Consumer complaint received 2018-10-16
Company: PORTFOLIO RECOVERY ASSOCIATES INC
State: FL
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Communication tactics
Sub-issue: Used obscene, profane, or other abusive language

Complaint:
I called Portfolio Recovery Associates on XX/XX/2018 in an attempt to make the final payment of a three part installment debt settlement agreement. I agreed to pay approximately {$1800.00}. The final payment was supposed to be {$600.00}.

I called this debt collector five times. Four of the first 5 times, they hung up the phone on me, after I provided my social security number, but declined to provide my name. 

I declined to provide my name to the debt collection agency, because I could not think of any justification for requiring my name, if I have provided my social and they are looking at all my profile information which include my name on their screen. I was collecting from a recognized phone number. They are a debt collection agency, any information they obtain would be used for that purpose and I was not interested in providing anymore information to them than absolutely necessary. 

The first 4 debt collectors refused to take my payment and hung up the phone on me, angry, frustrated and annoyed that I had refused to confirm my name. Apparently, they missed the irony of being on the receiving end of an unwelcome phone call regarding a debt -- in this case, a debt for which they bore zero responsibility. 

This complaint regards statements made or not made by the 4th debt collector. I asked her on several occasions, " Are you a debt collection agency? ". On every occasion, she refused to affirm that she was a debt collection agency and refused to say that any information obtained would be used for that purpose. She insisted on answering simply, " We are Portfolio Recovery. We handle personal business matters. '' She repeated this over and over again. 

I find the statement this company has seemingly trained their employees to utilize ( " We handle personal business matters. " ), when juxtaposed with what collectors are required to say ( " this is an attempt to collect a debt '' ) and disclose, to be deeply misleading. 

I feel this organization has violated federal law, the FDCPA, in seemingly training their representatives to say, " We handle personal business matters '', specifically when asked, " Are you a debt collection agency? ". I further feel Portfolio Recovery Associates is a threat to consumer rights and protections and it is within the purview of the CFPB to conduct a full investigation, to compel them to follow federal consumer law and punish them as necessary. 

I pray you will investigate this matter promptly. 

It should be noted that the fifth agent was an extremely polite woman who did not try to compel me to do anything, but simply took my social security number, confirmed my information on her screen, confirm the payment history and call history with me and collected the payment from me. She exhibited great humility, poise and emotional intelligence, attributes which I found completely lacking in all other agents. That is a credit to the 5th agent and a disgrace to their entire organization.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation