Comment from ∞infinit
Time July 26, 2009 at 3:23 am

Derogatory trade lines stay on your credit report for 7 years. Once they are paid they should be marked as “paid”. However, you may try negotiate “pay for delete” agreement with your creditors. You should have this agreement in writing before you pay them anything though.

Comment from anon
Time July 26, 2009 at 6:02 am

WARNING: TOUGH LOVE AHEAD
Unpaid medical bills can (and should) show up on a credit report. It is the same as not paying your electric or phone bill. The medical folks provided a service and your girlfriend chose not to pay them. Most likely after 3 months of non-payment, her bills were assigned to collections.
Paying medical bills is just as imprtant as paying rent, mortgage, utilities, credit cards or loans. Her failure to pay them shows that she is a credit risk and any potential lender has the right to know this about her. Whoever told you otherwise was wrong.
I recommend that she pay them off and learn her lesson. It will take 7 years for the negative info to come off her credit report. And it WILL show up if she applies for a car loan, apartment, mortgage, credit cards, etc.
By the way, several years ago I did a similar thing…. I did not pay 2 medical bills (one for ambulance and one for the E/R). It did catch up with me, and I deserved it. I paid the bills and now I have about another year before they come off my report.
There is no free lunch….

Comment from Steveo
Time July 26, 2009 at 9:25 am

You pay them off. She incurred a service, she should pay it. You call the companies and try to negotiate a payment schedule. She should not be a deadbeat.

Comment from Nicki W
Time July 26, 2009 at 1:20 pm

I was in a similar situation and removed most of the “crap” from my report using info I got at http://www.creditrepair101site.com I raised my score like 50 points.