Sole proprietor business debt...harassment, help!?

Several years ago I signed a contract to lease credit card processing equipment. The contract also named the "card services" company that set me up with the lease through a third-party. Since then, the card services company has gone into hiding, perhaps out-of-business, they have numerous complaints against them in the BBB. I stopped paying on the lease because when the company disappeared, they stopped providing me with the services. The lease company sold my debt to a collector, who is harassing me non-stop, yells and hangs up on me when I try to explain the situation. I don't think I should have to pay for this, and I'm not sure of my rights, as it was a sole-proprietorship. Can I get them to stop calling? Does this too come off my credit report after 7 years? Does it no longer affect my credit score after 7 years?

Have a look at the article below. It spells out your rights as a debtor and what they can and cannot do.

Essentially they can only call you so often, so many times. If you send something to them in writing they have to stop otherwise they are in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Anyway, it's all in this article.

If this company sold your debt then that company must be providing the same service right? If not then don't waste a minute contacting an attorney. This was a service they were to provide based on sales by your company which I assume you still have. If you do then contact your merchant account and ask them who is processing the payments. No company can bill you for a service they are not providing unless there was an upfront fee that you did not pay for initially and that is what you owe. Like I said talk to an attorney after you have all your facts together.

first you get the credit reporting agencies to validate,
www.creditinfocenter.com