If you have an outstanding debt with a company and it's been 6 years since they last were able to contact you, the debt must be written off. So you owe say $100 to the local video hire store, you don't pay for a year and they pass the debt to a collection agency. This agency then rings you and writes to you, threatens you. You are permitted under the law t not be harassed or intimidated by debt collection agencies.
You can request them to stop calling you as they are harassing you and it's against the law and then hang up.
If 6 years goes by, even to the day, and this company has not been in physics contact with you, as in spoken to or had response from you, then the debt must be written off as a bad debt, by law.
A lot of people get caught out when collection agencies call and before they know it they've admitted to a debt they may or may not have had.
If a collection agency calls you even 5 years and 364 days after last contact with you where you've spoken to them or responded to a letter, and you admit you owe the money, then another cycle of 6 years starts all over again.
If a debt collection agency calls you the best practice is to always ask who is calling and where they're from, then politely tell them you're not able to speak right now and then hang up. Get some legal advice before contacting them.
Do not, under any circumstances admit to the debt before you have received legal advice.
You could be opening up a whole lot of hurt for yourself. The debt may not be yours in the first place.
Bottom line:
Debt collection agencies want to call you and speak with you to have you admit you owe a debt. Take their name, company and contact number, tell them you cannot speak now and hang up. Get legal advice before
speaking to the debt collection agency again.
The people on the phone will do almost, and say almost anything to get you to confirm you owe the debt. Emotional blackmail, 'don't you want to be a good guy?', 'what example are you to your kids?', 'you owe the money now pay it back', 'we know it's you and we're not going to stop until you pay!' ...and on and on it goes.
No matter what is said, the response from you needs to be..
'i don't have time to speak now' & hang up.

Also, keep in mind, the law may state the debt must be written off after 6 years, yet the video store would be in it's rights not to do business with you again.
It's always best to pay as you go, however we all incur financial issues sometimes and I hope this can help someone.
Often free legal advice is available at local community centres across the country.
For example, the community centre in Balaclava Victoria has free legal advice via appointments in the evenings on some days during the week.

Australian Receivables Limited - Debt Collectors.
They don't leave a message. They don't even call - meaning their message "tried calling you" is a lie. Even if they do call, they call from a blocked number. Why do they need to rely upon so much deception if they are doing legitimate work?
They want you to engage - it's as if they need your consent

I got the same text as the person above

ARL; We tried calling you but could not get through. Please call 1300 360 861 OR reply CALLME and we will attempt to call you back today.Quote Ref X

ARL; We tried calling you but could not get through. Please call 1300 360 861 OR reply CALLME and we will attempt to call you back today.Quote Ref