Collections?

[QueenJ]

Hi

I had a BOA cc years ago i did a payment plan with them, but then i lost my job so i was not able to pay them every month and they were not willing to help me because i was not delinquent.  Once i started working i started paying them whatever i could.  This year it fell off my credit even tough i was still paying them monthly with my bill pay.  Now i received a letter stating they have sent it to collections and i have 30 days to validate teh debt.  Also if im not mistaken it was another collections agency who had it for the pas year or so.  What should i do at this point.  No, I cannot afford to pay them off in one lump sum.

Thank you

[RobertEG]

There arrived a point in time when the debt became officially delinquent under your account agreement.

That date then set the date of first delinquency (DOFD) that began the running of the exclusion period of no later than 7 years plus 180 days.

Once past the exclusion period, any reported collection, regardless of whether paid or unpaid, must be excluded from your credit report.

Exclusion from your credit report does not discharge the debt or prevent continued collection attempts, but does remove any collection from your credit report, and thus scoring.  Your decision as to whether you wish to pay the still-delinquent debt.

What is the DOFD on the debt?

[QueenJ]

I dont recall but i know the date i saw for it to fall off was i believe June.  Last credit pull i did which was last month it was not there.  So if i decide to contact them and admit its my debt and i start paying them monthly like i did before it wont affect my credit? and honestly once it fell off my report it didnt change my score at all.