If there is a delinquency on your credit report, all hope isn’t lost. There are ways to negotiate to get it removed. It may not work with every lender all the time, but it’s definitely worth a try.
Call the lender and offer them a certain amount of money to settle the account, provided they agree in writing to completely remove the entry from your credit history.
In some cases, the company will agree, but maybe not right away. You have to be firm that those are your conditions and that you won’t send a payment until you receive the notice in writing.