There should be a local nonprofit organization in your city where you can meet with a financial advisor for free who can help you sort out your credit issues. Try that route.

Debt collectors are vile. I paid a T-Mobile account off in 2012 and that debt has been resold about 3 times since and just recently the 3rd debt collector deducted 50 points from my credit score after reporting it as past due. I was furious. I had to contact the debt collector I had paid it off with to get a confirmation letter. Then, I contacted the debt collector for an email address or PO Box address to send that to. Lastly, I filed a dispute on my credit report and attached my letter, the confirmation letter, and a screen shot of the credit report where the debt was wrongly reported. Within five hours, the credit report dispute dept had contacted the debt collector (what they did was illegal, and the knew it, trying to collect on a paid/closed debt from me), asked them to provide proof of my debt as unpaid and they couldn't. So, the dispute dept took my evidence and verified it, then deleted the debt from my credit report. Now, I am down 50 points. So, I have to wait and see if my credit score will increase again.

I just shared my personal experience as an example of what you can avoid if you go to a social service agency for help with your credit. They have accountants who volunteer for free and help people repair their credit. Those are more legit than those consumer debt agencies. Don't waste your time with those. They're in on the scam b/c they will charge you money to consolidate your debt.

I am still trying to get debt from 2012 and 2009 removed from my credit report and sometimes it feels like an uphill battle when I can't get it removed.