Consumer complaint received 2019-07-17
Company: PORTFOLIO RECOVERY ASSOCIATES INC
State: AZ
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged

Complaint:
I was approved for a line of credit with XXXX ( XXXX XXXX  ) for {$500.00} in XX/XX/XXXX. In XX/XX/XXXX & XX/XX/XXXX I purchased three XXXX stating they were unlocked and could be used on any network provider and they were refurbished in new condition with a 90 day return policy because I was an XXXX XXXX member. 

Upon arrival, I attempted to connect the phones on the XXXX network, purchasing a sim card. I was told they were not set up to function on their network. I then purchased a XXXX network  sim card and attempted to connect. No luck. I then took the phones to XXXX and asked for assistance. They said that the phones were connected to XXXX but would need to be set up on pre-paid service only. I then took the phones to XXXX in person and discovered the pre-paid plans were more costly than monthly family plans. I set up one phone to try out the network and gave the other to my child to use as a wifi phone for games. I made payments on my credit card as agreed. I then was ready to get the other two phones on service plans when the batteries would not hold a charge. I purchased a replacement battery and tried with all three phones to no avail. All three phones then no longer turned on at all and one of the batteries imploded in the phone and cracked its screen. I reached out to the seller for return policy and to XXXX for return direction. The reply was that I was 5 days outside of the warranty period and they would not accept the return. I have emails to prove this occurred. Defective merchandise was given to me and no return allowed. XXXX stated that they could not assist because the seller was its own business within the site and they do not represent the seller. I had never purchased with credit through XXXX before. They did not provide recourse to the credit and poor service. I disputed the credit charges stating that I was provided faulty phones and false advertising and should not be responsible for them. None of the phones worked on the networks stated and none of them worked within 3 months. I did not make any additional payment on the credit card after XX/XX/XXXX. 
The date of breach ( charge off ) would be XX/XX/XXXX, 90 days from the last payment in XXXX. 
In late XXXX, I began receiving harassing phone calls and letters from Portfolio Recovery Associates. They stated they owned a debt from XXXX XXXX  in the amount of {$750.00} that was effective XX/XX/XXXX. I provided a dispute response stating that the amount and date of effectiveness is incorrect. They sent me a letter showing the last payment received was XX/XX/XXXX and that the total amount above the due amount was due to late fees. I then created a dispute with XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX   against the Portfolio Recovery Associates claim as of XX/XX/XXXX. The claim still shows status : " in dispute. '' Every time they call I tell them that they have the wrong amount due and date of breach. They do not respond, they simply hang up. 

Today I received a letter from XXXX XXXX XXXX stating that Portfolio Recover Associates is suing me in civil court and provides a case number. The letter states if I do not respond, I may get a judgement against me, wage and bank account garnishment, or property lien. I researched the claim number on the letter and it is a speeding ticket case in local court that is not tied to me. The claim that I am being sued is not real.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation