Consumer complaint received 2025-12-02 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Their investigation did not fix an error on your report
Company: Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC
State: OH

Complaint narrative:
Re : Follow-Up to Complaint Against Portfolio Recovery Associates XXXX XXXX ) Accounts Ending : XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX To Whom It May Concern : I am submitting this follow-up statement regarding my complaint against Portfolio Recovery Associates ( PRA ) . PRAs response does not resolve my concerns and does not demonstrate compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ), or Regulation V. PRAs reply contains several deficiencies that call into question the accuracy of their reporting and their legally required verification procedures.

Below is a detailed explanation of the ongoing issues.

1. PRA Has Not Validated the Debts Under FDCPA 809 ( b ) PRAs response repeatedly states that business records provided by the original creditor verify the accounts. This is not legally sufficient validation.

The FDCPA requires a debt collector to provide competent evidence of the debt, not a summary or repetition of creditor-supplied data.

PRA has not provided : A signed credit application Identity verification records Original statements showing charges Complete account agreements Authentication logs Digital IP logs for online account creation Any documentation evidencing my personal authorization Without direct documentation proving I opened these accounts, PRA has not met the validation standard.

2. PRA Relies on Partial SSN Matching, Which Is Not Proof of Identity PRA claims each account belongs to XXXX XXXX whose SSN ends in XXXX. 
A truncated SSN alone does not prove ownership ; it is a known cause of mixed-file and identity-matching errors.

PRA has provided no evidence that : I completed the applications I authorized the charges The accounts match my verified identity The identity validation used by the original creditor was legitimate FCRA 623 requires maximum possible accuracy, which PRA has not demonstrated.

3. PRA Can not Prove I Received Required Initial Notices PRA states : We have no record of a request, or a dispute being received in relation to our initial notification letters.

This means PRA : May have sent notices to the wrong address May not have sent notices at all Reported to the credit bureaus before validating All of these violate : FDCPA 809 ( b ) FCRA 623 ( a ) ( 3 ) 12 CFR 1022 ( Regulation V ) A collector can not report unvalidated data.

4. PRA Has Not Demonstrated Proper Chain of Title PRA claims to have purchased the accounts but has not supplied : Bill of sale linking my specific accounts to the purchase Forward-flow agreements Transfer manifests showing my identifying information Detailed chain-of-custody records Without these documents, PRA can not demonstrate legal ownership of the accounts or the right to furnish data to the CRAs.

5. PRA Incorrectly Attempts to Shift Responsibility to the Credit Bureaus PRA states : Any differences in reporting are the responsibility of the consumer reporting agencies, not PRA.

This is incorrect under FCRA 623 ( a ).

PRA is legally responsible for : Furnishing accurate information Ensuring correction of inaccurate reporting Preventing mixed files Notifying CRAs of disputes Updating and withdrawing unverifiable information PRA can not shift this responsibility to the CRAs.

6. PRA Has Not Addressed the Accuracy Issues or Data Inconsistencies PRA did not address : Whether the dates of first delinquency are correct Whether any accounts were re-aged Whether payment history was accurately furnished Whether identity mismatches were investigated Whether duplicate files exist Whether documentation from the original creditors aligns with my known personal history The inconsistencies in PRAs recordscombined with the absence of original documentationcreate a substantial likelihood of inaccurate reporting.

REQUEST FOR CFPB ACTION In light of the deficiencies above, I request that the CFPB require PRA to : 1. Immediately delete all PRA-reported accounts from all consumer reporting agencies.

2. Cease all collection and furnishing activities unless full, original validation is provided.

3. Produce a complete chain of title for each account.

4. Confirm compliance with FCRA 623 and FDCPA 809 ( b ).

5. Address PRAs failure to properly validate before reporting.

PRAs response does not satisfy federal law.

They have not demonstrated that the accounts belong to me, nor have they provided the documentation necessary to validate or furnish these debts. 

Thank you for reviewing this matter and ensuring proper enforcement.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation