Portfolio Recovery Associates

1. Don't pay or agree to anything on the first call

   Get the company's name, mailing address and the account number they're using. In many states a payment, or even a promise to pay, can restart the clock on an old debt.

2. Watch the mail for a validation notice

   Within five days of first contacting you, Portfolio Recovery Associates has to send a notice showing the amount, the creditor and a dispute deadline at least 30 days out. If you never got one, that is worth noting in writing.

3. Dispute in writing before that deadline

   Ask them to prove the debt. Once they receive a written dispute in time, they must stop collecting until they mail you verification. Write the letter here, then send it by certified mail.

4. Check your credit reports

   Get all three free at AnnualCreditReport.com. If a collection account is wrong, dispute it with the credit bureau as well as the collector.

5. Never ignore court papers

   If you're served with a lawsuit, file a response by the deadline on the summons. If you don't, the collector usually wins by default and can then ask to garnish wages. What to do if you're sued.

1. Collecting a debt the person says they don't owe43% · 14,631
2. Threatened or took negative or legal action19% · 6,553
3. Missing or unclear written notice about the debt17% · 5,779
4. False or misleading statements13% · 4,543
5. Calling too often or after being told to stop5.8% · 1,956
6. Problems with texts, emails or social media messages0.8% · 284
7. Contacting or threatening to contact other people0.7% · 241

The specific problems

The single most common complaint is “debt is not yours” (31%). If that matches your situation, a written dispute is the first step: it pauses collection until they verify the debt.

1. Credit card debt85%
2. Other debt12%
3. Phone, cable and internet debt1.1%
4. Medical debt0.9%
5. Auto loan debt0.6%
6. Payday loan debt0.4%
7. Rental and apartment debt0.2%
8. Student loan debt0%

Based on complaints where the person named the debt type. In 68% of complaints, the person didn't know what the debt was (average 57%).

1. Texas14%
2. Florida12%
3. California10%
4. Georgia7.9%
5. New York5.6%
6. Illinois4.1%
7. Pennsylvania3.7%
8. New Jersey3.2%
9. North Carolina2.9%
10. South Carolina2.8%

State laws add to the federal rules, and some states require collectors to hold a license. Pick your state above for its time limits and license lookup.

Closed with an explanation only

48%

Fixed something, no money back

52%

Money back or debt reduced

0%

Answered on time

98%

Portfolio Recovery Associates gives some kind of relief in 52% of complaints, more often than the average collector (23%). "Relief" usually means correcting a credit report, stopping collection or closing the account. 947 recent complaints are still awaiting a response.

Use the phone number and mailing address printed on the letter Portfolio Recovery Associates sent you, and send disputes to that address. We don't list phone numbers because scammers often call pretending to be real collectors, and caller ID can be faked.

Official website: portfoliorecovery.com

Not sure the caller is really Portfolio Recovery Associates? Ask for a written validation notice, then call the number on the company's own website or on your original account statements. A real collector won't demand payment by gift card, wire transfer or crypto.

What it is

Debt buyer

Mostly collects

credit card, bank/consumer loans

Parent company

PRA Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRAA)

Headquarters

Norfolk, VA

In the CFPB database since

2013

Portfolio Recovery Associates, the U.S. debt-buying arm of Norfolk, VA-based PRA Group, buys and collects charged-off credit card and other consumer debts; the CFPB issued orders against it in 2015 and 2023.

Government actions

• 2015, CFPB: Consent order finding PRA bought potentially inaccurate or unenforceable debts, used false statements and robo-signed court documents: $19 million in consumer relief, $8 million civil penalty, and a halt to collecting over $3 million in judgments; order since terminated. Source
• 2023, CFPB: Stipulated final judgment (E.D. Va.) over alleged violations of the 2015 order, the FDCPA and the FCRA (collecting unsubstantiated debts, suing on time-barred debts, mishandling credit-report disputes): at least $12.18 million in redress and a $12 million civil penalty. Source

A collector can't report a debt to the credit bureaus until it has contacted you about it. If Portfolio Recovery Associates shows up on your report:

• Check the details. The amount, the original creditor and the date of first delinquency should match your records.
• Dispute errors with each bureau. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion must investigate, usually within 30 days.
• Know the seven-year limit. It runs from when the original account first went delinquent. Paying doesn't reset it, and a collector can't legally "re-age" it.
• Disputed debts must be marked. If you dispute with Portfolio Recovery Associates, it must report the debt as disputed.

Collections, credit scores and pay for delete, explained

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