Is it better to pay off the company your in debt with or the collection company?

In many cases the debt was sold to the collection agency. They own the debt and that's who you must deal with. Even if the original credit still owns the debt and has just assigned the debt to a collection agency, you may still have no choice but to deal with the collection agency.

The "credit expert" and credit repair sites are dead wrong when they tell people to only pay the original creditor and that you don't have to pay the collection agency.

If a debt is with a collection company, the original company no longer owns the debt and paying them does not eliminate the debt. You need to pay the collection company.

There is no choice involved. You must pay off the company that now owns the debt - original creditor or the collection company that bought the debt. Only one of them owns it.

When you directly pay to credit company then it will be beneficial for you to make your good history. Also it will be safe.