Harrassing phone calls
Complaint
John Pansini
Country: United States
These people have been calling me for months, but never asking for me by name. Their message always begins: "Portfolio Recovery Associates... Please return this call at 1-800-860-0644..." They go on to say, "This communication will be with a debt collector and is an attempt to collect a debt." Then they give their corporate address -- nothing else.
I searched them online and found that there are many complaints against this company. They buy old debts for next to nothing, and then try to intimidate people into paying. They must be stopped.
I would like to join a class action against them. Please advise.
Thank you,
John Pansini
I searched them online and found that there are many complaints against this company. They buy old debts for next to nothing, and then try to intimidate people into paying. They must be stopped.
I would like to join a class action against them. Please advise.
Thank you,
John Pansini
Comments
Please place your complaint!!!
https://help.consumerfinance.gov/app/tellyourstory
and yet they call me daily. i just let it go to voice mail. after all it is a zombie debt and i truly don't have the money to pay it.
Send them a Certified, with signature return letter telling them to cease and desist any and all telephone contact to you and/or your number. Be sure to include that it applies to all of their subs and/or associates. If the debt is unquestionably beyond the statute of limitations in your state, they may still sue hoping that you will disregard the summons. If so...and you fail to respond disputing their claim, they win. You may not have to pay due to your circumstances but it can create a lot of grief for your in fighting it. If you respond to the summons advising them that you intend to regard and defend it as Time Barred under the statute of limitations, they will most often move on since they have no real chance of collecting a dime. I work in the local district attorneys office locally, and one thing that is starting to tighten the DA's jaws in these Zombie debt collectors using the courts to collect while knowingly ignoring the time barred laws.
To the workers of this company who try the old scripted b.s. about pay your debts even if they are past the stats. You owe it. Thats a great line but with a doorway left wide open to reality. The manner in which a consumer has paid on a stale debt for at least 7 1/2 years has been enormous. There are some creditors out there who stuck it good to the consumer when opening the account and after begging and pleading to work with them to lower payments the consumer was met with a refusal and threats of destroyed credit the consumer had no choice. A foul collection operator never personalizes any account. The reason they were hired was because they usually have a rap sheet and have displayed the real I don't care attitude in life. This allows the scummy owner who knows it takes breaking the law to get his free money back on his pennys he spent to use that type of person to make the calls. But the scripted story of pay your debt you owe it sounds better. Just don't pay attention to how low both the creditor and the collector went with all of this and how the consumer pays over and over and over. No one has to live in their home harrassed over the phone by some tool talking moral platitudes when they may be a scum sucking pig.
These companys need only exist in collecting current debt and the approach so be to POLITELY work with the consumer. Beyond that stale debt toss it.
I mailed the letter certified, return receipt to their Virginia address and received a signed receipt that they got my letter.
They still call multiple times a day from several different numbers. They never leave a message.
It is getting old. They continue to break the law and have never provided any written proof of any debt.
I finally asked the idiot today if she thought just because my last name was "Smith" if she thought we were all related! What gives them the right to call anyone with the same last name and first name initial and harass them.
You really don't want every stranger in the world to think that when they want money, you're someone they can call. Become invisible.
But that does not stop them from bullying me and calling me a lier .
Bullying debt collections needs to stop , if they feel you owe them a debt then take that person to court and stop this practice . Most people out there did not personally cause the economic downturn , but to listen to those guys they did . If you can show that you were paying ontime before the recession and all the lay offs , that should be taken into consideration .
UCC-1. You'll find it very enlightning and helpfull. Good Luck. A Patriot.
Not clear who this "Sill and Associates" is. They present themselves as consumer debt negotiators, which is not the same as a law firm handling creditor lawsuits. None of the employees identified represents that they are attorneys. They show up here, claiming to be BBB accredited, which is confirmed via the BBB site.
http://www.sillandassociates.com/contact-us/
Possibilities:
1) "Sill and Assoc" may be acting as a local debt collector for PRA.
2) PRA might have sued, and "Sill and Assoc." may be soliciting business from consumers based on court records.
3) "Sill and Assoc." may be soliciting business unrelated to PRA.
4) This may be some other "Sill and Assoc."
What, exactly, did your letter say, and what identifying information (address and phone numbers) did it list?
If you have received some letter claiming some legal action has been filed, that letter alone is not proof that legal action has actually been filed. Check your local courthouse. If not, and they are threatening you with a nonexistent "lawsuit", that is deceptive collection, and violated FDCPA. You can sue them for it.
They were also required to send you notice of the alleged debt within 5 days of their first contact, even if that contact was by phone, notifying you of the alleged debt, who they claim is owed, and that you can dispute and request proof.
If you are actually sued, get an attorney and respond. PRA mostly collects on really old accounts, many out of statute, and many with little documentation, so they are depending on high levels of default judgements from people not knowing what to do.
You may catch them suing with their pants down, and be able to slap them with a countersuit for FDCPA violations, perhaps settling for cancellation of the alleged debt plus penalties and attorney fees.