Portfolio Recovery Associates
Reviews and Complaints

this company is nothing more than a bully that tries to scare people into paying old or non exisitent debts becasue they bought your account or someones account and trying to scare you to pay this. and it works for them a good bit of time. But remember they cannot provide proof. They never seem to be able to, thats your first clue. they say they send out forms for you to sign, Don't, you could be signing something you dont want too. which in some cases can reset your debt time and put it back on your credit report. so dont sign anything. ever unless an attorney tells you too. also dont panic, play with them on the phone. Have a little fun. they ask you personal questions so I ask them personal questions back lol. I tell them I will play their game, but only if they answer my off the wall questions lol. These debt collectors are flunky overpaid workers that couldnt find another job, *who the heck would take a job where you get cussed out constantly lol* Portfolio cannot do anything to you without a court order so make them take you to court and lets see what the judge says when they cannot provide proof. Even if they made it that far you can always tell the judge that they never provided you with any type of paperwork or proof. to seal the deal put it in writing and send them a certified letter stating you never recieved proof of the debt.

Just a question Mica, if you already have the SSN on file why do you need the person to give it to you? Surely just the last four would be enough?

Although to be honest I would never give even that much out via phone as their are too many scammers like PRA out there already.

Of course the other honest posters here are so obviously correct when they say you are either deluded or paid by PRA and probably both as you don't even have the slightest idea of legal process with regards to verification of debt or the statute of limitation.

Please remove or block posts from Mica1755. This person obviously doesn't work for a law firm given the language used in the body of the posts. If this person indeed works for a law firm, it is probably for Portfolio Recovery Associates seeing that this is the type of language used when they make phone calls. Probably just a legal aide with a summer temp job.

Mica1755 - anyone can be anything on the interwebz...I highly doubt your claims. Plathamb is entitled to a Verification of Debt (at the very least) which should track the entire account from the original creditor - along with a signed contract from the original creditor and an accounting of all fee/interest that have been added onto the principle. If this is not provided w/ in 30 days, she is well within her legal rights to send a cease and desist letter (Certified Mail - return receipt requested). Should anything ELSE turn up (more calls, letters, etc) she can file suit. Should a 1099 arrive for her for 'discharged debt' (that can be counted as income for tax purposes), she is perfectly within her rights to contest it and file suit. Also, she should check the statute of limitations on debt in her state - sounds like it's expired - in that case, the debt (even if it was valid) is not collectable, should NOT appear on credit reports, and she should hire an attorney - not trust the word on some internet hack like yourself.

Portfolio recovery is B.S. Mica1775 is a damned fool;
or works for them theydo advertise on this web page.

Never give out your social security number just because its asked for.
All these crooks need is a social to go with your name and address to screw you over.
You don't know who these people are or what they're up to until its too late and you have been robbed and bills have been run up in your name.

Keep yourself safe from fruad and verify the bill with the original creditor.
Call the original creditor and make sure its your bill.
For you that's Capital One.

If you are threatened with legal action speek with an attorney.
A good lawyer will defend you and if necessary sue the collector.
Don't worry about what some cheap bill collector says the law is.

I got legal on those bottom-feeding [censor]. I had my attorney send Portfolio Recovery a cease-and-desist letter -- on my attorney's letterhead -- warning them in no uncertain terms that their were calls were illegal under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act because a Cross-Country Bank credit card debt had been time-barred (The statute of limitations to collect had expired) for more than four years (and subsequently removed from my credit report).

Moreover, I had my attorney remind PRA that their company was sued by the attorneys general of at least five states for illegally attempting to collect on time-barred debts and that Cross-Country Bank itself was sued by 23 states for the same thing (A New York jury in 2006 ordered Cross-Country Bank to pay $9 million in restitution to former cardholders).

The letter concluded with a stern warning that failure to comply with this cease-and-desist demand "will result in legal action taken against your company for repeated violations of the FDCPA."

