing to commit to a debt settlement program, you must understand that maintaining communication with your creditors will hinder the process. What did you hire the debt settlement companies for? To stop the calls? To help you resolve the accounts?
If you want the calls to stop, you might consider not answering the phone anymore. Your debt settlement company cannot tell you that you may not speak with your creditors. Often in life we hear the saying, 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.'
This DOES NOT apply to your financial situation with creditors. I've said it before and I will say it again: **Creditor calls will begin quite amicably while the process of gathering information takes place. You had better believe they are going to turn on you and become quite aggressive.

Remember the creditor's mentality: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
They don't necessarily even need to reach you. Calling your family that may live out of state with still eventually get the message that someone at an 800 number is looking for you. It may be so embarrassing that you return the call with the hope that they will honor your request for them to stop calling your family or distant relatives. They may even call an ex-spouse.

If you've hired a debt settlement company to help you resolve your debts and are willing to truly commit to your plan, you are doing yourself a disservice by maintaining any kind of contact. Let your settlement company do their job.