Hi Board. I really need help and advise from seasoned members of this forum.
Here is the background:
1. I pulled my credit bureau reports and found collections from JH Porfolio, on behalf of PayPal smart connect, a charged off amount of approximately $1500.00
2. I disputed and requested validation from JH Portfolio multiple times.
3. JH Porfolio sent me copy of the PayPal smart connect bill, dated May 2012, with total amount charged off (approx $1500.00), constiting of principal amount (around $1200.00) and "finance charges" (approx. $300.00). Despite numerous written requests for itemization, calculation of balance, itemized charges and competent evidence that I owe this debt, all JH POrtfolio did was reiterate that under FDCPA they have to provide copy of the statement from original debt owner, and taht is it.
4. I filed fraud investigation request with PayPal, since I have no idea how these charges were accumulated, where the $1500.00 total charged off amount was derived from, and I do not recall having a PayPal smart conenct account (I do remember using PayPal many years ago, but not a credit card. Instead it was a payment portal , where my own bank account was drawn and PayPal was a middle platform).
After more than 60 days PayPal denied the fraud investigation request, claiming that they verified that I am the owner of the account, based on verified address, signature and address. Nonone of the items or documents allegedly used for verification were provided to me. When I asked the investigator to provide it, I was told that "we are only doing investigations, if you have any questions ask Synchrony bank customer service".
I called Synchrony customer service, but they said this is charged off account, they have no access to any information except the total balance, and that I must contact recovery team to get more details.
When I called recovery team, I was advised to contact fraud investigation team. This really set me off, as I was already frustrated by the time of waiting over 50 minutes and sent in circles, after so many months of written requests for investigations and verifications, and hours of watsted time on hold and transfers from one to another deparment.
needless to say, Synchrony does not answer any of the questions I ask (keeps saying "we have limited access, this is old account, we can not answer/do not know" etc.).
But it insists that I owe it $1500.00 (without providing any itemization). It also told me today that the last payment was received in 2011, but CAN NOT TELL what was the alleged balance at the time of the last payment, let alone providing me with the itemized statements and method of calculating the charges and interest.
Furthermore, it has no information as to where GE Money Bank was headquartered before it was sold to Synchrony. IT DOES NOT HAVE COPY OF THE CONTRACT/TERMS or ANYTHING other than verbally saying that I OWE THEM $1500.00, and referencing one page of a PayPal bill dated summer of 2012, with LUMP SUM OF CHARGED OFF AMOUNT ($1500.00).
What can I do now, short of suing them in court of law? Suing is complicated, I have to first figure what COurt I can sue them in, District of Circuit, then I have to know exactly how to word the Complaint, what to ask Court to award me and so on.
I don't even know what the alleged terms of contract are, what the SOL is , how it is determined, what was purchased, by whom, when, how they added up this balance and so on. But above all, I work full time and do not want to spend time, energy and resources to sue Synchrony if there is any other way to deal with this situation.
It's really mind boggling that they demand $1500.00 without providing ANYTHING except the charge off statement, basically telling me "You must pay us $1500.00 because we said so".
What can I do now? Please help! I It hurts , in many ways (interest rates, FICO Score, job , finances) and Synchrony staff appears to be totally clueless, tehy just read off the script and can't provide any information. What remedies I may have?
