Hehe! Once you pay the mob for “protection,” you will always pay the mob. The same goes for the credit agencies. Once you succumb to bogus billings, then you you will always pay the “mob.”
Again - you can always dispute, sue, etc. The point is to not wreck your credit in the meantime. There’s nothing you can do after you haven’t paid it that you can’t do after you haven’t paid it. Only you’re in much worse shape after it’s in collection.
There is no checkbox on FICO for legitimate/illegitimate. If they report a collection, your credit worthiness is greatly damaged unless is it an error and you work to get it removed. Paying it before disputing also removes this great hassle and delay and cost to your credit in the meantime.
This is the way the laws are written. I’m not fond of them either, but until they’re changed, wise people use them wisely.
If you purposely allow a 700 collection, you will most likely pay for that 700 several times over in your credit dealings.
You can always wreck your credit on principle if you want. But know that you’ve won a Pyrrhic victory