8662993463

I had a message on my answering machine today from "Portfolio Recovery Associates" asking me to call 866-299-3463 about a debt. It was an automated female voice (not a live person), and she was very slow to read the callback number. I only caught the end of the message, so I did not hear if there was a name mentioned in the message or not. I don't have any outstanding debts, so I did a Google search for the number and found this page (thanks 800notes.com!). I am not planning to call them back. I hope they don't call me again.

Similar story as many others in this posting, in that Portfolio Recovery Associates has an automated dialer phoning and leaving messages.  In my case, they are leaving messages for a person who may have had my number before me.

Portfolio Recovery Associates is a public company.  As such, they have an investor relations department.  For anyone having issues with this company, I suggest phoning them at a number they will actually answer.

Contact Investor Relations for Portfolio Recovery Associates.
888-772-7326 ext. 13010

Also, from the campany's website, here is a listing of the various stock analysts who cover the company.  Stock analysts are always searching for insights into a company's performance for their recommendations.  

Analyst Coverage Provided By.

Davenport & Co.
David West 804.780.2182 dwest@investdavenport.com

First Analysis Securities Corp
Jeff Nevins 312.258.1400 jnevins@firstanalysis.com

Jefferies Group, Inc.
Daniel Fannon 415.229.1523 dfannon@jefferies.com

JMP Securities LLC
David Scharf 415.835.8942 dscharf@jmpsecurities.com

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey
Mark Hughes 615.748.5680 mark_hughes@rhco.com

ThinkEquity Partners LLP
Audrey Snell 212.468.7000 asnell@thinkequity.com

US Bancorp Piper Jaffray
Robert Napoli 312.920.2156 robert.p.napoli@pjc.com

Utendahl Capital Partners L.P.
Daniel O'Sullivan 212.612.9113 dosullivan@utendahl.com

William Blair & Company
John Neff 312.364.8914 jneff@williamblair.com

For the last two weeks I've wondered what this call is about. Glad to learn I'm not the only one. This really pisses me off. Thanks Google.

Calls everyday. Says "attempting to collect on a debt"

Thanks guys!  I just received my second call yesterday.  On my calls they don't even say who the call is for, just a "this call is for" and starts in on the call us back routine.  Tricky of them using an English accent on the recorded message.  Thanks again!

PLEASE write a letter to your Congressman, the BBB in Virginia, your state's Attorney General, etc. Be creative. Also read up on federal regulations. DO SOMETHING.

They call me at leat 3 times a week and leave messages on my answering machine. I know for sure that i don't have any debts and never had. I was wondering if there is any place where i can report them?

Portfolio Recovery has been calling my home, my work, and my wife's work daily for several YEARS, often up to 4 times per day on each number to collect a $200 claim. They even call at 8:30 AM on Sunday mornings. Sometimes the calls are shotgun style, with several calls to the same number every 5 minutes. Sometimes each number is called in rotation. We never answer the phone without checking caller ID.  

The claim was from a doctor that billed improperly and attempted to collect long after our employer changed insurance providers....about 10 years ago! I will not answer their calls. We provided full documentation to a previous collection company via certified mail that the claim was in error.  Realizing they made a bad investment, the account was sold to Portfolio Recovery, which has no intention of paying the original doctor a dime. They never give up because machines do all the calling.

I have no problem with President Bush and his efforts to prevent terrorism...history will prove those methods are working.  THIS is the biggest form of harassment and invasion of privacy that goes on in this country. If they have your number ... change it now.  If there is an attorney out there that would like to take this on to help stop this abuse, I will gladly provide full details and do my part as a witness in a class action suit to prevent others from having to endure this ridiculous abuse of capitalism.

I keep receiving calls from this number.

I've gotten several calls from this number lately, and it leaves "urgent-you-must-call" messages on my answering machine. This company left a recorded message on my voice mail.  They identified themselves as a collection agency. A mechanical female voice all the time and it says "any information obtain will be used for a debt collection". I never heard of Portafolio before, and do not owe mony to anybody. I am glad I researched the telephone number and found this website.

