Consumer complaint received 2024-07-17
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was paid
Company: PORTFOLIO RECOVERY ASSOCIATES INC (ME)

Note : I am presenting a summary of events in chronological order for ease. This is NOT the order in which I learned of some of the transactions. 

- On XX/XX/XXXX, Portfolio Recovery Associates purchased a XXXX XXXX credit card account debt for XXXX. I was not informed of this transaction. Nor did this line item appear on my credit report. 

- On or about XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX removed the credit card account from my report. Therefore, not only did the original debt disappear, but Portfolio Recovery Associates did not post the debt on my credit report under their name. 

- On XX/XX/XXXX, in phone conversation today XX/XX/XXXX, a representative at Portfolio Recovery Associates indicated that the had sent me a letter which stated that they had purchased this XXXX XXXX account. I never received this letter, nor do they have evidence that the sent it, because it was not sent by certified or any other mail service with a return receipt. Even though XXXX XXXX, the original creditor, had my current email address and phone number, I never received an email from Portfolio Recovery Associates indicating that they had acquired this debt. Nor did not receive a phone call from them until XX/XX/XXXX. 

- On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX, I received a phone call from Portfolio Recovery Associates informing me that they had purchased this XXXX  XXXX account. This was nearly five months after they purchase the debt. 

- Within a week, I accessed hard copies of my credit reports from the three credit reporting agencies. I discovered that Portfolio Recovery Associates had done several soft pulls on my credit reports over several months. This confirms that they had my credit information, even though they had not posted the debt which they acquired on XX/XX/XXXX. 

- On XX/XX/XXXX, Portfolio Recovery Services offered me a settlement for a total of {$9800.00}. According to their confirmation email the payment plan was as follows : Payment in the amount of {$100.00} is due by XX/XX/XXXX. 
Payment in the amount of {$100.00} is due by XX/XX/XXXX. 
Payment in the amount of {$2400.00} is due by XX/XX/XXXX. 
Payment in the amount of {$2400.00} is due by XX/XX/XXXX. 
Payment in the amount of {$2400.00} is due by XX/XX/XXXX. 
Payment in the amount of {$2400.00} is due by XX/XX/XXXX. 

- The first two payments cleared my checking account ( auto debit ) on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX. 

- On XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted Portfolio Recovery Associates to alter the due dates for the remaining four payments. They confirmed the change to payment terms in an email on the same day. 

Payment in the amount of {$2400.00} is due by XX/XX/XXXX. 
Payment in the amount of {$2400.00} is due by XX/XX/XXXX. 
Payment in the amount of {$2400.00} is due by XX/XX/XXXX. 
Payment in the amount of {$2400.00} is due by XX/XX/XXXX. 

- On XX/XX/XXXX, the first payment of {$2400.00} cleared my checking account ( auto debit ). 

- Also on XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted Portfolio Recovery Associates to pay the remaining settlement balance in full. Even thought the remaining three payments totaled {$7200.00}, the representative I spoke to indicated that I would pay {$7100.00} or {$160.00} less because I was paying the full remaining settlement amount on XX/XX/XXXX, rather three more months of payments ending on XX/XX/XXXX. 

- On XX/XX/XXXX, Portfolio Recovery Associates debited {$7100.00} from my checking account. 

- On XX/XX/XXXX I discovered that Portfolio Recovery Associates posted a debt for {$2600.00} on my XXXX and XXXX credit reports. This was the first time they posted any information about this debt, which had been settled in full 6 days before. This post is the first time Portfolio Recovery Services has ever posted a debt on my credit reports, and it was done after debt was paid. 

- On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Portfolio Recovery Associates to ask why a debt was posted for the first time on my credit reports and for an account that had been settled in full. I got transferred twice : first to a " Manager '' then to the dispute center. The woman at the dispute center seemed hard of hearing and eventually hung up on me. So, I called again. This time the agent transferred me to another representative at the dispute center. 

She indicated that I could submit a request for " early deletion '' of the already settled debt on about XX/XX/XXXX or XX/XX/XXXX ( she was not sure of the date ). 

- This line item addition on my XXXX and XXXX credit reports ( six days after the debt was settled in full ) has knocked my credit scores down XXXX points on XXXX and XXXX points on XXXX. I contacted XXXX regarding this account, but it has not appeared on that credit report yet. 

- I have filed disputes with both XXXX and XXXX. I have provided an outline of the lack of communication from Portfolio Recovery Associates regarding this debt and their acquisition of it. I am happy to submit additional evidence as required. 

- I expect that Portfolio Recovery Associates to delete these line items immediately and that they will not post this already paid debt on my XXXX credit report.