Can I request that paid off collections accounts be removed from my credit report?
951749
You are finding out the trap I've been trying to tell people for years now.....\n\nJust because you pay off a collection account does not mean it will improve your credit score.  All they are required to do is report that the bill is paid, but all information about late payments and charge offs will remain on your report.  You paid the bill but it's still hurting you!  Is that fair?\n\nNote that there are only two ways a negative report can be deleted from your records.\n\n1) The creditor must delete it\n2) The creditor fails to respond to a dispute investigation from the credit bureau.\n\nSo, as Amanda states, you can file a dispute with the credit bureau and HOPE that the creditor doesn't respond back.  But this doesn't happen that often, especially if it's a large collection agency.  They are wise to this game.\n\nAnd once you have paid this bill, you are going to find it extremely difficult to get the collection agent to help you.  But this may be your only way to get this fixed.\n\nSend them a letter and ask them to delete the report.\n\nIn the future, NEVER pay a collection agent unless they agree IN WRITING to delete the negative information from your history.  Don't pay them a dime until they do!
822474
They can write off a debt after unsuccessful "reasonable collection efforts" are exhausted - usually 90 days. I don't recall any laws stating any time period but only reasonable efforts to collect.\n\nLook in the agreement, it may have the proof you are looking for. Some creditors have their own criteria for this and document it in the agreement.\n\nHave you tried to negotiate it with them? That is pretty cold to do that especially when you have proof you actually moved.\n\nGood luck\n\n================
848512
At this point Amex probably does not even own your account anymore, as for the charge off it will remain on your credit even if you settle the debt. Once it gets to charge off status you can't do anything about that. As far as paying off in installments the collection agency wants it in one lump sum. Their thinking is if you ca pay 1260 you can pay the whole amount.
34012
If you have a charge off, you have to pay the debt.  That's the only way to get rid of it.  You can wait 7 yrs til it falls off your credit report, but you still owe the money, collectors will continue to call you.  A charge-off is a term used to explain a debt that is over 180 days past due.  If you wait for it to fall of your credit report, you also run the risk of them filing a judgement against you (which is on your credit report for 10 years!), or suing you for the money before the 7 years.  LOL at all the people who think that your debt disappears after 7 years.  That's just the limit as to how long it can hurt your credit.  You will always owe the money.\n\nThe other people who have responded have responded in a way as if the debt wasn't a valid debt.  If this debt is rightfully yours, a letter of dispute or any of the suggested things are useless.
116140
get a co-signer to secure your credit card.  they can help you re-build it.  otherwise you have to wait something like 10 years to get the collections to drop off of your report.
47000
contact the creditor. If it is a large firm ask for the collections department. Attempt to negotiate a settlement that includes elimination of the negatively reported information. Start by saying "can you help me with this". Explain the original problem and staate that you want to make it good. Sometimes they will be sympathetic. At a minimum, if you pay they have to report it as originally charged off but paid.
622345
Joieanew, please tell the whole truth!\n\nIf you pay your bills, you have to hope that the creditor will do something about your negative credit report he placed.\n\nJust placing "Paid in Full" does NOT remove any additional bad marks, such as that it was in collections, or that there were late payments.\n\nTherefore, unless the item is completely deleted, or the entire status is changed to "Paid As Agree, Never Late", you will still have bad marks on your record, and it will still keep your credit score low.\n\nThat is why, if you plan to pay off your debt, make the creditor agree IN WRITING to remove any negative report from your record.  Yes, they can do it.  Yes, it's totally legal.
628915
Lets get a few things straight, and ignore the advice of these   bill collectors....\n\n1)  Credit reporting agencies report what creditors tell them to report.\n\n2)  You can not get negative information removed from your credit report if it's "fair and accurate".\n\n3)  There is no law forcing creditors to post anything!  There is no law preventing them from editing or removing any entry that they posted.\n\nTherefore, if you pay a bill off, there is nothing preventing a creditor removing negative entries from your report, and/or posting the entry to say "paid as agreed".  \n\nNote that just placing "paid" on your account does NOT remove negative history such as delinquincy or late payments.  \n\nThis said, what you are trying to do is fix your credit report by paying the debt.  Why would you want to pay your debt and still have bad credit?   The nonsense these guys are saying about a paid off delinquincy looks better then an unpaid one is wrong and stupid!  Would you rather get kicked in the nuts or kicked in the butt!  Neither!\n\nSo what you need to do is negotiate a settlement with your creditors.  In exchange for paying off the bill, they must remove all negative entries from your history.  Make them agree to this IN WRITING before you pay them a dime.  \n\nThey are simply lying if they tell you they can't do it, or it's against the law.  I am still waiting for one of the collectors who respond here to show me any evidence or law to disprove me.  \n\nAnd yes, they will do it, I've helped several people get their credit cleaned up this way.  If the creditor wants their money, they will work with you on it.
