You have the legal right to challenge any item reporting on your credit report. The burden of proof is on the credit bureaus to validate what they are reporting is accurate —it is not on you to prove that they are reporting inaccurately. That is an important fact to keep in mind as you continue your journey to better credit.
Original creditor and collection agency practices for attempting to collect on a debt are governed by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act — among other related consumer protection laws.
The laws below are the specific consumer protection laws that Experian, Equifax, Transunion, and the creditors must abide by.