PORTFOLIO RECOVERY ASSOCIATES Debt settled and released for over 2 years/PRA continues to report as unpaid debt Norfolk Virginia

I also have a suggestion for people who may encounter and attempt to collect debt from Portfolio Recovery Associates.

Avoid personally dealing with these scum over the telephone.   The will not honor anything they say or tell you on the phone so you are only going to end up regretting it.   They want you to admit in some way shape of form that the debt is legitimate.    They will also try to get your personal information.  If you are not even the person they are looking for I would never want to give my personal information to anyone over the telephone. 

If you actually end up engaging them on the phone never agree to pay anything over the phone.  They will try to get you to give them an instant payment by either credit card or bank debit.  They are notorious for telling you they are going to process a modest or small payment and then will try to drain your account for the "full" amount they are after.   They will threaten you with anything and everything to get you to pay now - don't relent as you will regret it.

Avoid getting their calls or voice mails in the 1st place.   If you have a landline phone get one of the blocker / out of service solutions that can easily be found on the internet.  For Smartphone's there are apps that will pickup and hangup on "blacklisted" numbers.  They work very well.  This way they won't disturb you when their computers auto-dial you.

If the alleged debt has passed SOL don't even respond to items in the mail.  There is no reason to send a DV and if you do they will be inclined to send you a 1099C for the "forgiven debt."  You will then have to deal with the IRS.  If a certified letter comes you legally don't have to sign for it so I would refuse it.

If you have already done any of the above save all correspondence and make sure all future correspondence is in writing and using certified / RR Mail.  This denial and requests for legal information to verify that the alleged debt is yours and valid under  the law will be needed in court or with the IRS.   These clowns are the kings of the 1099C tactic and with the IRS your are guilty until you prove yourself innocent. 

If the alleged debt is not out of SOL and may be newer debt you are better off negotiating with the original creditor instead of PRA.  Pull your credit report to see if the alleged debt has been "charged off" by the OC and if not you may be able to settle with the OC for pennies on the dollar and many will take a payment plan, forgive interest, late charges and other fees that PRA will try to go after you for.

Regardless of any decision you make and especially if making payment arrangements make sure to get whatever "deal" you are looking for in writing.  I have helped people even negotiate as part of the settlement that the OC removes the delinquency from all of your credit reports and reports them as "paid as agreed" and "account closed by consumer."  You also want the OC to acknowledge in writing that as part of the deal that the account will be "paid in full"  The OC just wants the money and negotiating for items that cost them virtually nothing are the easiest concessions to get.  PRA will not make any of these deals and if they "say" they are willing to make one they have reneged on those deals once they get you to admit liability for the alleged debt.

Lastly - share your experience with Debt Collectors and OC's here on Ripoff Report; both successes and failures.  We all learn from each other only when we share.

I have a suggestion for all the people suffering from this and other credit companies harassing people, justified or not.

Call Dave Ramsey or Clark Howard. They are consumer advocates, both with radio programs that have helped many.

Their websites are: www.daveramsey.com
www.clarkhoward.com

I hope this helps someone.