If the collection agency has already submitted the information to the bureaus, it should get updated immediately. I have "True Credit" by trans Union and I signed up for the 3 Bureau report and scoring. Last week I noticed a new collection on my Equifax. It had brought my score down 60 points! I challenged it that day and this morning I went to my report and on the right hand side of the online page you change hit "update report". It updates it immediately and my report went back up to the place it was previously before the delinquency was added. Always CALL the credit bureaus. The phone number is on your report. It is even better than sending a certified mail and gets it done quicker. They will give you a confirmation number. I am also working on my husband's credit report and a collection was on his report for ATT that we paid last year. Instead of paying the collection agency, we paid ATT directly ( called the collections department ). I noticed it on my husband's report and called the collection agency and POLITELY told them that the bill was paid and she noticed that it was ( ATT updated her records showing that it was paid ) and immediately sent all three credit agencies notice to delete the the information from our credit reports. Nine times out of ten it is an oversight because of the volume of buisness these agencies do. BE PERSISTENT, BUT POLITE...Act like this is just a misunderstanding and you will get much farther. Remember, FICO scoring does not care whether a bad debt is a collection or PAId collection. Bad debt is bad debt, so if the agency or the company wants to get their money it only benefits them to take the debt off your report regardless of who's fault it is.
