Credit Bureau Phone Numbers

I have a couple of credit card charge-offs on my credit report, but I have been paying on them through collection agencies. Do those ever show on your credit report?

If you pull your credit report from http://www.annualcreditreport.com you will probably find that these debts are already listed.

You will also find out that once you have paid them, they will continue to stay there as a negative item. Normally, once a debt is paid all the collection agency does is put "paid" on your history. But it will still reflect that it was in collections or had late payments.

If the reason you are paying these bills is to improve your credit, you need to contact the collector and have them agree IN WRITING to delete the entry once it has been paid off. Otherwise, you are just throwing away your money.

I have a credit card debt that went into collections 7 years ago. It was a $500 credit card that reached $1600 after fees and interest. It has been turned over to a scavenger bill collector and they now want $2700. I am in TX and the SOL is 4 years. Can they still report this account on my credit report? I have not made contact with any one.

Yes, even scavenger or zombie bill collectors can report debts to the credit bureaus.

However, derogatory items age off your credit report 7-1/2 years after the date of first deficiency. Collection agencies cannot report the debt if it is beyond the reporting period. Should it show up on your credit report, dispute it as being beyond the reporting period.

Additionally, since you know the debt is beyond the SOL for your state, you can simply send the collection agency a certified, return receipt letter telling the to cease and desist all contact. They have to stop all contact. But will probably sell the debt to another zombie collector. You may have to send a letter to the next one.

Don’t waste your time talking to them on the phone.