That was two months ago and I haven't heard a peep from Portfolio Recovery since. You really have to know what your rights are and not hesitate to assert them.

Yes, you do need to put it in writing. It's called a cease-and-desist letter. This should be sent via certified mail, return receipt. Either type or print your name, do not sign the letter. Attach your part of the receipt to a copy of the letter. When their part of the receipt comes back, attach it to the letter copy you kept. This is your legally-recognized proof that you asked them to stop all contact with you. Also, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. You can do that online. Good luck. They've been trying to contact me about a debt from the very early 1990s.

I am sick of the non stop phone calls from this company! I want to fight back. 2-3 times a week. They are rude an nasty. I want the phone calls to stop. They said I have to put that in writing. I never heard of that before. It has been my understanding that I have to only state for them to stop harrassing me and they would know better not to allow it to happen again.
They call my cell pone while I am at work. I use my phone at my job. Is that the same as calling me at work? Does anyone know? Any one else want to get a class action suit against the owner of this company? Michelle

I have been getting calls from Portfolio Recovery for months, showing different phone numbers on Caller ID every time. They always ask for "Damien" and I say there is no one here by that name. They ask me if I know how to reach him. I reply that I have had this phone # for 15 years and have never known anyone named Damien. So why do they keep calling at least 3 times a week?!

Same here! Now, we're getting calls from a Financial Services something. Same phone number. The first man was horrifically rude and tried scaring us with what we knew was false information. Now we're getting calls (different voice) who is jjust as bad, and eminently rude AND stupid. He said a couple of things that were a tip-off: The call is being federally recorded; he has our W-2's (impossible since we're on SSA Disability. And so on.

Buffalo is a hotbed of this crap...area code 716. I called Buffalo's AG office and am filing a complaint against them and the "law firm" they clain has our information.

I am just sick of being victimized and I am fighting back.

wow ... guess some folks just borrow money or take out loans and screw everyone huh.

Why don't you just pay the bill? Then you wouldn't have had to deal with it in the first place. Dont try to play victum either, pay the bill you owe and quit trying to get something for nothing.

Call your attorney general to make a complaint so this company will have to follow the law. Find your state statutes here:

http://www.attorneysforconsumers.com/state-debt-collection-laws.html

Find your state attorney general here:

http://www.naag.org/attorneys_general.php

Your attorney general can make them stop illegally abusing not only YOU, but others like you: elderly people they like to intimidate, single mothers, veterans, anyone. Even when you owe a debt, there are laws they have to follow, and this company does not follow them. Report abuses to your attorney general! Just taking them to court means they may pay some small fine (with money the scammed from someone else), but your attorney general can put them out of business in your state.

Gail did you ever get this resolved? if not email me at klselfridge@yahoo.com would be able to get you info on ceasing the calls due to your seperation.

I used to work for a sister company of PRA called IGS, it's here in Nevada. If anyone would like a full disclosure of the practices they teach and encourage in THEIR training courses, please feel free to email me at marybertling@yahoo.com

About a year ago I received a collection letter from this company which I ignored and did not even open. I went through a divorce 15 years ago and lost everything. I have worked hard to pay my bills and repair my credit by paying ALL my bills on time for the past ten years even in spite of two major illnesses which caused me significant medical expense. I have gotten a free credit report every year for the past three years and nothing that they have claimed I owe shows up on any of my credit reports for the past three years.

About a month after the letter arrived they started calling up to three times a day. They claim that I owe $10, 000 to Capital One Credit. I never had a credit card with a balance over $2, 000, so this is patently false information on their part. I have asked them over and over to send an accounting of the debt. They have refused, saying they will not give an accounting of the debt until I pay!

The SOL in my state is 6 years.

The last time I took a call from them it was because my 10 year old answered the phone. Before they asked my child to put me on the phone, they asked them all kinds of personal information, like who her parent's were, etc..

I have recently filed a complaint with my State's Attorney General's office.

I know what they are doing is against the law. I recently found out that a good friend of mine who is over 80 years old and living on social security paid them on an old account and I am outraged by the tactics these ### use. They should be prosecuted.

