Consumer complaint received 2019-03-28
Company: PORTFOLIO RECOVERY ASSOCIATES INC
State: FL
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Sub-issue: Account status incorrect

Complaint:
A review of my credit report in the early part of XX/XX/XXXX showed Portfolio Recovery Associates LLC ( PRA ) had been reporting two seperate collection accounts to the credit bureaus since XXXX. XXXX XXXX indicated the original creditor as XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, the seller as XXXX XXXX XXXX ( USA ), and PRA as the owner of the debt. I contacted PRA, notify them that I was never informed that the debt existed, and at these accounts were not mine requesting them to remove their trade lines. PRA refused to do so saying they purchased the debt. I opened is dispute with PRA the question they provide me verification and validation of the debt, specifically since it was a credit card debt the agreement with the original creditor XXXX XXXX XXXX   XXXX that bared my signature where an I agree to open these accounts and to pay the original creditor this alleged debt. And because they alledge they purchased this debt from XXXX XXXX ( not the original creditor ) I requested the date it was purchased, the amount it was purchased for, and documentation conferring authority from XXXX XXXX to XXXX XXXX, and from XXXX  XXXX to PRA to collect this alleged debt. PRA responded by telling me they had opened the dispute, and would respond via u.s post, but refused to stop reporting to the credit reporting agencies. In addition I open disputes with the credit reporting agency. Because time is of the essence, and I believe the by mail process would be extremely slow, and I needed my credit report cleared as quickly as possible so that I could obtain housing for my family after suffering the consequences of hurricane Michael I attempted to negotiate with PRA via email correspondence. On XX/XX/XXXX I sent PRA via email a letter which clearly stated that the correspondence was not an acknowledgement or acceptance of the debt. That neither verification or validation of the debt from PRA had been provided to me. Yet in an attempt to save myself time and effort I would settle the debt if they agree to remove their trade lines. Again money was not an issue, what was an issue is this bad credit reporting kept me from being eligible provide housing. I received no response to that correspondence. I received correspondence from PRA dated XX/XX/XXXX, which stated we have completed our investigation of your dispute concerning this account. PRA, LLC has obtained and reviewed the attached documents related to this account, which establish its validity. The attached document appear to be photocopies of XXXX XXXX credit card statements dated in XXXX. I received a second correspondence from PRA dated XX/XX/XXXX for the second account. Is stated the same thing, inclosed what appeared to be photocopies of XXXX  XXXX credit card statements for the second account number. Items of note : both accounts reported to be opened on the exact same day. The photocopy statement sent to me for each account were for the exact same billing periods day for day. Each set that they sent me we're missing the exact same billing periods ( the attachments were for XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. During the five month report periods they did not include the debt on each of these alleged accounts were raised by hundreds of dollars. They did not provide any documentation that bared my signature or indicated in any way I agree to open these accounts or pay any debt that arose from these accounts. Nor did they provide me any documents confirming their authority to collect this debt. I again contacted PRA. I told them simply putting my name on a photocopy of a credit card bill and no way constitutes validation of a debt. in addition they provided me validation documentation conferring authority to collect this alleged debt. I informed them that their activities of reporting to the credit reporting agencies was a debt collection activity and that they had not validated the debt it should not be reporting this alleged debt and if they couldn't provide documentation they needed to stop immediately. They responded they were not going to do that. I receive correspondence on XX/XX/XXXX from PRA. The correspondence was on their letterhead, and was response to my request for documentation conferring authority to collect these alleged debts. I received on for each account they were attempting to collect. They stated the accounts and its proceeds were sold, assigned and transferred by the Seller to PRA, LLC on XX/XX/XXXX. At the time of sale, Seller provided an electronic file of its business records containing information concerning the account ; a summary of which can be found below. please contact us if you would like to receive a payment history of payments that have posted to this account since our company purchased this account. The summery provides account holders name provided by seller : XXXX XXXX XXXX, account holders last 4 digits of SSN ( I did not include ), and date account open provided by seller XX/XX/XXXX. A document on their own letterhead stating that someone sold debt is not a conveyance nor does it convert authority to collect the alleged debt. apparently they're not required to provide the credit reporting agencies any proof of debt beyond their own word. I can't prove something doesn't exist to prove my objection, and apparently they're not required to prove anything before they can XXXX my credit and cause tremendous suffering and hardship for my family. I was poised to fight I reviewed all of my credit reports again trying to remember any accounts with XXXX or XXXX XXXX. What I found in my XXXX credit report only furthered my belief that PRA debt collection practices we're not only unethical but may also be fraud. The report shows the following - XXXX XXXX for the account beginning XXXX made the following trade line entry on my XXXX report in XXXX of XXXX. Account XXXXxxxxxx, date opened : XX/XX/XXXX ; Date closed : XX/XX/XXXX. Last updated : XX/XX/XXXX. Past due : XXXX ; Highest Balance : {$1100.00}. Remarks : Card lost or stolen. So it seems that PRA is collecting a debt that doesn't actually exist, but they are using an old account number, and an old high balance amount ( jumbeled just enough ) as the amount owed, an account that was closed in XXXX, asserting they purchased it in XXXX. Still I can't prove something does not exist. Time is crucial, camping is fun, but living in a tent is not. I contact PRA on XX/XX/XXXX. I make an agreement to pay the fraudulent debt in return for them removing their tradelines from my credit reports, all three credit reporting agencies. They agree on a settlement amount, accept my bank account number, and I authorized the transactions. PRA tells me they will hold the account open for 10 days waiting for the funds to clear, after they have received the payment within 30 days they will remove they're tradelines through the three credit reporting agencies. XX/XX/XXXX, Portfolio Recovery Associates via ACH withdrawal received payment as agreed to from my bank for both accounts. XX/XX/XXXX my credit report remains as it did prior to them receiving the funds. XX/XX/XXXX ( today ) PRA making you entry do the credit reporting agency onto my credit report. Although they have received the funds as agreed upon through ACH transfer from a Federal credit Union to delete their tradelines. They instead report that I made a payment, and that the debt balance on these accounts is now reported as the difference between what they alleged was owed and what they agreed to accept as a settlement payment from me. So now, although PRA has received my funds as agreed too, they have decided to restart the statue of limitations date for collecting this alleged debt, and make false reports to the credit reporting agencies that I still owe a debt to them as of today. Once a debt is paid as agreed that debt is paid. Because I find PRA to be both lacking business ethics as well as not being held accountable for their actions, I have no reason to believe that they are not attempting to assert that a portion of the debt remains as not paid, and potentially trying to sell that debt to another debt buyer. Which would cause even more hardship for me and my family. This entry into my credit report stating that I owe any money to PRA is a fraudulent entry, and can be seen no other way. It was neither necessary nor is it acceptable.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation