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Collections disputed.
Past-due debts sold to a third-party collector and reported as a separate negative account.
What are collections?
A collection account is a past-due debt that the original creditor gave up on and sold or assigned to a third-party collection agency. The agency then reports it to Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian as a new negative account, which means one missed bill can end up hurting you twice, once as the original delinquency and again as the collection. Collectors buy and resell these debts constantly, and details like balances, dates, and ownership get lost or mangled along the way. That sloppiness is exactly what makes many collection entries disputable.
How collections hurt your score
A single collection account can pull a score down by 50 to 100+ points and can stay on your report for up to seven years from the date you first fell behind. Newer scoring models weigh paid collections less, but most lenders still use models where any collection drags hard.
Your rights under the law
Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, if you dispute a debt in writing within 30 days of receiving the first notice from a collector, the collector must stop collection until it obtains and mails you verification of the debt. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act you have the right to dispute any collection entry that is inaccurate, outdated, or unverifiable, and the bureaus must investigate, typically within 30 days. If the furnisher cannot verify the entry, it must be corrected or removed. Collections also age off your report no later than seven years plus 180 days after the original delinquency, and entries still reporting past that limit can be disputed as outdated.
How we dispute collections
We pull all three bureau reports and map every collection account, then demand validation from the collectors and challenge every entry that is inaccurate, outdated, or unverifiable. Wrong balances, re-aged dates, accounts that were sold but never updated, and collectors who cannot produce proof all get disputed with Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian, and we track every response until the bureaus resolve it.
We challenge items that are inaccurate, outdated, or unverifiable. We never promise to remove accurate, current, and verifiable information. Results not typical; individual results vary.
Covered by the Platinum plan
Disputes for collections are included in the Platinum plan, starting at $150 down and $100 bi-weekly. Best for a few negative items.
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- How to Read Your Credit Report and Spot the Errors Hiding in It
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- How to Rebuild Credit After Collections
Questions about collections, answered straight.
How long do collections stay on a credit report?
Collections can stay on a credit report for up to seven years from the date of the original missed payment, not from when the collector bought the debt. Collectors sometimes re-age accounts to make them look newer, which is illegal and disputable.
Does paying a collection remove it from my report?
Paying a collection does not automatically remove it from your report. The entry can remain for the full seven years marked as paid. Only entries that are inaccurate, outdated, or unverifiable can be challenged for correction or removal, whether paid or not.
What happens when a collector cannot validate a debt?
When a collector cannot verify a debt after a timely dispute, one made in writing within 30 days of their first notice, they cannot continue collection activity until they do, and an entry the furnisher cannot verify must be corrected or deleted from your credit report under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Can the same debt appear twice on my report?
Yes, the same debt often appears twice, once as the original charged-off account and once as the collection. Each entry must be accurate on its own, and duplicated or conflicting information across the two is a common basis for a dispute.
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Submitting this form is not a contract. Results not typical; individual results vary.