Having received a 'bill' for $700+, in the mail, from Portfolio Recovery Associates, dated April 10, 2009, I called them to find out what it was all about. Upon contacting them, a woman explained it was a Verizon Wireless bill, going back to December 6, 1997! I really had to think to remember ever even having done business with Verizon.

It took me a few minutes and then it struck me...that 'bill', I assumed, was for a phone that had been stolen! I can remember immediately contacting Verizon and clearing all this up with them at the time...I thought!

I explained this to to woman and she kept insisting I owed the bill. My question to her was 'are you licensed to do business in State of Arizona'? 'Of course', she said, 'we're licensed to do business in all 50 States. The whole time she was talking, I was looking up licensing thru the Dept. of Financial Institutions for the State of Az., which monitors collection companies. Lo and behold...they were NOT licensed under the name of Portfolio Recovery Associates. They had 'forgotten' to update their information!

She then put a Manager on the phone, and I told him the same thing..you are not licensed to do business in the State of Az. With that, his retoric went more or less like this...'so, when are you paying your bill, you owe this bill and we're going to collect this bill'. I hung up on him!

I contacted the Dept. of Financial Institutions, and they were going to take care of contacting Portfolio to request updated info, as they were NOT licensed in Az.

I have received a call, every night since the 10th of April, and have chosen not to answer my phone...until this evening. Again, a very antagonistic young man called, and I requested any and all documentation that they had to substantiate this bill. He told me it had been sent back in 2004 to an address in Illinois. I informed him I hadn't lived in Illinois in 9 years and repeated my request. I was polite but firm! His response 'I don't like your attitude'! I told him 'if you don't like my attitude, then perhaps you'll like this'..and hung up!

I will take no further calls from Portfolio Recovery Associates!

Exie you need to learn the law! It's up to the collection agency to prove that the debt is owed not the person who you think owes it. That is why PRA must upon request provide a full verified accounting of when the debt was incurred, who it was with and when the last payment was made.

Also don't try to tar everyone with the same brush. PRA has a long history of changing names and trying to intimidate people into paying money they never owed in the first place so check before you come out with stupid statements like "pay you bills on time"

Call your attorney general to make a complaint so this company will have to follow the law. Find your state statutes here:

http://www.attorneysforconsumers.com/state-debt-collection-laws.html

Find your state attorney general here:

http://www.naag.org/attorneys_general.php

Your attorney general can make them stop illegally abusing not only YOU, but others like you: elderly people they like to intimidate, single mothers, veterans, anyone. Even when you owe a debt, there are laws they have to follow, and this company does not follow them. Report abuses to your attorney general! Just taking them to court means they may pay some small fine (with money the scammed from someone else), but your attorney general can put them out of business in your state.

They are already being investigated by the Missouri Attorney General:

http://ago.mo.gov/newsreleases/2009/Fradulent_debt_collectors_scam_gets_busted/

Get them investigated in your state, too--this illegal behavior can't be allowed to go on!

Call your attorney general to make a complaint so this company will have to follow the law.Find your state statutes here:

http://www.attorneysforconsumers.com/state-debt-collection-laws.html

Find your state attorney general here:

http://www.naag.org/attorneys_general.php

Your attorney general can make them stop illegally abusing not only YOU, but others like you: elderly people they like to intimidate, single mothers, veterans, anyone. Even when you owe a debt, there are laws they have to follow, and this company does not follow them. Report abuses to your attorney general!

I used to work for a sister company of theirs called IGS, out here in Vegas. If anyone would like a full disclosure of the practices they teach, and encourage, in their training, please feel free to email me. MaryBertling@yahoo.com

One, you make several claims about what you say you owe. If you have an oustanding balance it may or may not have a statute of limitations on it. Not sure of your state regs on that. but you claim your credit has suffered. No kidding? Pay your bill on time as you agreed to do.

