Did I mess up?

[lency83]

I have a medical collection on my credit report. I called the collection agency and they agreed to PFD so I paid the debt over the phone and asked them to send me a letter stating that they would be deleting it from credit report. I received the letter a few days later, but it has been 2 weeks and the collection has not been removed. How long does it usually take for it to be removed? Should I not have paid until AFTER I got their agreement in writing?

[guiness56]

What specifically does the letter say?

Not all creditors/CAs report monthly.  Some report quarterly.

It can take up to 90 days for the CRAs to remove it.

[RobertEG]

+1

If they took the step to put the agreement in writing, you have a written contract that can be enforced in court.

Few debt collectors will put such agreements in writing, and if they did so, it is very strong indication that they wont reneg.

You did not mess up!  Insisting upon a written agreement prior to payment can result in their withdrawal of the offer.