unsure of what to do with these debt collectors

Did you answer the summons to the court? Show up in court????

No creditor is legally bound to settle on any account.

no i didnt, and i never received another letter other than the one saying they sent a judgment into court. but i've called them trying to settle since july 7th. they also say in the summons that i received a letter stating that they bought my account for value which i never received any letter from this particular group about them buying my account. the last letter i received was from a different collections agency offering me a settlement.

They are not going to tell you when your court date is....you should have responded to the summons and looked up the court date on your county court website. Now they have their default judgment. Obviously they are choosing not to settle. I would highly suggested getting the entire balance together and get this paid off in full quickly. Keep in mind that judgments do accrue interest so call them and get a payoff first. You dont want them garnishing your wages or freezing your bank account.

unfortunately i only make about $150 every two weeks. can they still garnish my wages?

Probably not....but they can still levy your bank account.

Keep in mind you have now been charged with court and legal fees.

how will i know that i have? i haven't received any mail or phone calls, just letters from other lawyers offering to represent me. also, i couldn't access the court information to find out a court date on my case.

Then visit your local county court house to get the information.