I agree. Don't budge from your position of strength and always get it in writing.
I pushed this issue with Portfolio Recovery Associates for 11 months on a collection account. I wrote them a letter every 2 weeks letting them know under no circumstances will I accept a 'paid collection' on my credit reports. They only thing I would accept is a deletion of the trade line after final payment. They were incredibly stubborn for the past 11 months but it finally paid off for me.
Not only did I not have to pay the final payment but I got a letter from them (I filed a complaint through their local chapter of the BBB and the Attorney General) on July 30, 2008 (from their in-house legal counsel) that to amicably settle the matter with me that they have agreed to delete the trade line from all three credit reports and cease all collection activity on the account. We're not talking about $20 here. They actually turned down my final payment of $3,000 and agreed to delete, in writing.
I ordered all 3 credit reports from Myfico yesterday (July 31st) and the trade line was deleted from all three reports. Bottom line is this...don't take any c*ap from anyone even if they harass you until you feel like you can't take it anymore. Read the FDCPA and FCRA front to back and when you're finished with that, read it again. I applied everything I learned from reading and re-reading those documents and that's what got me where I'm at today. Patience. Persistence. Dedication.
As with anything, always negotiate from a position of strength and 9 chances out of 10 you will succeed.
My credit scores in September 2007: EQ 548, EX 560, TU 540
My credit scores today, August 1, 2008: EQ 712, EX 739, TU 756
Message Edited by IrishPM on
08-01-2008 11:46 AM