Best Bets to Beat AFNI?

[BCP]

Hello,

I'm dealing with a $27.09 T-Mobile bill from 2005 that has been sold to AFNI. (Well past SOL) In years past, it has gone to other collectors, and an initial challenge to validation as scarred them off. AFNI has validated, and posted it as a 90 day late in Dec. 2010. They posted the 90 day late as occurring in Dec. 2010 as well, even though the bill was from 2005! As scheduled, it won't come off until 2017.

Unfortunately it dropped my score by about 70 points. Obviously, I'd pay the money if it would get my score back up, but I understand that that would not happen since it's on as a 90 day late.

I've tried a few avenues to address it. Validation challenges fail (they found a bill). I went the BBB route, and lost, and AFNI said as follows:
"This account was established on May 1, 2002 and was considered delinquent by the creditor on February 28, 2006."

I've emailed the recovery team address at AFNI almost a dozen times offering a PFD, but have not had any success ("we do not trade payments for deletions").

I'm turning to the forum for advice. Best case, I would like to get it removed, but I would settle for the date being changed to 2005/2006 so it could come off automatically in the near(ish) future.

What would you do?

[Lian]

Getting the debt collector to change/update any reporting wont affect its credit report exclusion date. That date is not based on any actions of the debt collector. It is based on only one date-certain, and that is the date of your first delinquency on the OC account after which you did not bring the account back into good-standing prior to the closing of the account and reporting of the collection.

The CR exclusion date runs 7 years plus 180-days from the DOFD on the OC account, period. FCRA 605(c).

Unless there is some inaccuracy in their reporting of the collection, earlier CR removal requires their good-will agreement, either through PFD offers prior to payment, or GW letters after payment. If they refuse deletion, that is their decision, and there is nothing that compel earlier deletion.