I did a search because a "Debt Collection Agency" keeps calling and leaving messages on our answering machine about us owing a debt.  You can barely understand what the scum bug is saying besides saying that it is mandatory we pay our debts.  Our names are not mentioned and then instructions are left to call Mr. Meid at 1-866-429-3592.  A few minutes later a robot sounding voice of a woman comes on saying to tell the ID # when calling back.  It is apparent this is a computerized recording because when the ID # is called out it is so muffled you can not even understand a # to give if I decided to call back.  I tried to call back to tell them to take our number off their list but I was put on hold so I hung up.  There have been several times when we picked up the phone on one of these calls and the same script is heard each time as well as the robot sounding recording of an ID # that can not be understood.  This is getting very annoying.  What can be done about these low down dirty scums?  Has anyone else been called by this number about owing debts?

Consistently received calls and messages over several months.  Have absolutely no credit problems, however, they leave automated messages asking to call them regarding a debt collection. I don't answer nor return calls. Same company uses several 866 numbers to call and harass.

yes,I called the number back..they tried to verify my social.  I told her no way. she got an attitude with me.  I told her I would contact the credit bureau and hung up on her.

I have had 3 calls from 866-299-3463. Each time it is a different electronic voice asking for me. This last call was from someone with a "southern" accent, name Chris.
They do not state their business only that if I am not the person mentioned in the recording I should hang up or delete the message.
I recently helped my daughter buy a car and there were no adverse reports on my credit so I have no idea what this is about.
I am certainly not going to put myself at risk by calling them back.

I work in the health care collection field. What type of health plan did you have at the time (10 yrs ago). If you had a HMO, most states have government offices to protect you should you ever be sent to collection.
Example: California has the Department of Managed Health Care and the Knox Keene Act protect HMO members from ever going to collection.
If you did not have an HMO, I suggest you contact your states Department of Insurance and report that your plan did not pay and that you are being harrassed by a collection agency. They can usually tell you what to do to get help clearing the problem up. If the MD was contracted with your insurance carrier you can also report the MD to them and they will let their legal department deal with the doctor for you.

**CONSUMER ALERT**

Portfolio Recovery Associates in Financial Trouble?   (February 6, 2008)

My mail box has been flooded with consumer complaints from all across America stating they have received IRS Form 1099-Cs from Portfolio Recovery Associates (PRA) on debts they purchased.  Many claim these debts date back into the mid 1990s and are no longer on their credit reports; most are past State statutes for taking legal actions and the majority appear to be far beyond the seven year statute for credit bureau reporting.

Portfolio Recovery Associates, of Norfolk, VA is a purchaser/seller/collector/ of junk debts purchased in portfolios for pennies on the dollar. Upon purchase, these debts are inflated to where they attempt to collect on them from consumers at very high profit margins.

Is Every 1099C a Potential Lawsuit Against the Collector Issuing It?

Just received some interesting information regarding the recent article you ran  regarding all those 1099-C's Portfolio Recovery Management has been sending out on time-barred debts they can't collect on:

.According to the WV General's Office,  "In the case of a debt that has been disputed and cannot be proven a 1099c is not a valid option for a CA to file. By filing the 1099c they are saying that yes this is that persons debt and we can prove it is. However if they cannot validate they cannot file the 1099c". ...they suggested the recipient of the 1099-C file a complaint with our State's AG office or file a civil suit or both.  

http://www.budhibbs.com/

If you have received a 1099C from PRA on a debt in which the SOL has expired, you have disputed and they have NOT validated, report this to your State's AG office IMMEDIATELY.

What snake tactic will the collection agencies come up with next to try to make us pay debts that are legally uncollectible? I'm hoping we can do some damage here. One is if the debt was bankrupted it no longer exists. You can complain that to the IRS. Second is if you are considered insolvent by the IRS, then forgiven debts cant be taxed. You need to send proof that your liabilities exceed your assets and income. Third is does the collector actually own the debt? If not they cant file a 1099. Finally, committing fraud with the IRS has to be criminal. This is where the law seems to be open. But I dont see how anyone can file a 1099 and not have proof of the debt if taken to task. So someone needs to sue these [***] and everyone else needs to tell the IRS that this is a bogus 1099 and let them investigate. Work with the IRS not the debt collector and get this shady illegal practice stopped in its tracks!!!

You should send Form 3949-A to the IRS.  You can do as I did and report the 1099C as a "Fraudulent" claim, and let the IRS handle it from there.  I'm also prepared to sue PRA if this fake 1099C causes me any grief on taxes.

Thanks for the tip. PRA has also turned in a bogus 1099-C on a time-barred debt WHICH THEY NEVER VALIDATED against someone I know. They have been reported to our State's AG office and the FTC.

I hope the IRS serves them on toast!

Got a call from these people trying to collect on a paid debt and telling me to give them my address and phone number.