Can I remove a paid collection from my credit report?

[1SolarSystem]

Thanks upfront!

Here's my situation -
I recently moved. In the process, I moved my broadband service from the old house to the new house (while staying with the same cable company). They came to the new place, hooked me up with a new cable model, and left the old cable modem with no instructions on what to do with it. Fast forward two months and I receive a notice from a collection agency. I call the collection agency, they inform me that the collection is for the old cable box. I call the cable company, they tell me that returning the cable box will "clear things up". I return the box.

I call the collection agency two weeks later and nothing's changed. I tell them what I did. They tell me that regardless of my returning the box, I still owe them $17 processing fees. I reluctantly pay this hoping everything resolves.

Fast forward another three months. I decide to refi. I find out from the mortgage broker that I can't get the best rates they offer because my FICO score isn't high enough... Looking through the Good Faith Estimate, I see for the first time, the "Collection" line item in my credit report. The collection entry says that I still owe a balance of $81 (original was $98). The collection agency name is the same one that contacted me about the cable modem.

Here are my questions -
- since I returned the modem, is that declared $81 balance legitimate?

- is it possible to have returned the model and still owe the collection agency money? Never mind the $17 I paid them. do I some how owe the collection agency the remainder ($81)?

- would paying off the balance with the collection agency result in the collection line item being removed from my credit report?

- If not, Is there anything I can do to get this line item removed from my report and get my FICO score back on track?

- if there's something I can do, how long will it realistically take to get the credit reports cleaned up and FICO scores back up?

Again, thanks for all your inputs.

[chane]

No, the balance is not legitimate. If you returned the box, you shouldn't owe that anymore.

Paying off the collection will not get it removed from your credit report.

There is something you can do, it shouldn't take more than a couple months, but it depends how the CRAs respond.

You should start by disputing it from your credit report, but going thru the steps outlined here first:

Basic Step by Step Beginner's Guide to Credit Repair

[cgeorge]

So do letters really work? I've found myself having to resend the letters. What about lexington law can they have negatives removed from your credit file?

[chane]

Yes, of course. You had to resend the letters? Lexington Law basically does the same thing. They've just been doing it for a lot longer so they probably know what works a little better than the average consumer.

[1SolarSystem]

Thanks for the response. I tried calling both the cable company and the collection agency today. Cable company declared that it's out of their hands - they emailed the collection agency letting them know that they got the cable box back. The collection agency says the cable company has to remove the record. Quite the Run-a-around... I guess the message is - "we don't want to help you."

The collection agency suggested that I write to the cable company of the situation and include the original receipt I got when I returned the equipment.

Is the best course of action at this point to do the - Basic Step by Step Beginner's Guide to Credit Repair (aaacreditguide.com/forums/beginners-credit-information/6367-basic-step-step-beginners-guide-credit-repair.html)?

Thanks again for your input.