Their credit reporting agreements with the CRAs dont require that they "report everything." If a prior item of information is made inaccurate due to some later activity, they are arguably required to update that information, but not because that reporting was itself required, but rather because it is necessary to correct the status of a prior reporting.
Their credit reporting agreements with the CRAs are based on the CRA credit reporting manual, which includes the express provision, repeated over and over, that prior, accurate information is not to be deleted from a consumer credit file based on payment of the debt. That is the "requirement" they are referencing. However, this statement in the CRA credit reporting manual is entirely without enforcement teeth in that no party is required to provide a reason for the deletion of any information. They need only report a deletion code. The CRAs gave no way, and frankly no interest, in the reasons. I am not aware of a single instance where a CRA has questioned, let alone refused to delete, information based on this "requirement." It is really a non-issue, and any prior derog can clearly be deleted with no violation of statue, and with no issue of violation of credit reporting agreements.
Arguing with a creditor that they can delete is kinda confrontational, as they are clearly within their rights not to delete. So I would be careful about soliciting their good-will, while at the same time arguing their postition. That is probably not likely to produce a feeling of good-will on their part.
