If I pay off a bill as soon as it goes to collections, will it still affect my credit?

Question

Please don't judge, i'm usually good with bills but am at my wits end and would prefer it go to collections. I'm dealing with a stupid situation with a balance I'm trying to pay off with eHarmomy. The rep in another country closed my account without telling me I owe money. Then a rep in this country gave my information to send a check. 3 and a half weeks since they got it and they didn't deposit. Now they are emailing me saying I never paid and to login, but I can't login to my account because they deleted it.

*SO* I think it's easier to let it go to collections and pay through them as they would be willing to be more organized. Will this affect my credit?

Update:

It turned out I didn't see an email that the company got my payment late because a of a mail delay, boy am I relieved, I'd delete this if they let me but thanks for the answers.

Answer 1

makes no difference, it goes on your credit report for at least 7 years

Answer 2

Anything in collections affects your credit score. 

You should have received a letter from the collection agency who purchased your account from eHarmony and they usually give you about 30 days to respond before it goes officially into collections.

Call the collection company and ask if they do a "pay to delete" and if they do get them to send you a letter of confirmation.

In the meantime, dispute it.

Answer 3

Yes it will .........................

Answer 4

Yes, the going to collections is bad, the fact it went unpaid until it went to collections is bad.  Those things already did the damage

Answer 5

When you get a collection agency calling you don't try to get money out of you if you pay them you may never see that payment on your credit report they'll just sell your credit file to somebody else who will try to collect more money from you

Answer 6

Yes.

Once it has been sent to collections, it is already much too late for it not to affect your credit.

Answer 7

Your credit is already affected well before the bill ever goes to collections.

Answer 8

Yes, anytime a bill goes to collections it affects your credit, assuming that the collection was reported to one of the credit bureaus.  Of course, it may already have been reported even before it went to collections.