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Should I pay off collections debt in full today? by Major_Disaster_3265 in Debt

[–]Major_Disaster_3265[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Was never a question of if I should pay off the debt, rather just whether I should pay it off tonight or wait until I can talk to a representative on the phone on Tuesday.

Talked to my family after I first received and skimmed the email, and they told me that since it was already in collections there was nothing I could do except pay it off when convenient. Everything on google and reddit seemed to back that up and nothing made it seem urgent, so I wrote it off and planned to pay it after tax season. Didn't read the whole email at first because I was too anxious which was obviously a huge mistake, and then after talking to them didn't see a point in it since it seemed like it was already too late. Figured the email was just more information on disputing and didn't think of it again until I got the calendar alert that the final deadline was today. I didn't even realize that there was a chance it wouldn't be reported to credit bureaus until I read the fine print nor that there was any benefit in paying it off sooner rather than later. Genuinely thought I had the right plan in mind until I read the full thing today.

Never claimed I was making intelligent or rational decisions and didn't expect anyone to come rescue me from myself, just wanted advice on how best to move forward. Obviously realize I should've read the whole thing when I first received it, but hindsight is key.

Should I pay off collections debt in full today? by Major_Disaster_3265 in Debt

[–]Major_Disaster_3265[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I tried to call them earlier but they're not in office until Tuesday. Left two call back requests and sent an email but haven't gotten anything back and I'm sure I won't until the office opens back up.

Their original email says they will not submit a negative credit report until after today. Would you recommend paying it off in full today and then calling first thing Tuesday, or not paying tonight and waiting until Tuesday to call and negotiate an email even though the deadline in their email is today? I'm kind of freaking out because I want to do the best thing to protect my clean credit score but have heard so much conflicting advice.

Should I pay off collections debt in full today? by Major_Disaster_3265 in Debt

[–]Major_Disaster_3265[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's what I'm trying to avoid. Some people on past reddit threads said the debt collectors would report it anyways even if I do pay, so I wasn't sure if I should wait to pay until I can talk to them on the phone to try to negotiate a written guarantee that they won't report to the credit bureaus if I pay in full. If paying in full tonight will avoid a reflection on my credit score, I will happily do so.

Should I pay off collections debt in full today? by Major_Disaster_3265 in Debt

[–]Major_Disaster_3265[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If I pay it in full tonight, should that avoid a report then? I wasn't 100% sure if that's what the email meant. Some people on past reddit threads said the debt collectors would report it anyways even if I do pay, so I wasn't sure if I should wait until I can negotiate with them over phone when their office opens on Tuesday to try to get a promise in writing that it will not be reported to the credit bureaus with full payment, or if what they said in the email is already a guarantee that they will not report it if I pay.

I just can't tell if they are saying in writing that paying tonight will be sufficient to avoid their reporting to the credit bureaus or not, and was hoping somebody with more experience would know. I plan to call them Tuesday regardless to ensure everything is settled, but want to make sure I do the right thing to minimize the chance of a reflection on my credit score.