Want to pay off debt, where to start?

[saam826]

Ok so I started by pulling all three of my reports and I have nine total in collections. One has been paid off and is still on my report, will that drop off or just say paid? Also the rest are medical how do pay these off and how will I be sure they will come off all three reports?

[Shogun]

It will just be listed as a paid collection, you will need to try the GW route.  The others, I'd try for a PFD first.

[RobertEG]

+1

Status of a reported collection as paid or still reporting a balance under collection has zero to do with the exclusion date of the collection from your credit report.

Payment does not negate the fact that they had authorized collection authoriby on the debt.

Exclusion of a collection from your credit report due to its age is based ONLY on the DOFD on the OC account that created the debt.  The collection can no longer show in your credit report once 7 years plus 180 days has passed from that DOFD.

You can attempt, as part of negotiation on payment of the debt, to obtain the debt collector's agreement to delete their reporting once paid.

Their acceptance of such a PFD offer is totally discretionary on their part.  Since the CRAs stipulate in their credit reporing agreements with all furnishers that delteion should not be reported based on payment of a debt, acceptance of PFD offers can often be difficult to obtain. 

All you can do is try.