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Doesn't paying off collections help ur score?

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Anonymous
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Re: Doesn't paying off collections help ur score?

Question, after reading your post.  I also heard that the date of last transaction is very important.  I have some accounts that the last transaction was almost 7 years ago.  The problem is that once these accounts were transferred to collection agencies, these agencies sell them off to another and this only adds another collection account and shows as a new account.  Is there any way to get rid of all the collection accounts that have been sold off?  What was originally 6 accounts has grown to about 25 accounts.  All of the current credit that I use, ie.....house, car loans, and a few credit cards......have all been current for the 7 years, but I am still really getting dinged because of the number of collection accounts.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
dakota569
Message 21 of 168
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Doesn't paying off collections help ur score?

I just completed a charge off and the reduction was over $2,000. They said it will take 3-6 to report. I have others issues being taken care of as we speak as I expect some new scores to come out of it.
 
Goal by the end of 2011: All three credit bureaus: 800+
 
I will make it!!!Woman Very Happy
 
 
Message 22 of 168
Anonymous
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Re: Doesn't paying off collections help ur score?

NO!!!!
It will only stay on for 7 years after the ORIGINAl DOFD.

AllthingsthruHim wrote:
My two cents worth - Unless the are willing to DELETE and give it to you in WRITING...if they are OLD let the dead dogs lye....the older the account gets the less it hurts your score, paying  them off giving a better score is a falisy, when you pay that account off they can actually report new activity and you are stuck with that now paid collection (which is just as harmful as unpaid) for another 7 years.  It will stay for 7 yrs from date of LAST TRANSACTION.... something to watch out for!
 
Many Blessings and Good Luck, take it from me this can be a full time job...just getting things reported accurately is full time, and then craziness when trying to repair...
 
 



Message 23 of 168
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Doesn't paying off collections help ur score?

I have recently paid off two collection accounts and had a dramatic rise in all three of my scores. It's estimated that 10% of your score is based on collections. However, I think that if you have other derogatories on your report, more recently especially, it will do little to improve your score in the short term. Furthermore, many credit card companies and debt issuance companies like banks will not extend credit to those with ANY collections on their account.
 
In my case the collections were both aged and I was trying to have them removed because I didn't believe that they were legitimate. I believe both were over 4 years old and totaled less than $100. I was told by my mortgage broker that if I paid those my credit score would really improve so I just stopped worrying about principles and paid them off. My scores were:
 
TR= 621                      
EX= 615
EQ= 579
 
One month after paying off the collections and only having one collection reported to two of the bureaus and TR having both reported I have the following scores:
 
TR=673
EX=651
EQ=608
 
Although I realize that other factors may have been involved somewhat in those scores I believe that paying off the collections is the more heavily weighted factor in those improvements. Especially given that those numbers fall directly within the 10% weighted factor.
 
So I would highly recommend paying off all collections. Even if you have other derogatories it is something that you will need to do in the long-term view of credit repair or maintnance.
 
Good luck to you!
Message 24 of 168
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Doesn't paying off collections help ur score?

It goes exactly like this.....
 
If your collection is a couple years old (sometimes not too old in certain cases) and you pay it off it will be reported again as paid in full (do make sure you pay it in full, because lenders look at that).  Now if its old it may increase your score.
 
But heres the best thing to do (which I have done once and have done for alot of my friends and co-workers).  Look up the collection agency, name, address, headquarters office and all.  Write them a letter stating that you either didnt know about the collection, were having ruff times, divorced, laid off, something of valid reason, etc.  After stating all the good info on why, kindly state you are trying to make a major purchase and this is significally hurting you and you would appreciate the removal of this.
 
After 3 weeks do it again and again.  It actually took 2 and a half weeks for me to get a letter of confirmation that the collection was being removed.  After another 2 weeks I had gotten a text message from my fico saying theres a change in my fico score (+42).
 
Goode luck and you cant go wrong with this!!! 
 
-Brandon
 
O yeah you could always call (but I like writing them letters!)
Message 25 of 168
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Doesn't paying off collections help ur score?

Under what circumstances would you have a delinquent account deleted? Can you ask for it to be dropped once it is paid?
Message 26 of 168
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Doesn't paying off collections help ur score?

