PRA -Ge Care Credit Help

[Anonymous]

I would look into your state laws before doing anything.  You already entered into a payment agreement with them.  In some states that can restart the SOL and they could sue you if you back out or put a stop payment on the check.  Even if it doesn't, they would be more inclined to sue.

If you have to give them something, use a prepaid card.

[DaBears]

+1 guiness

[Anonymous]

I checked up on New Jerseys debt collection laws and the only thing I could see that may qualify is the advise many give on here already which I did not do, a debt validation.

I've been calling them all morning speaking to different people. I told them that firstly my checking account has been compromised and they removed my checking account information.  Then I told them that I haven't received anything from that as far as validation of debt. They claimed they sent something last week but I did not receive it and they would send something again. I spoke to two supervisors who all told me that they do not remove trade lines from credit reports  blah blah blah and did not have any numbers, addressed or emails for anywhere I could contact that would be of better assistance. 

I went online and got more numbers for pra and finally got a lady who when I told her that my "coworker" had recent dealings with them where they did infact remove the tradeline and our circumstances were similar said that it is possible and they do that on a case to case basis. I pressed on and inquire how I would go about doing this which she claimed she didn't know but did give me a number for disputes. She did say that making payments would not make me ineligible of getting it removed but since nothing is on paper yet I took that with a grain a salt.  She did suggest I call the disputes center when I'm able to make that payment in full and go from there.  So she was fairly helpful however the number she gave me was a fax numbe :/.  

Back online I went and I called corporate and got the litigations department and left a message.  My goal at this point is to get an address where I can send a letter to basically offer to pay  the settlement amount in full if my condition of removing tradeline is met OR get someone who will work with me and send me a letter confirming this agreement. 

I will continue to update.

[kai3]

UPDATE:

So I called a few weeks after I cancelled the original settlement offer of 2500 and PRA agreed to settle at 1800 on the 3724 charge off.  I got this by offering to pay in one payment. 

I did try to get a pfd and wrote several gw letters but received 2 denial letters.  For now I was happy to be paying it off for less than what I owed in exchange for it to be reported settled in full.

Fast forward to today I received notice from scorewatch that changes were made to credit score. I was excited because I thought maybe pra updated quicker than expected. Imagine my horror as I my already poor 589 score had come down to 556 going down 33 points.  I was livid and called pra.

The first representatives I spoke to tried to give me the runaround that because there was still a balace from the 3724 that is why it was reported.  I reminded them, then what was the point of them accepting a settlement if they are going to report it not only as a new account but that there was a past due amount.  When the supervisor told me that the information should update in 30-60 days when they will not only send me a letter but an official one to the 3 credit bureus but that I should take up my lower credit score with the credit bureus and not them I knew I had to start recording the conversations.  I m not even sure how legal that is but being that the only documentation I got was my agreement to pay the 1800 I thought it wouldn't hurt to have that as leverage.  In the conversation I recorded pra admitted to my account with them be settled and that it shouldn't have updated in 10 days the way it did but the reps there could not offer any solution other than sending me the settlement letter  earlier that expected. 

My concern is that when pra does report the settlement to the bureus I might not receive any increase to my credit score, receive a small increase still short of my 33 points lost or receive the 33 points back but nothing additional for having it paid off. 

With that my question is should I attempt to settle this with pra or am I better off disputing / filing a formal complaint with the bbb or credit bureaus for pra reporting incorrectly  Please someone help

PORTFOLIO RECOVERY ASSOC

(XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX2697)

Opened: 5/2013

Show/Hide Details

Balance:	$1,925	Credit limit or largest balance:	Not Reported
Past due:	$1,925	Payment terms:	Not Reported
Status:	At least 120 days or more than four payments past due	First reported:	8/1/2013
Portfolio type:	Open Account
Description:	Collection account

Contact: PORTFOLIO RECOVERY ASSOC, Riverside Commerce Center, 120 Corporate Blvd Ste 100, Norfolk, VA, 235024962

[Shogun]

There is a violation here.  There was a settlement with them.  They cannot list the remainder as owed and the account as open.  It is settled/closed.

[Anonymous]

It shouldn't have dropped your score.  Paying a collection never should unless it hadn't updated in a long time.  In the same sense, your score will not go up for paying a collection,

[kai3]

Below is the original tradeline and how it was reporting on my credit report

GECRB/CARE CREDIT

Address:   C/O P O BOX 965036    ORLANDO, FL 32896   (866) 396-8254	Account Number:
Address Identification Number:
Status:  Closed. $3,724 written off.
Date Opened:  04/2011 Date of Status:  05/2013 Reported Since:  05/2011 Last Reported Date:  05/2013	Type:  Charge Card Terms:  N/A  Monthly Payment:  $0 Responsibility:  Individual	Credit Limit:  N/A High Balance:  $3,724  Recent Balance:  $0 Recent Payment:  $27
Creditor's Statement:  Purchased by another lender.

This is the new account that was added to my credit report as of August 10th by PRA

Address:   120 CORPORATE BLVD STE 100    NORFOLK, VA 23502   (800) 772-1413	Account Number:	Original Creditor: GE CAPITAL RETAIL BANK
Address Identification Number:
Status:  Collection account. $1,925 past due as of Aug 2013.
Date Opened:  05/2013 Date of Status:  08/2013 Reported Since:  08/2013 Last Reported Date:  08/2013	Type:  Debt Buyer Terms:  1 Months  Monthly Payment:  $0 Responsibility:  Individual	Credit Limit:  $3,725 High Balance:  N/A  Recent Balance:  $1,925 Recent Payment:  $1,800
Payment history legend OK  Current/Terms of agreement met 30  Account 30 days past due 60  Account 60 days past due 90  Account 90 days past due 120  Account 120 days past due 150  Account 150 days past due 180  Account 180 days past due CRD  Creditor received deed FS  Foreclosure proceedings started F  Foreclosed VS  Voluntarily surrendered R  Repossession PBC  Paid by creditor IC  Insurance claim G  Claim filed with government D  Defaulted on contract C  Collection CO  Charge off CLS  Closed ND  No data for this time period
Payment History:  2013 AUG C
Account History:  Collection as of Aug 2013
Your Statement:  N/A

[Anonymous]

Ok.  It dropped because the CA account was added.  They do need to fix the balance however.

[kai3]

So how should I proceed?  SInce they are reporting incorrectly what is the best way to get this corrected and is it  possible through this reporting to have the tradeline removed altogether.  

[Anonymous]

I would not dispute with the CRA rather send the CA a direct dispute and include all of your documentation to show it was settled in full.

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