So, you are in Georgia?
If you have case law in your state that says credit reporting falls under collection activity, then you have a leg to stand on there. But merely saying that it is debt collection activity holds no water. Some states have ruled that it is indeed collection activity....others have said the opposite. There's no clear consensus on this.
Also, keep in mind that state law cannot preempt federal law in an area where the federal government has granted authority. So, the 7 year reporting period applies as federal law over the whole country.
Discover, as an original creditor, is not required to follow the FDCPA, as that law only applies to third party debt collectors. However, they did send you statements.
Finally, the 609 theory is really a farce. Section 611 is the one that quantifies our rights to dispute, etc. The law does not require a CRA to furnish copies of documents they do not or cannot possess, and makes no such requirement that forces them to remove disputed entries when they cannot furnish such things. I would strongly encourage you to research this forum, and not to use tactics unless you research the laws indicated in them. Section 609 simply states that, upon your request, the bureau must produce for you a copy of everything in its files concerning your credit report. It does NOT require them to produce for you anything that they don't have in their files. The 609 theory is that you can get them in a 'gotcha' moment when they cannot produce things such as original signed applications for credit and so on. This is a patently false theory, and as you learned when they reinserted the Discover account, ineffective.
Please don't take my post as any sort of insult or attack--it's just that when one does not follow the actual laws in this process, their efforts do tend to backfire. One more thing to think about--you just posted on a public forum that you attempted to get entries removed from your credit file that you later admitted you owe on. When you said that they made a mistake and that the last payments were in 2015, you admitted to knowing information that only the account holder would generally know. Credit bureaus are not under any obligation whatsoever to remove legitimately reported debts from your credit report unless the time for reporting has expired.
This is not a get fixed quick scheme. This is a marathon race. Take the time, learn, do the steps in the right order, and you will see success.
