Experience with Portfolio Recovery Associates?

[dam1120]

Hi what is a JDB? What is a soft pull? How would I know if it is happened or is happening to me and my reports?

Thanks all

Oh do I sent the letter to them certified? What else should I do along with the letter?

[Downto0]

A JDB is a Junk Debt Buyer...one who buys debts and attempts to collect those debts.  A soft pull is where someone requests your credit report, cr, and those requests, listed as inquiries on your cr, are only seen by you and do not influence your fico score.  You will find both soft and hard pulls in the inquiry section of your cr.

Send all documentation Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested, cmrrr.  There are other ways but this is a basic standard.  You should also go online and do a Track and Confirm at the US Postal offical site.  Keep your receipt from the post office and staple this, the green card and the T&C to a copy of your documentation.  One piece supports the others.  You may not get the green card back and the receipt and the T&C will be supporting evidence that you did send the documentation.

[dam1120]

Thank you for all that. Now last question (I hope) is they already posted their charges to my credit report will this cause them to remove them or do I have to do more to get them off as old debts?

Thanks

Oh what is cmrrr. Sorry to sound dumb.

[Downto0]

You should do a search on "623" as that is the method you will probably need to use to dispute directly to the data furnisher (collectors, Original Creditors (OC's), and others who send information to the Credit Reporting Agencies (CRA's)).  Sometimes it's easy to have the derogatory information removed and other times you may actually need to file a lawsuit.  I am using the 611 method to dispute inquires because inquiries are exempt from the 623 process.  For the most part, however, 623 will cover disputes.

Old delinquent debts are automatically dropped off a cr once they are have been delinquent for 7 1/2 years.  Your free cr from any of the CRA's should say when the delinquent debt will go off your cr.  3in1's from a reseller are a condensed version of the official report from one of the Big 3 and probably won't have this information.

cmrrr is Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested.  You can use just Certified Mail, but you won't get a "green card back" and judges like to see these.

[Anonymous]

I just got a very strange call from these people yesterday. I just recently returned from service in the army after 5 years out of state. I called the local electric company to set up an account for a new appartment that I am going to be renting. The electric company asked if I had an account with them before and I told them I did 5 or so years ago.  They ran my info and came back saying that I was a preffered customer and because of this I owe no deposit. All good an well right? Literaly 5 min later my phone rings and it is PRA saying they are calling about my account with the electric company. I was like " The one that I just opened 5 min ago?" .  The lady told me no it was for an address I lived at in 2006. I told her that I had settled that account the day I moved and cancelled the service. I then asked her what date their company aquired this supposed debt. December 2011 was the answer. I inquired why it took them so long to contact me and why this debt was not shown on my CR? she gave me some excuse that because the debt was only $190 and not something like $3000 the electric company my not have bothered. At this point I was pretty suspicious of this whole deal and I told her that I don't think that I owe them  anything and I don't think the debt exists. she then got VERY snotty with the "Sir are you disputing this debt?" I told her you bet and I will have a DV letter in the mail today. After all that she had the audacity to ask if she could enter my cell number into their automated dialer. How stupid do they think people are?!  I even asked her if she thought it was odd that I set up an account with someone that makes no mention of any past debt to them or anything, and even calles me a "preffered cutomer", then 5 min later I get a call from someone saying I owe money to the same company? She had no resopnse. I know for a fact that I settled this account in 2006 when I moved out of state. Beware these crooked jerks. I am going to be taking this to the limit with these people.

As a side note to everyone that has had a bad run in with them, they have a link to their BBB review page right on the front of their website. Light 'em up and let everyone know.

[Chris123nTx]

Either last year or maybe the year before, i had someone, i think it was these guys, report a $26 dollar charge from a medical lab. They bought it along with millions of others most likely, never contacted me, but they reported it on all three cr, and in fact listed it multiple times. My score droped by 70 or more points. It fell off by itself within a month, although i also disputed it through the reportig agencies.

They buy all this old stuff and try to scare people into paying them something. Of course when you do that, you restart the clock on the older than dirt stuff.

[Anonymous]

I'm having an experience with Portfolio Recovery.  Is there anything that we can do about the continuous calls, the harassment.   I have power-of-attorney for a relative who is out of the country for some years.  They are trying to collect on an old utility bill.

[Anonymous]

Were you able to get legal assistant regarding the drop in your cr score.  Did you pay portfolio recovery?

momforj

[Education44]

I did the same thing about six months ago and they promptly removed it from my credit reports.

[Anonymous]

I just received a letter from them saying I owed so much on a old (2001) capitol one account.  I did not have one.. So I am looking up what other people say. There are too many red flags. They want me to fill out the letter and put my important numbers on it.  I'm glad I read where someone else had the same problem. But i still don't know what to do about it. I don't understand the letter. How do i get them to leave me alone?  I am on disability and can't pay that..   Help me please if you can give me some addvice.

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@weezie wrote:
I received a collection letter from an agency called Portfolio Recovery Associates yesterday. Looks like they claim they bought an old Capital One (nee Signet Bank) account that was charged off about 14 years ago. I sent a cease communications letters today.

I was wondering whether any of you have had any experience with this collector, and could share your opinion on what I can expect as far as their "attitude" is concerned. When I had the same experience on the same old debt a few years ago with NCO, NCO sent their "we won't contact you anymore" letter pretty quickly and that's the last I heard from them. Just wondering if I'm in for a fight with this Portfolio Recovery Associates.

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