the same number came to me from portfolio recovery, a company that all of you complain about yet is a BBB, better business Bureau, verified. they may be annoying and they may harrass people as they did with me but they are real. the debt may be old and ten years too late for them to try to contact you about but the company is not a scam. you can check it out yourself. im not from the company and i dont agree with what they do but its really about them trying to get back the money that you never paid for. i had a lot of debt personal issues to deal with why i did not pay them back the money credit card i mean. but before i never paid the bills the company never called me so they bought old debt of mine that was charged off and i thought it was the end but if you dont pay your bills some one knows about it. and thats why it would be better if you and myself paid bills for now on. if you dont want to be bothered then pay your bills i dont get it.
Here is the way to handle this bunch of bottom feeders, set your computer dialer up to dial every 3-4 times and put their number and any others in, then set it to dial continuous, and let er run. ta ta
Look up their address (DO NOT TALK TO THEM) and send them a certified letter. In the letter tell them they have no legal authority to collect on the debt and to not ever call or write you again except to acknowledge they have received your letter. It is as simple as that. A company simular to this did a credit check on me and it showed up on my credit report. I had to write them and the credit reporting agency to take it off. When a company checks your credit it can take two years for it to be removed!! How does it look when a company like this is on there? bad bad bad!
I don't remember the company's name but they told me it was an account that was charged off in June of 2000. This is December 2010. The creditor already got their tax credit for the account. This is an agency that "bought" the old debt and are trying to collect over $900 just for "late fees" for an account that was only $200.
Portfolio Recovery Associates. Just like everyone else here posted--collecting on old debt on which the statute of limitations (SOL) has expired. They purchase old debt for pennies on the dollar and attempt to collect, often using unethical or illegal practices. Although they're allowed to file for a judgment against old debt, it isn't legally enforceable if the SOL has expired.
They've been calling my cell phone (illegally--not allowed to incur additional debt in their practices, but they do... all the time, even after I identify my phone as a cell-phone). Tempting to answer it--whether the debt isn't yours or is but has expired--but don't. If it isn't yours, they still won't leave you alone. If it is, they still won't leave you alone. Either ignore the call or file a written request as many other helpful posters have suggested.
Wouldn't know what I'd do without this website! Just enter the [many] strange numbers in web browser search, and this website displays right away! Thanks much!