Search the Community

Being a newbie, I first want to say how helpful this board has been to me. I've spent the last year repairing my credit, and I thought I knew all I needed to know, until I came to Credit Boards. In the last 2 days I have made progress on issues I've previously tried to resolve but to no avail, so thank you everyone! That being said, I have one pesky collection left on my credit report, and it's Portfolio Recovery Associates (PRA). This is from a $250 limit credit card that was closed in 2008. PRA purchased it in 2012. The total amount owed is $863 (where they came up with that number I'll never know, as they will not verify how they got to $863). I have tried several times to have the item removed for failure to verify, but the credit bureaus come back telling me that PRA verified the info, without ever showing them proof or evidence, because that's how the relationships with PRA and the credit bureaus seem to work. My credit reports show that the debts will be removed from my reports in July and September of 2015, but I don't want to wait until then. As recently as last week, PRA called me to collect on the debt, and I again very calmly tried to negotiate with them. I have repeatedly offered to settle the debt if they agree to remove it from my credit report. I've explained that it is in no interest to me to pay any of the debt unless they can agree to do so, as it will benefit me in no way at all otherwise. They refuse to offer any settlement that involves removal of the debt reporting from my credit reports, as it is against their company policy. Being as how I want to buy a house in the spring, I really need to figure out a way to get them removed from my credit report. I've tried to have the debt validated, but that did not work. I also tried to negotiate, including paying the full amount, if they agreed to remove it from my credit report, but that didn't work either. If anyone has ANY advice, please let me know, thanks!!

Hi all - I've been trying to clean up my credit & like many people have some bad marks from years past..unfortunately, two of them relate to Portfolio Recovery Associates which is seeming to be IMPOSSIBLE to deal with. 1. I had a store credit card that I fell late on and it went to collections in Feb. 2013. I called and for someone to agree to a Pay for Delete so I paid the entire balance in Dec. 2013. I later found out this was the worst idea ever because they didn't delete anything and seeing I trusted their word, I have no proof that that was the agreement. So now I have this account sitting on my credit report as Paid in full, was a collection. 2. I had a Capital One card with a limit of $300 that went to collections in Mar. 2013. It's now showing as purchased by PRA in June 2014 with a original amount of $581.00. I'm not sure what happened to Mar 2013 - June 2014? I don't see anything else on my report for this account in these months.. Any ideas on what to do with this company, they won't agree to a Pay for Delete but I'm really hoping to get this thing of my reports! I've seen people mentioned requesting validation and I've thought about that but I'm a bit confused on the whole process.. Thanks in advance!!

Hi everyone - I am cleaning up credit issues and *stupidly* sent Whychat's initial dispute letter to CRA which resulted in PRA sending a validation letter showing date of last payment of 4/10 - (I had another acct with same OC with DOLA as 2009 so I must have not paid attention very well to this other acct). Well in FL, that's 7 months within SOL. The amount is under $600 - so it's not awful but still I'm scared I woke a sleeping bear? What do I do now?

I'm looking for an attorney who specializes in FCRA laws in So. CA. I have several violations against Portfolio Recovery Associates that I would like to pursue . I checked the sticky post of Lawyers in the main forum, but I didn't see any in southern CA. Anyone have someone they can recommend? Thanks!