Update:
I have settled the following collection accounts in exchange for PFD:
Credit Sys Inc (Urgent Care): PIF for $156
Jefferson Capital Systems (Verizon): Originally $1160, settled for $525
Jefferson Capital Systems (Fingerhut): Originally $422, settled for $253
Portfolio Recovery (Capital One): Originally $452, settled for $270
Resurgent/LVNV Funding (Capital One) offered me a settlement of $250 on $416, but says they cannot PFD, so I didn't pay.
Midland Funding (Express) sued me for $613, got it dismissed w/o prejudice. Midland won't talk to me because they had the account with a legal collection firm, the legal collection firm won't talk to me because I have a lawyer. I wrote a letter to Midland including the dismissal memo from the court case along with a screenshot from their payment portal showing payments I DID NOT make, and requested they either verify those payments per the FCRA or delete the account from all three credit bureaus. I sent that letter certified mail w/return receipt requested, will see if I get anything back on it.
I have two late payments each with Comenity Forever 21 and Comenity Ulta, I sent a goodwill letter out to each account requesting deletion with my sob story, still waiting on that update.
Next I will be sending goodwill letters with relevant copies of information (dismissal memo, receipts, etc) to the original creditors still reporting negatively on my account (Comenity Express and Webbank Fingerhut) to see if I can get them removed. I believe this will be a longshot, but I suppose it's worth a few minutes, some paper products and a stamp.
I have also paid my only 2 open accounts (Ulta and Forever 21) in full, so they will report 0% utilization... And my boyfriend added me as an AU to his discover opened in 2011 with 0 negatives and 13.5k limit, this has reported and raised my scores ~25 pts alone.
I might be hoping for too much but I really hope this will all be worth it, and soon! I desperately want a good credit score.