Two, you claim you paid the bill. Now you must prove it. Not the agencies responsibility.

three, the do not call at work complaint, if valid, is highly illegal and violates FDCPA. I would hire an attorney to handle that directly with the agency. third party debt collectors are suable for damages, and even the agent who called you can be sued for up to 1k for each occurance!

Always, get names, first and last, note the time and date of the calls. you need proof of these violations.

bottom line is you put yourself in this position if indeed the bill is still owed. Dont cop out and blame everyone else for not paying it.

they are trying to collect 891$ from me they say it is a capital one bill i have proof that it was paid off in 2001 and this is no longer on my credit report it says account charged off

i agree

Portfolio Recovery has been harassing me for over 2 years!
They are trying to collect on a debt from 25 years ago that was settled in court! They make me so darn mad.
My attorney told me they can not collect it.
The last time they called, 2 days ago, my husband told them that we would sue them for harassment.
I hope they won't call again, BUT, i am sure they will.
Good luck to you. Ignore them.
They are banking on the less fortunate and hoping we will just give in to stop all the harassment. DO NOT SEND THEM ONE CENT.

Me, from indiana

Same thing happened to me, a 10 year old credit card I myself closed and left in good standing came back to bite me by way of Portfolio Recovery Associates. After going through my credit and asking the credit card company to send me letters stating the last known status of my credit card account(s), it was as I had remembered it being, both accounts closed in good standing. So why are they buying our information, shouldn't we be protected. I understand the law allows financial institutions to share customer information for those accounts with bad debt, but why are accounts left in good standing being sold as well? Isn't this a Federal Offense? Why isn't anyone doing anything about this? So after all my evidence I had them remove the collection account from their systems, whatever that means, probably means they've moved my account information to a resell database. Now after having gone through all this on some non-sense fraudulent debt, they have the audacity to send me a letter to ask my permission and signature to have the credit bureaus remove any inquiries they've made into my credit report. I quickly called them back to let them know I wasn't going to give them permission to mess around with my credit report, then a few days later a letter in the mail states they were informing me of their intent to have the credit bureaus remove any inquiries they've made on my report. Isn't this illegal? Now I will send them a letter and fax and follow up with a phone call requesting they stop fiddling around with any of my information, my credit report, my life period no nothing. If I find anything in my credit report regarding these guys after my phone call is placed, its time to play ball. Who wants to join my team?

Call your attorney general to make a complaint so this company will have to follow the law.Find your state statutes here:

http://www.attorneysforconsumers.com/state-debt-collection-laws.html

Find your state attorney general here:

http://www.naag.org/attorneys_general.php

Your attorney general can make them stop illegally abusing not only YOU, but others like you: elderly people they like to intimidate, single mothers, veterans, anyone. Even when you owe a debt, there are laws they have to follow, and this company does not follow them. Report abuses to your attorney general!

I used to work for a sister company of theirs called IGS, out here in Vegas. If anyone would like a full disclosure of the practices they teach, and encourage, in their training, please feel free to email me. MaryBertling@yahoo.com

You should contact a consumer attorney immediately. Find one on the National Association of Consumer Advocates website.

For those who are constantly being harassed, send a cease and desist letter. If they continue after telling them and sending the letter, then contact a consumer attorney for the state that you live in. Other than that, try to make payment arrangements with them and honor it. Stick with the payment arrangements. If they do change the payment arrangements and try to sue, you hire a consumer attorney and countersue. This company has been ripping off consumers for years and it is worse since the economy is bad. If you do not stand up for your rights, then they will go away and these companies will continue to get away with their scams!

I have a tracfone that apparently belonged to another person that Portfolio has been trying to reach AT MY NUMBER FOR MONTHS! They call at all hours, disrupting my sleep, using various numbers so I never know who is calling me. I am on the DO NOT CALL LIST and reported several of their calls & numbers there, but I got woke up from a sound sleep again early this morning, so I called them back and yelled at them to stop calling me! They ask for some man's name I don't even know! (I'm a woman who definitely has a female voice!) I have to turn off my phone often because the calls are so frequent and disruptive, causing me to miss important calls! I have a lot of serious health issues, I really don't need this aggravation. I need my phone--but at this point I feel like throwing it in the damn river!

