re: Getting Collections Off Credit Report

Definitely dispute it with the credit agencies. They collection company will have to prove the debt is legitimate. They will not have much information since they typically "buy" the debt in bulk, at a fraction of the value. If they cannot prove the debt, the collection ding will be removed. If they don't respond, the collection ding will be removed.

There is a VERY GOOD chance the collection company will not bother with sending the credit agencies a "paid" notice if you do pay them, and you'll still have to go through the hassle above.

I fought this battle several years ago for a similar BS situation. I also figured I'd pay the small amount just to get it cleared up quickly. I figured out the collection company uses the credit ding as a tool to get you to pay them, and they didn't care one bit about your credit report.

Even if you do pay, and they do send a "paid" notice, it will still show as a debt sent to collections for 7 years. Better to try to dispute with the credit agencies.