Charge off Removal

How to Pay for Removal
Consumers sometimes ask collection agencies to remove the collection account from their credit reports in exchange for payment. Sometimes collection agencies make this kind of offer, but usually it’s the debtor who tries to negotiate a pay for removal deal.
Collection agencies will often respond to this request by stating that they are unable to remove the negative information. , that’s true. The credit reporting agencies prohibit this activity since they have contracts with these collection agencies. (Otherwise, collection accounts would be removed all the time and credit reports would not accurately reflect the consumer’s creditworthiness.) If you choose to pay for delete, then ensure you have the agreement in writing, so you have proof of what the collector agreed to do for you.
At the same time, collection agencies can’t report information that’s inaccurate or incomplete. So, if you found yourself with a collection account on your credit report because you had a legitimate dispute with a creditor or service provider, it’s perfectly reasonable to request that collection account be removed if you pay the bill.

Goodwill Deletions
If you have extremely excellent credit history, barring an isolated error or short series of past due payments, you might consider writing a goodwill letter to your creditor. Having paid the debt and being able to prove you’re not a risky borrower look good to a creditor, and they might remove the negative information from your credit report out of goodwill. Asking for a goodwill deletion or adjustment sounds better to creditors since requesting they remove negative information from your reports is against the rules put in place by the credit reporting agencies. Send the letter by mail, preferably with a receipt or certified mail so you know it arrives. Use the address on your credit report, but double check that it’s correct on the creditor’s website. This strategy has more success than you might imagine, so if your credit history is promising, consider this option. Look online for successful goodwill letters to use as templates to expedite the process even further.
Paying Off Collections Unfortunately, simply paying a collection account without getting it removed often won’t improve your credit scores. With few exceptions, if a collection account is listed on your credit reports it’ll have a negative impact on your credit scores. Make sure you keep evidence of the date of the delinquency because some collectors attempt to push back the start date and keep the debt on your credit report for an extended period.
While it’s discouraging to know that paying collection accounts won’t help your credit scores, keep in mind that as this information gets older, it’ll have less and less of an impact. That’s particularly true if you’re building new, positive credit references.