I too have experienced the wrath of Portfolio Recovery and I'm not going to put up with it. They are calling my place of business which they aren't allowed to do once you ask them not to call your business or your workplace according to the Fair Credit Act. This business has called several times a day according to my caller id. Now they are calling under a fake name "Sunrocket Did". I happened to be between clients and answered the phone. This man on the other line just started interrogating me without identifying himself. He then said he was calling my Capitol ONE card account. I told him I didn't have an account and he insisted that I did. I told him I had one over 10 years ago and it was paid off. He said it wasn't and just because it was 10 years ago didn't mean I didn't have to pay it. I went around and around with him and then told him again it was my place of business I don't have a Capitol One account and told him never to call my business again. He was angry and wanted my home number. I told him there was no reason to give him my home number as I didn't have any reason to. I ended by hanging up on him because he continued to insist I give him my home info. These people are relentless. I'm anticipating him calling back especially from the other complaints I've read. I'm going to report them to the attorney general. Good luck everyone.

They refuse to send me the debt they say I owe from 1995 through the mail. They call morning, noon, night, and weekends. They do not verify who they are. The only reason I know the company name is because I looked up the phone number that showed up on my caller ID. They threaten jail time and in order to fish for information, they lie and say my wife said things she absolutely did not. I sent them a letter to cease the phone calls, to the address on their website (because rep refused to give it to me over the phone) but they continue to constantly call anyway.

These guys are nothing but thugs and leaches. I contacted the FTC and now I'm contacting my state attorney general. I am also writing my senators a letter and calling the DC switch boards to leave a message regarding this harassment. I will get a lawyer next if nothing is resolved.

Yes, absolutely! Call your attorney general to make a complaint so this company will have to follow the law.Find your state statutes here:

http://www.attorneysforconsumers.com/state-debt-collection-laws.html

Find your state attorney general here:

http://www.naag.org/attorneys_general.php

Your attorney general can make them stop illegally abusing not only YOU, but others like you: elderly people they like to intimidate, single mothers, veterans, anyone. Even when you owe a debt, there are laws they have to follow, and this company does not follow them. Report abuses to your attorney general!

The company is currently being investuigated by the Minnesota Attorney General:

http://ago.mo.gov/newsreleases/2009/Fradulent_debt_collectors_scam_gets_busted/

Hopefully, my attorney general will be investigating them soon, too.

PRA is trying to collect a debt they have "associated" with my name and a partially correct SS#.This debt is from 1998 and I have no knowledge of it and it really looks like a scam or some form of identity theft- scarey! The account exec. I spoke with the 1rst time, agreed with me that this was fishy and said that it looked like they were contacting the wrong person(me), now another person is calling me and is rude, refuses to listen to my statements and is insinuating I am a liar and incurred this debt and am using two SS#'s!...I am furious and want to pursue this company with the FTC and the Attorney General. Also, I had a bankruptcy in 2001 that was discharged and all my outstanding debts were included. I'm totally going to report these people over and over as long as this goes on, and I'm wondering if this has been anyone elses experience?

I just got fired from IGS, a sister company of PRA, if anyone would like a full disclosure of the practices they encourage, please, feel free to email me. marybertling@yahoo.com

I got an automated call from them today, but I'm not calling them back because I don't have any debts to collect. There was another debt collection agency that tried to reach me, but I knew they were full of BS. Eventually they stopped calling, and so will this outfit.

I'm going to end my landline phone service very soon, largely so I don't have to take calls from these fraudsters anymore.

Their tactics are strong, but i was treated fairly. When you let a debt go, fees and charges build..interest, etc. Credit cards will continue to place over limit fees and late fees way long after you decide to stop paying. I paid mine off this month finally. people need to act like adults and not think they can walk away from incurred debt.

