Consumer complaint received 2017-07-09
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was paid
Company: PORTFOLIO RECOVERY ASSOCIATES INC (UT)

Portfolio Recovery Services has repeatedly tried to reach out to me over a delinquent credit card debt that I have. Every time I have tried to work with them, I have been stuck with a representative with an abrasive, " strong arm '' tactic, and it is because of this, that I have chosen not to work with them.
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Finally in XXXX of XXXX, I connect with someone who is helpful and willing to work with me. The rep was respectful of how I wanted to pay, what personal information I would give away and, most importantly was willing to work with me on my budget.
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We set up a payment plan in XXXX of XXXX for 6 Monthly Installment payments to be made in the amount of {$160.00}. I do not provide my social security number, bank account information or credit card information to creditors, so I decided to make my payments through my XXXX XXXX checking account, using the Bill Pay option.
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My first payment was made on the XXXX of XXXX and was due on the XXXX. The following month, I had spoken to the same rep, who adjusted the payment date for later in the month so that I could on a pay week that I did n't have to pay my rent. So in XXXX, I sent my payment in on the XXXX, and it was due on the XXXX.
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I continued to make all of the payments ( see included document ), and finished my final payment in XXXX of XXXX. It took me six months to pay off this debt, but I did it because I liked the rep, and ultimately, I was responsible for the debt in the first place. I wanted to make it right.
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Then today, Sunday, I get a phone call from Portfolio Recovery Services stating that my XXXX payment did not come in on time, and that I still owed them money. They claimed that the six month arrangement I previously made is no longer valid, and so I owed them an additional {$300.00}, but that they could settle it today for {$280.00}, or 6 monthly payments of {$51.00}.
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I am not sure why they called me on Sunday as I originally requested only to be called on weekdays during standard business hours as it is NOT convenient for me to take phone calls during the weekend due to personal obligations.
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They were able to offer me a one time settlement reduced down to {$180.00} if I were to pay today. They wanted me to provide my Checking Routing Number, and checking account number. I told them that I do n't provide that to anyone, as I, like most Americans live paycheck to paycheck and need to manage my money so that I can still afford to pay my necessities ( food, electricity, rent etc ... ).
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Long story short, I called back, and was told that they could only look up my account by my Social Security number. They could not look it up with only my address, or phone number. I was told that their " System '' was n't set up that way.
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After a long discussion with this rep, I was told that my XXXX payment was due on the XXXX, and that they did not process it in until the XXXX. My financial records show that payment was remitted on the XXXX, and that the time stamp on the transaction would have shown that the day it was sent was the XXXX. Not only that the XXXX was a Sunday, so they would not have processed it anyways.
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I continued to try to get them to work with me, but it seems like they are unable accept the six payments that they have received as being sufficient to settle off the debt. The total on the debt was : {$1000.00}, and I paid {$990.00}. Now they want me to pay an additional {$200.00} - {$300.00}.
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I did not receive any written notification that my payment agreement had been cancelled back in XXXX and a new one had begun. I did not receive any written notification after my final payment in XXXX ( six months after the six month arrangement had been made ).
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Please review my case and let me know if there is anything that you can do to help me out here. I really do n't want to pay them anymore than I already have. I made a concentrated and conscientious effort to pay them back ( as seen in my records ), but right now it is reaching a point of getting a little out of hand and I feel like some questionable business practices may be at play with Portfolio Recovery Services.