Hello MyFico!
A few months ago I posted about a $55 medical collections that went on my report since I moved addresses and never received the bill...I know this seems small but it took my score down by several points and I was questioned by a lender about the collections. First I tried contacting the hospital and asking them to remove it but they said there was nothing they could do and they did try to call me via my mom and dads old phone number and couldn't reach anyone....Last month I sat down and wrote a letter to al three credit bureaus asking for them to remove the debt and cited that I obviously wouldn't pay the previous month and this months bill, skipping the older one and that it was causing me financial issues due to the report -- I also included attachments of previous months payments. The results? Transunion and Experian replied back and completely removed the collections from my score (still waiting on Equifax). While this may not work on big debts, it's worth a shot for smaller collections!
Also, from what I read it's better to write them a letter via mail instead of using their online dispute process. It takes longer and a little more work but may be worth it in the long run!
