Gray Area
Pay for delete agreements fall in the gray area. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires that information reported to your credit file not be knowingly inaccurate. It says nothing about information NOT REPORTED…
Their restriction against account deletion is an administrative matter on their part, and not a statutory prohibition. It is only, at best, pegged to their agreement with the credit bureaus.
What I’d suggest is to wait a few weeks and try again. Keep sending those PFD letters, but try to find a different address, preferably someone in management’s name (address the letter to that person directly). Don’t give up. Eventually someone may accept your terms.
Good luck!