Consumer complaint received 2018-03-21
Company: PORTFOLIO RECOVERY ASSOCIATES INC
State: CT
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not yours

Complaint:
On or about XX/XX/XXXX, I was notified by a potential employer that I needed to explain several small bills found in my credit report. Two of the bills are sham bills, i.e. I never opened or owned either of the two accounts. In XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted both of the creditors and submitted email requests asking for details about the alleged bills. There was a flurry of communications which provided extremely limited details. As of today, XX/XX/XXXX, I have demanded that both creditors remove the bills. Neither creditor has responded to my requests for information appropriately. The specific details follow. 

First, I contacted Portfolio Recovery Associates ( hereafter " XXXX '' ) by telephone on XX/XX/XXXX. I asked for an explanation of the what the alleged debt pertained to. I spoke with XXXX 's representative, XXXX XXXX. I was told that the account pertained to a XXXX XXXX credit account and that the claimed debt was in the amount of {$310.00}. The account provided for this alleged debt is XXXX. I told XXXX XXXX that there was an error on the part of XXXX and that no such account existed as far as I could remember. I was instructed to state my dissent in writing, which I did, via email, forwarded to XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. In the body of my email, I stated : " With reference to Account no. XXXX, a XXXX XXXX account, I do not own this account. I am disputing the legitimacy of this debt. I have attached a screenshot of the alleged account information below as it appears on my credit report. '' On XX/XX/XXXX, I also commenced the dispute process through XXXX. I have checked back several times, but no resolution whatsoever has come as a result of commencing the dispute through XXXX. 

When four ( 4 ) weeks had passed with no response from XXXX, I sent a second email which contained the following language : " I am writing to demand that the falsely generated bill addressed in my previous emails below be removed from my credit report. I wrote on XX/XX/XXXX and there has been no response to my dispute. The debt has not been properly validated. Therefore, I am demanding that PORTFOLIO RECOVERY ASSOCIATES REMOVE THIS FALSE BILL FROM ALL OF MY CREDIT REPORTS AT ONCE AND EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. '' XXXX sent me a 10 page package via U.S. mail, dated XX/XX/XXXX. Then, XXXX sent the same package ( which was also dated XX/XX/XXXX ) again. The bill total described in the package, {$310.00}, was due to be paid on XX/XX/XXXX. Other than listed a bill total of {$310.00}, allegedly due to XXXX XXXX, there was no other information whatsoever, pertaining to who opened the account, when it was opened, or any proof that I was the one who opened the account. 

I contacted XXXX by telephone to let XXXX XXXX know that the two packages sent to me did not answer any question or serve to validate the claim. In response, XXXX sent a third package to me, via U.S. mail, dated XX/XX/XXXX. This third package was not very different from the first two. It did not contain one shred of information pertaining to any proof that the account ever belonged to me, or that I had ever opened the account with XXXX XXXX. The only difference between the first package and the third was that there were additional charges attributed to the alleged account listed ( in the third package ) that were allegedly made in XX/XX/XXXX, in addition to XX/XX/XXXX. 

XXXX has to date, refused to give any proof that I opened this account, that I owned the account or that I made such charges that resulted in a bill due in the amount of {$310.00}. I am seeking relief, in whatever form that is due to me including an order that the bill be removed from my credit report, and that any and all penalties and costs and damages due to me be awarded to me. 

The second bill I am complaining about pertains that a debt in the amount of {$610.00}, allegedly due to XXXX. The debt collector I contacted was XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX ( hereafter " XXXX '' ) and I spoke with XXXX XXXX, an Assistant Manager. I provided the account number that was listed on my credit report ( XXXX ) and XXXX gave me some details on the account. XXXX asked me if I was and referred to me twice as " XXXX XXXX. '' I had to tell XXXX twice that I was not XXXX XXXX and I also explained to XXXX that I did not have an account with XXXX, especially on the dates that the account was specifically listed as being opened and active. In fact, I had an account with another rival telephone provider for the time period that this XXXX account allegedly existed in XXXX XXXX ' name. 

