Consumer complaint received 2025-12-09 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action — Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged
Company: Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
BACKGROUND HARDSHIP : XX/XX/XXXX : My wife passed away. This triggered severe XXXX and immediate financial crisis. 

Following my wife 's death, I experienced extended period of unemployment and severe financial hardship lasting for approximately four years. During this time, I had minimal to zero income. My family provided daily support to keep me housed and fed. I could not afford professional mental health treatment for XXXX. This was a survival situation, not a temporary job loss. 

XX/XX/XXXX : My pet died the pet my wife had brought into our home before her death. This pet represented my wife 's legacy and was my final connection to her. Losing this pet added severe emotional trauma on top of existing grief and financial hardship. 

XXXX XXXX : I regained ability to work and returned to employment. 

XX/XX/XXXX : I have been employed for approximately 10 months, rebuilding from four years of unemployment and financial devastation. 

-- - SETTLEMENT OFFER : On XX/XX/XXXX, I called XXXX XXXX XXXX ( Portfolio Recovery 's collection attorney ) and : 1. Disclosed my complete hardship history ( spouse death, extended unemployment, pet loss, recent return to work ) 2. Offered a lump-sum settlement of {$1500.00} ( 25 % of {$6000.00} balance ) 3. Requested commitment to Portfolio Recovery 's published deletion policy 4. Asked for settlement agreement XXXX XXXX XXXX said : " I will present this to Portfolio Recovery. I can't promise if they accept or reject. '' I understood this to mean XXXX would present my offer and communicate back to me with Portfolio Recovery 's response. 

-- - WHAT HAPPENED : As of XX/XX/XXXX ( XXXX days later ), I have received : NO callback from XXXX XXXX XXXX NO settlement agreement NO counter-offer NO communication from Portfolio Recovery NO acknowledgment of my offer NO status update This represents bad-faith collection practice because : 1. BROKEN COMMUNICATION PROMISE : XXXX said he would " present this to Portfolio Recovery '' implying he would communicate back. Five days with zero communication is beyond reasonable timeframe for legal response.

2. FAILURE TO RESPOND TO REASONABLE SETTLEMENT : I offered 25 % settlement ( {$1500.00} of {$6000.00} ). This is a reasonable, industry-standard settlement offer. No response, counter-offer, or rejection has been provided.

3. GHOSTING DESPITE HARDSHIP : I disclosed documented severe hardship : Spouse death ( XXXX ) Four-year unemployment period ( XXXX ) Pet loss compounding grief ( XXXX ) Recent return to work ( 10 months ) Appropriate response would be engagement with consumer and consideration of hardship. Instead : complete silence. 

4. PREDATORY COLLECTION AGAINST VULNERABLE PERSON : I just returned to work 10 months ago after four years of unemployment and grief. I am in fragile financial recovery. Ghosting and non-response represents predatory practice targeting vulnerable consumer. 

VIOLATIONS : VIOLATION # XXXX : BAD-FAITH COLLECTION PRACTICES ( FDCPA ) XXXX & XXXX XXXX XXXX violates FDCPA standards for good-faith collection : Made implied commitment to " present to Portfolio Recovery '' ( communication ) Failed to provide any follow-up communication Five days is beyond reasonable timeframe Silence suggests rejection without stating it This is deceptive practice ( promise delivery ) VIOLATION # 2 : FAILURE TO ACCOMMODATE HARDSHIP ( FDCPA ) FDCPA requires reasonable accommodation of documented hardship : I disclosed severe hardship ( spouse death, 4-year unemployment ) I offered reasonable settlement ( 25 % ) Response should demonstrate hardship accommodation Instead : complete silence This is failure to accommodate VIOLATION # 3 : ACCOUNT VERIFICATION DEFICIENCY ( FCRA ) This account has verification problems : Missing documentation for certain periods No itemized calculation of balance No original identity verification These suggest broader Portfolio Recovery verification practices may be inadequate

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation