Who is Portfolio Recovery Associates?
Portfolio Recovery Associates (PRA) aka PRA Group, Inc. is a publicly-traded debt collection agency located in Norfolk, Virginia. They purchase large blocks of debt from large lenders around the country.
You may see Portfolio Recovery Associates listed on your credit report as a collections account. This can happen if you owe a creditor money and they’ve hired someone to collect that money. Portfolio Recovery Associates may appear on your credit report as any of the following entries:
- portfolio associates
- portfolio rc
- portfolio recov assoc
- portfolio recov pra inc
- portfolio recovery
- portfolio recovery pra inc
- portfolio recovery services
- portfoliorecov
- portofolio collection
- PRApay
Portfolio Recovery Associates Collections
Portfolio Recovery Associates collections can hurt your credit score and remain on your credit report for up to 7 years regardless of whether you pay it or not. Unfortunately, if you make a payment on the collection, it could even lower your credit score.
However, it is possible to have it removed before 7 years and you may not even have to pay it.
(Debt collectors prefer that we didn’t tell you this, but it’s something you should know.)
Lexington Law is a credit repair company that helps people fix their credit. You may not even have to pay any of the debts on your credit report.
In addition to collections, Lexington Law will help you challenge (and possibly remove) other inaccurate information from your credit report. These items include inquiries, late payments, charge offs, foreclosures, repossessions, judgments, tax liens, and bankruptcies.
Call Lexington Law now to learn more: (800) 220-0084
Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC (PRA) Contact Information
Address:
Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC
120 Corporate Boulevard
Norfolk, VA 23502
Phone number: (800) 772-1413
Website: https://www.portfoliorecovery.com
Will Portfolio Recovery Associates sue me?
It’s possible that a collection agency like Portfolio Recovery Associates will resort to litigation when attempting to collect a debt. They may even seek wage garnisment.
However, if you work with a law firm like Lexington Law, you have nothing to worry about. They will help you dispute the debt and possibly get it removed from your credit report. It’s also quite possible that you may never hear from or have to deal with Portfolio Recovery Associates again.
Call Lexington Law to learn how they can help you avoid lawsuits and remove negative items from your credit report that will significantly improve your credit scores.
Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC Complaints
Most collection agencies have numerous complaints filed against them with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Most complaints are about inaccurate reporting, harassment, or failure to verify a debt. If you find yourself facing any of these situations with a debt collector, you should also consider filing a complaint.
You have many consumer rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Lexington Law knows that you have rights and Portfolio Recovery Associates does too.
Send Portfolio Recovery Associates a Debt Validation Letter
Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the burden of proof lies on the collection agency. PRA must prove that the debt in question is accurate and they have a right to collect on it. And that’s where a debt validation letter comes into play.
It’s a written request that doesn’t get into the specific details about the debt. Instead, it requests that Portfolio Recovery Associates proves that the debt is yours and you have a legal obligation to repay it.
There’s a chance the debt collector won’t have the documentation to validate the debt since they aren’t the original creditor. And that’s good news for you as PRA will have to remove the negative information from your credit report.
There’s also a chance the debt collector won’t respond to your request within the 30-day window. In this case, the information would also have to be removed.
The downside is this letter must be submitted within 30-days of your initial notification by the credit bureaus for it to be effective (and they have 30 days to respond).
But if Portfolio Recovery Associates does respond and it’s not quite the reply you were looking for, you still have a few more options.
Can Portfolio Recovery Associates collections be removed from my credit report?
Lexington Law specializes in disputing Portfolio Recovery Associates collection accounts. They have over 28 years of experience and have removed over 10 million negative items for their clients in 2018 alone.
Get Your Collections Removed Today!
If you’re looking for a reputable company to help you with collection accounts and repair your credit, we HIGHLY recommend Lexington Law.
Call them at (800) 220-0084 for a free credit consultation. They have helped plenty of people in your situation and have paralegals standing by waiting to take your call.
Bottom Line
If you decide to do nothing, the negative entry will stay on your report for seven years from the date of last activity. And if you pay the balance it will still remain for the same period of time and ding your credit score.