I have had the exact same experience. In fact the alleged year of the 'account' they say I had with some bank was 1994 as well. They claim that they "purchased" the account from that bank in 2004 and have been trying to reach me at my current address since 2004. I moved to my current address in 2006! Anyhow, like you, I checked my report from all 3 bureaus and there isn't even a HINT of an account with that bank at ANY time. When I specifically told them that that account has never appeared on my credit report, they had the nerve to say "...well, it won't appear on the report, the only thing that will appear is the inquiry made by us...". When I challenged them to send me documentation on the account, all they sent was the exact same information they were dictating over the phone. I am trying to figure out what to do about them. I obviously don't owe what they say I do, yet they will continue to call. Worse, they have already made 'inquiries' on my credit report and I'm worried that they will continue to do so in the future.

A family member of mine is seriously ill and in a facility. She is rather young. This low life ### of a company has been bothering her since this past summer. They call every day, and ask for her. We've told them repeatedly the situation with her, they asked for her social security number, which I refused. This went on all summer. They stopped for about a month and then started up again i September. The ladies there were NASTY, all except for one who suggested we send proof of her medical condition. she gave us the company's address and we sent in documentation from the facility and her docs confirming her diagnosis. We sent it certified mail and we got the green card back signed by someone named 'Gloria D'. So, we wait and the calls stopped for about two weeks. then the calls started up again. They called on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We just let it ring. Then, they called every day since then. Finally Id had enough and I picked up the phone and a man asked for the family member. I stated politely that we had mailed the medical info back in September and he needs to find it. He said "I dont have to look and find anything ma'am!'. I said "well, why did the lady ask for them then?" He said "She must have been new, we cannot get medical info without power of attorney--its against the law" Whattttt? I replied "Well, I suggest Gloria broke the law then, because she signed for it on behalf of your company. He said "we dont have anyone here by that name!" He pretty much called me a liar and started yelling at me on the phone. I was nothing but polite. So now Im calling the attorney general's office on Monday and Im PRESSING CHARGES against this company for illegally obtaining medical information without power of attorney. they signed for and accepted it so someone there has the info and I can prove it. SHAME SHAME SHAME on you PRA. Your ### is grass!

Hi all I just got a letter also on a debt I know was paid 2 years ago. Let all get together and do a class action suit for trying to collect debts thats not owed and also for damaging credit files and harassing people email me brihaff@yahoo.com lets do someting about places like this. there address

120 Corporate Boulevard
Norfolk, VA 23502
We are located at the intersection of Military Hwy. and I-264.

i just got a letter, from them i wander if they were on the up and up. Well, i guess not.I thing these people never put on the bill, was who i owe the money too.Right there was a warning... I wasn't born yesterday.And i will put this Company thru the shredder where they belong..The Name isn't even right..

BUt if they say I owe something to someone, The name of that Company should be somewhere on the bill..

sal

Call your attorney general to make a complaint so this company will have to follow the law.Find your state statutes here:

http://www.attorneysforconsumers.com/state-debt-collection-laws.html

Find your state attorney general here:

http://www.naag.org/attorneys_general.php

Your attorney general can make them stop illegally abusing not only YOU, but others like you: elderly people they like to intimidate, single mothers, veterans, anyone. Even when you owe a debt, there are laws they have to follow, and this company does not follow them. Report abuses to your attorney general!

The company is currently being investigated by the Minnesota Attorney General:

http://ago.mo.gov/newsreleases/2009/Fradulent_debt_collectors_scam_gets_busted/

Hopefully, my attorney general will be investigating them soon, too.

I used to work for a sister company of theirs called IGS, out here in Vegas. If anyone would like a full disclosure of the practices they teach, and encourage, in their training, please feel free to email me. MaryBertling@yahoo.com

### 'em. Ignore make no contact. File FTC compliant

THEY NEED TO GO ### THEMSELFS JUST GOT A LETTER MY SELF