446449
Ok.  When a credit card or whatever charges off your account, it is usually sold to a collection agency.  You will now have 2 reports for the same thing on your credit.  This is ok.  If you have 3, you should contact the credit agency.\n\nYou have 7 years FROM THE LAST PAYMENT MADE before it falls off of your credit.  If it's been a year since your last payment, you have 6 years left, even if it was just charged off this month.  If you have no intention on paying, do not contact the collection agency, it could restart your 7 years.
695909
If it's been 10 years since you made any payments, wait another 6 months and the charged off account will be off your credit report and won't matter anymore.  Some of them may have fallen off after 7 years anyway.
1016146
They should be removed from your credit report after 7 years.  sometimes you have to write each credit company (experian, trans union, equifax) and tell them so they remove it.
856252
Yes, I have disputed and had the negatives removed, but the negatives were inaccurate. Sometimes it is best to "let laying dogs sleep" if the negative is old and accurate. By disputing the claim, you are refreshing the memory that you have an accurate debt with the creditor and since they will be updating the bureaus, your credit score could slightly drop since the account will look like it has had recent activity. Plus, if the creditors start to contact you since you reminded them of the debt, you will have to be careful with what you do so that you don't lengthen the statue of limitations (allowing them to have a chance to sue you for a longer period of time).
45327
They could eventually.  What could happen is they can sell your overdue account to a collections agency and the collections agency could sue you and if they win the lawsuit they could have your wages garnished.\n\nThe big issue is that you are destroying your credit, by not paying this debt.  It is probably a relatively small amount and will stay on your record for 7 years.  If it is not in collections contact the book club and make arrangements to pay off your debt.  If it is collections make sure you are staying current on your other bills and pay any extra money to paying off your debt.  If it is in collections paying it off will not help your FICO score, but it will make your credit report look better.
338466
Perhaps instead of a debt consolidation your in need of a credit repair company, as these old debts have been charged-off already.?
830111
You have just stumbled into the trap that I have tried warning people about for months now!\n\nThere are only two ways to get a negative item removed from your credit history.\n\n1) The creditor must remove it\n2) The creditor fails to respond to a credit bureau investigation request.\n\nOnce you have paid the creditor, you are going to find it extremely difficult to get them to cooperate in fixing your credit.  \n\nThat is why I warn people who are going to pay off old debts...make the creditor agree IN WRITING to delete the entry once the bill has been paid off.  Don't pay them a dime unless they agree to do it.\n\nNow you are broke, and you still have bad credit.  Is that fair?\n\nAll you can do now is start the dispute process.  Note that even though you paid off this debt, the creditor is only REQUIRED to show that the debt has been paid off, but it will still show reports of late payments, charge offs and collections.  It will still be a negative report. \n\nBut it at least should show the bill is paid.  Failure of the credit to update your credit history is a violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.  If they don't update the listing, you can sue them for $1000 in small claims court.\n\nSend a dispute letter to both the credit bureau and the creditor.  But note that it sometimes takes a couple of months for these updates to show up on your report, so you need to be patient.
320572
If it is on your credit report it should have a phone number or address to contact them. If not just dispute it and have it removed. If you can't contact them neither can the credit report company. Poof it will be gone.
597152
People like Zandelia need to be spanked for constantly referring freecreditreport to people.  I'm getting more convinced they get kickbacks by sending people there.\n\nGo to http://www.annualcreditreport.com and get a FREE, NO GIMMICKS credit report.  This is the site that was set up to handle the government mandated free credit reports.\n\nOnce you have your report, it will show all of the delinquent accounts you have, and their contact information.  Contact them and negotiate a settlement.\n\nBE SURE that you get them to agree IN WRITING to remove any negative information that they placed on your credit report.  Remember, the reason you are paying your debt is to fix your credit score.  It does you no good to pay them if your credit will still reflect these unpaid balances.  You will find that once they have your money, they will be very uncooperative in fixing your report.\n\nAlso note that just placing "paid" on your account does not remove the negative information such as late fees, or collections.  They must either show on your account "Paid as Agree, Never late", or simply remove the listing entirely.\n\nYes, it's legal.  They may tell you they can't do it, or it's against the law, but they are lying.  I've done it, and I've helped many others do it also.  Nothing in the Fair Credit Reporting Act prevents a creditor from removing their own reports.  \n\nGood luck