I sent an email to XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX to commenced the dispute process. In the body of my email I stated : " This is a Notice of Direct Dispute with you, under the provisions of FCRA 623 ( a ) ( 8 ) ( D ), of the accuracy of information you have reported to my credit file. I dispute the validity of this alleged debt to XXXX. I did not open an account with XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX. This is completely untrue. I do not owe any debt to XXXX. I have attached a screenshot of the erroneous account that is listed on my credit report : '' I received an email response on the same day from XXXX XXXX, a Compliance Analyst employed by XXXX assuring me that the matter would be processed as soon as possible. 

I received a five ( 5 ) page package dated XX/XX/XXXX. The package consisted of a piece of paper with XXXX 's logo at the top left hand corner, a NEW account number ( XXXX ) and a dollar sum listed in the middle of the page for {$610.00}. The rest of the page was blank except for standard boilerplate information. There was NO OTHER INFORMATION. There was no other information whatsoever, pertaining to who opened the account, when it was opened, or any proof that I was the one who opened the account, or even what the telephone number for the account was. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I responded via email to XXXX as follows : " I have reviewed the billing statement on the XXXX letterhead that was mailed to my residential address. I did not have service from XXXX at any point in time during XXXX XXXX the date listed on the bill. ) This bill has been falsely generated. The format of the bill is also suspicious. It simply lists {$610.00} without any sort of delineation of how this sum was reached or what charges were accrued to arrive at this total. The document you sent to me does not provide any information as to how the bill was generated ( i.e. what were the exact services provided that led to this bill being generated??? ) I want to see a list of telephone calls that were made on this account in XX/XX/XXXX. Again this bill has been falsely generated and it must be removed from my credit report at once. I am further demanding that if your agency has any written, documentable proof that service was provided to me by XXXX in XX/XX/XXXXthat such documentation be provided as soon as possible. As I know that no such proof exists, I am respectfully making demand that this bill be removed from my credit report as it has been falsely generated. I am also requesting that documentation that this bill has been removed from my credit report be provided AS SOON AS POSSIBLE as it is hindering me from an employment offer. '' XXXX responded again with another package sent to me via XXXX mail. The package was dated XX/XX/XXXX. The package consists of a replica of the contents of the XX/XX/XXXX package. I responded via mail, on XX/XX/XXXX as follows : " I recently requested validation of the debt to XXXX, on XX/XX/XXXX via the email in this chain below. On or about XX/XX/XXXX, I received a second package ( postmarked XX/XX/XXXX ). This is NOT validation of the alleged debt to XXXX. In fact the letter I received in the XX/XX/XXXX postmarked package is nothing but a photocopy of the EXACT SAME package you sent the first time. There is nothing in this letter but a dollar amount listed on a piece of paper that looks like a XXXX 's letterhead. I am not certain whether you are trying to insult me by sending an exact photocopy of what you sent me the first time. Does XXXX XXXX XXXX think I am unintelligent and can not read??? Or are you mocking me??? The letter in the XX/XX/XXXX postmarked enveloped provides NO INFORMATION VALIDATING THIS DEBT. In my communication to XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, I requested very specific information. Therefore YOU, XXXX XXXX, XXXX have FAILED TO VALIDATE THIS ALLEGED DEBT. I THEREFORE CONCLUDE BASED ON YOUR FAILURE TO PROPERLY VALIDATE THIS DEBT THAT XXXX XXXX HAS NO VALID PROOF OF ANY DEBT OWED TO XXXX AND I DON'T OWE XXXX {$610.00}. This is a falsely generated bill. Remove it from my credit at once!!!! '' I also filed a dispute with XXXX  in XX/XX/XXXX which remains unresolved to this date. 

XXXX has to date, refused to give any proof that I opened an account with XXXX, and/or that I owned the XXXX account or that I made such charges that resulted in a bill due in the amount of {$610.00}. I am seeking relief, in whatever form that is due to me including an order that the bill be removed from my credit report, and that any and all penalties and costs and damages due to me be awarded to me.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation