you need to send a CEASE AND DESIST LETTER to the collection agencies. DO NOT CALL THEM. they know the laws but are HOPING THAT YOU DONT.
if you can send a debt validation letter it may force them to remove it…if it’s over 7yr mark .

you can ALSO DISPUTE ONLINE which is free if you go through the annualcreditreport

The length of time a negative mark can stay on your credit report starts from the time you were late or the late payment went into collection, not from the last time you made a payment on the account. Some collection agencies update their reporting status on you to keep the account active with the bureaus to extend the time the account appears on your report. This is very deceiving of them, because most often the account is updated and the period of time the account is active appears to be extended. You will want to challenge this with the credit reporting agencies in writing. If you do, bureaus will correctly remove it 7 years from origination.

First call the phone company and negotiate payment terms. Maybe they will reverse all the excess interest. Then suck it up and pay your bill.

If you don’t pay it …the rest of us do through outrageous cell phone fees and charges.