Consumer complaint received 2018-10-24
Company: PORTFOLIO RECOVERY ASSOCIATES INC
State: CA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Attempted to collect wrong amount

Complaint:
Back in XX/XX/XXXX, I received a collection notice / settlement offer from XXXX XXXX XXXX. I had not spoken to them or had any kind of arrangement with them at all prior to receiving this notice. It was such a good deal however, that I felt obligated to communicate with them because I was hoping to be able to take advantage of the deal. The settlement was being offered on a judgment obtained by Portfolio Recovery Associates. The balance amount was {$3800.00} yet XXXX XXXX XXXX offered a settlement amount of {$1200.00}. 

Again, this was such a good deal that I was almost obligated to call them and try and take advantage of this offer. Unfortunately, this letter came at a time when I was on XXXX due to a work injury and therefore I wasn't working. When I called XXXX XXXX XXXX, I explained this to them. They were fully aware of my situation. I asked XXXX XXXX XXXX if there was any way I could extend this offer until I got back to work and they only decided to leave it open until XX/XX/XXXX. I was not able to obtain the funds necessary to settle this deal at that point in time due to the fact that I was never aware this deal would be offered and therefore not in a position to simply disburse {$1200.00}, and also because I was injured and my income was low at the moment. 

Recently I have saved up about {$1500.00} to offer XXXX XXXX XXXX and they refuse to take it. They are saying they now want {$3200.00}! I understand that I didn't meet their set deadline but I believe it is unfair that they should offer me a settlement offer for such a limited time without any agreement, communication, or prior acknowledgment on my part and not want to honor it literally 1 month and 11 days later. More so that they knew the situation I was in and for me to come up with their money in such a short time would be impossible for me. Because I was so upset about it I called for some assistance from a professional and even he couldn't get through to XXXX XXXX XXXX. I had to get on a 3 way conference call with him because they kept saying for days they didn't see any power of attorney on file even though he had sent it. When he finally spoke to someone by the name of XXXX XXXX, he couldn't get through either. 

In the conversation my representative was attempting to be reasonable by explaining the situation such as this was such a short time after their offer that he couldn't understand why they wouldn't take the {$1500.00} considering it was even higher than what they had asked for. He explained how I have tried hard to raise the money and I only just acquired it. He explained how he's never seen anything like this before and it felt like they were pulling a bait and switch or just being vindictive and the collector didn't care. The collector said he was unable to take {$1500.00}. My representative explained to the collector that he in fact could accept {$1500.00} as they had already accepted {$1200.00} just 1 month and 11 days earlier but that he was simply choosing not to. He even implored the collector to ask if his superiors or his client would accept it but the collector was refusing to until my representative asked multiple times. The collector got off the line for a bit but I am unsure if he actually did go ask for the {$1500.00}. 

I understand that they aren't " obligated to renew an offer, '' but I believe this is so messed up and I am both hurt and saddened that they simply refuse to accept {$1500.00} when it's even more than what they offered me such a short time ago. Is it wrong for them to extend their offer literally just a month and 11 days later? Are they that thirsty for blood so to speak that they won't extend a hand to someone who just go back to work? Please help me as I am trying really hard to take care of this and I've done everything I could to try and save the money that they asked for.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation