 TITLE: Should I Dispute a Collection? CONTENT: When Should I Dispute a Collection Account?\n-------------------------------------------\nIf you have a collection account on your credit report that you believe doesn't belong to you, you should file a dispute to have it removed. The process for filing a dispute is relatively simple and generally starts with you pulling your credit reports, which you can do for free weekly through at least April 2021 at AnnualCreditReport.com. You can also get your Experian credit report for free through Experian.\nNormally, collections are disputed because the debtor believes they are incorrect for some reason. For example, if you review a copy of your credit report and you see a collection account that you believe belongs to another person, has an incorrect balance or is greater than seven years old, you can file a dispute. (Keep in mind that payments made on your account may not be reported to the credit reporting agencies immediately.) If, however, the debt is valid and you simply disagree with the fact that your original creditor sent it to collections, disputing it will likely result in the account being verified as accurate and remaining on our credit file. END