Since November I have resolved 56 collections/derag from my accounts (129 when you take all three cra into account.  I mean these puppies are GONE, vamoos, outtdahere ..  and my score has only risen approximately 45 points across the board. The amounts were between $3500 and $35. They have vanished into the thin particles of the rariefd air of the FICO galaxy.  On an average these were somewhere between 2 and 5 years old, but my entire credit history is 24 years.  Why hasen't this raised my score more? btw for the most part the above negatives were related to husbands medical bills at the time of his death, where the providers just incorrectly billed insurance and in spite of being repeatedly informed of how to correct it, just threw it into collection. Also, on three accounts on my Eq this occurs: under "Negative Accounts" section it displays two segments:  "Open Accounts" statement: "never late, pays as agreed" (then when you click to "more info" and it shows one white space and one space from five years ago that says "30") altho there is no notation of "30 days late" when you do a 3-1 pull.  Under "Closed Accounts" it shows two accounts with the same company, doing the very same thing, "never late, pays as agreed" and then you open the detail and only on one does it show a "30" under July 05, the month my husband died.  Also, the accounts are noted as "closed at customers request" (i closed them 3-4 years ago, when because of the medical bills my cl went from $9K to $300),  I have written GW letters in the last weeks hoping these folks will honor my otherwise excellent records and remove them but who knows.    I have spent at least 200 hours over the last 7 weeks getting this str8t.  ONE LAST THING:  besides stating the obvious, that these collection agencies are xx!#X#!, the unimaginable  happened last night.  I discovered that Oxford Management, had without my consent, permission, knowledge, voodoo dance or bowing to the queen, paid off a $781.96 bill with the credit card I had given them to pay a $293.21 bill.  This 700+ bill has been w/d from the oc, was never owed, and i didn't even know the ca had the old paper.  I made notes of the conversation when I paid the $293 bill, in fact they offered to accept $105 as full payment, but I wanted it removed, which they would do for the full amount, i have the name and extension number of the person, whom I have been bugging him for the last 30 days to send me a verifying fax about the account being settled, (to no avail, duh) (shakes head in disqust.) he first said "I missed the fax deadline" then the next call "It was mailed" then the next and the next "It will be in the mail" and then last Thursday, swore it would go out "in the 3 o'clock faxes".  I only discovered this yesterday when I was reviewing a new cc bill and I thought what is $766.86 to "paymybill"? she said to herself with surprise!?!?!!  I am sure (clicks ruby red shoes and grabs Todo) this is federal wire fraud.  When talking to a mgr at Oxford about this last night they wanted me to stop payment on my cc but I am afraid this will  backfire on me, i want them to issue a credit, and fire the guy. I actually wanted him shot at sunrise.  this was paper certergy sold to oxford mgmt.  Any suggestions?  helppppppppppppp......
Message 27 of 168
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Doesn't paying off collections help ur score?

NO, NO, NO.  It just resets it to the latest activity date (payment).  They created this game with their own formulas, so we just have to learn to play it.  The creditor already wrote it off as a bad loan.  The credit collector just buys it for pennies on the dollar.  If you pay it it will not get removed (unless agreement in writing), but the original account still will say CO or WO.  I don't have time to waste with Cr Bur's so I paid a company to deal w/it LEGALLY.  Only $500!!!! The BEST invesment of my life., and I gained a friend as a plus.  My credit went to the mid-700's. 
Message 28 of 168
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Doesn't paying off collections help ur score?

THat's right! You can do it! And I finally made 703 WOW! I just early this month called many of my cards and ask for credit line increase while my balances are low and of course has good payment history and now if I use some of the credit line it doesn't show a near maxed out card. Soon I will close any higher interest card and cards that allow only little credit line. So now my score is better than ever, But seems like as soon as I use some of my credit my score takes a dive into the mid 600's.
I think Besides watching my spending I should not watch my score so often if it's going to be in the back of my mind so much but like all of us I have been striving over the years to better my financial condition. Spending is my biggest problem but now with business being hit so hard and people holding on to their money my income has gone done and the belt tightens. Good Luck all and pardon any typo'z. God Bless all and have a great Summer
Message 29 of 168
SCAREDCROW
Established Member

Re: Doesn't paying off collections help ur score?

I have tried for several months now to get two small medical collections and a utility collection off my reports.  I've submitted PFD's (to pay in FULL) to the CAs and one wrote back "Too Bad, No Deal".  I contacted the OC as well with an offer to pay in FULL for a PFD, and received 'zero' response.  They are a couple of years old, and I wonder whether it's even worth it to try and pay them.  No-one seems interested in payment in FULL - go figure that!  The other one is a collection from the power company, and is listed 'twice' on my CR. I have to think that if one collection item is bad, two have to be worse; I don't think these systems know to determine that it's from the same creditor.  I don't owe this utility collection, and have contacted the CRBs who are required to research and correct.  Nothing has happened on this as well, and I have not received any confirmation or otherwise stating that I should owe on this utility bill.  Any suggestions?
Message 30 of 168
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