I need help!!! I want to call creditors but don't know where to start!

I have a few credit cards that are maxed out and the interest and over the limit fees are literally taking over. I make a payment and it literally disappears. It's as if I never paid anything. I gave up on my Chase card and now my minimum payment is $1010!!! And I've only missed 4 payments of $60!!! And my balance is $8000. Is this insane or what? I know that I should be paying this so I am not looking fo sympathy but I called once to see if they could work with me and they said I owed them this money and they wouldn't waive a thing. TRUE... I do owe them, but this is so outrageous that the largest payment I can make at a time doesn't do a thing. I have looked into filing chapter 7 and I REALLY don't want to do that at all but this debt is eating me alive. My question is... what can I say or how do I go about telling the creditors that I can't pay unless they get rid of some of the fees??? Is there a trick to it?

Thanks so much for any responses! I really do appreciate it!

Heather

IMO, I would just keep making the minimum payments.My CCs are the same, all the payments seem to just go to interest and I am not getting any where BUT then I also had to let a few cards go awhile back and let me tell you I wished I hadn't! I ruined my perfect credit that now will take FOREVER to rebuild,and yes CC will add on fees of all sorts and missing a payment will cause your account to default % rate. Upon signing/accepting the contract of the credit card we all agreed to the fees and such so they have every right to add on fees.I let 5 cards go 3 years ago because I had no choice, and have been sued for 2 and I paid and now being sued for a 3rd and am fighting but it is a PAIN!! I spent months and years with CA calling nonstop and being harrassing and all I can say is whether you think you are getting some place or not in your payments, if at all possible keep paying! Trust me!! If I could go back I would had FOUND a way to pay my cards! There is a high % of CAs suing too right now due to economy so do not ever think you would not be sued.I mean I thought they won't touch little me I had small cards one $400, one $900, and one $800 and the other 2 same and sued so far on 3 and the first 2 I paid A LOT! Not worth the stress.Maybe try to get a loan to consolidate with a much lower interest rate?Otherwise just keep paying.This is all coming from someone who has been there and done that and is just my honest opinion....

Thanks for your reply. I guess I am leaning more towards filing for bankruptcy because I can barley pay the minimum. I owe $3600 to one card and to get out of the hole... it'll cost me $1000. That's 4 months of missed payments of $60 and the rest are over the limit fees, interest, and late fees. It just doesn't seem manageable.