Consumer complaint received 2025-06-27 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: FL

Complaint narrative:
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, FL XXXX Date : XX/XX/XXXX RE : CFPB Rebuttal XXXX Account Ending in XXXX / Experian Reporting To Whom It May Concern, I am writing in response to the reply submitted by Portfolio Recovery Associates , LLC ( XXXX ) regarding my prior complaint concerning the alleged XXXX  XXXX account ending in XXXX. While XXXX claims to have conducted an investigation and verified the accuracy of its reporting and ownership of the account, their response fails to meet the legal requirements set forth under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ). 

XXXX. Insufficient Legal Validation Under FDCPA 1692g ( b ) XXXX continues to rely on the claim that it received business records from XXXX XXXX. However, under FDCPA 1692g ( b ), proper legal validation requires more than a balance summary. As of today, XXXX has failed to provide the following : - A copy of the original signed agreement bearing my signature ; - A full accounting or itemized breakdown of the alleged balance ; - A legal bill of sale or assignment agreement that establishes PRAs right to collect on the account. 

A generic letter stating the account was purchased, without supporting evidence, does not meet the statutory definition of validation. 

XXXX. Misstatement of Prior Dispute Activity XXXX inaccurately claims there was no record of a request or dispute in response to its initial notification dated XX/XX/XXXX. This is false. I submitted formal disputes with Experian and the CFPB on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX failure to acknowledge and respond to those disputes prior to continuing collection and credit reporting is a clear violation of FDCPA 1692g ( b ), which prohibits collection activity until verification is provided. 

XXXX. FCRA Violations 1681e ( b ) and 1681i XXXX asserts it is not responsible for how Experian displays or formats its reporting. This is misleading and inaccurate. When a furnisher of information ( such as XXXX ) reports data to a consumer reporting agency, it is legally obligated under : - FCRA 1681e ( b ) to ensure that the information is complete and accurate ; - FCRA 1681i to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation when a consumer dispute is received, including when submitted via a credit bureau. 

Furthermore, FCRA 1681s-2 ( b ) requires that if a furnisher is notified of a dispute by a credit reporting agency , it must not only investigate but also correct or delete any information that can not be verified. 

XXXX. FDCPA 1692e ( 8 ) Misleading Reporting of a Disputed Debt XXXX acknowledges that the debt is now marked as disputed but fails to provide the legal substantiation necessary to continue reporting it. Reporting a debt to Experian as valid while omitting or misrepresenting the dispute status, or while lacking proof of the debt, violates FDCPA 1692e ( 8 ), which prohibits false, deceptive, or misleading representations in connection with the collection of a debt. 

Requested Action In light of these ongoing and unresolved violations, I respectfully request that the CFPB take the following actions : XXXX. Require XXXX to produce proper legal validation as required by FDCPA, including the signed contract, itemized balance, and full chain of title from XXXX XXXX ; XXXX. Direct Experian to delete the XXXX account until such time as full and lawful validation is provided ; XXXX. Investigate PRAs misrepresentation of its legal obligations and its inaccurate account reporting practices ; XXXX. Ensure accountability under both FDCPA and FCRA for PRAs failure to validate, verify, or correct its reporting. 

I maintain that the debt is unsubstantiated and that continued reporting without proper validation is unlawful. I request resolution in accordance with federal consumer protection laws. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation