Ask him to call capital one to see if they still have the account or they sold the account to the collectors. If the account has already been sold to the collectors, They act like a middle men and you can often settle with them for lot less. 
Read the article completely and you will have an idea of what to do:

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/ManageDebt/MakeADealWithDebtCollectors.aspx?page=1