PRA delivered, via curior on a sunday morning, a summons for a debt that I ha d previously tried to settle with MBNA. At one time with the original debtor, I had an arrangement and owed less than 2K. Despite my best efforts, my contract job ended prematurely and i failed to fulfill to MBNA. Arrangement Ended and Penalties, Late Fees, Over the Limit Fees Accrued. My debt ballooned to 9750. (please note, i had made many payments, prior to all of this, but the debt only seemed to increase)
A very difficult period followed and I pleaded with MBNA to work with me but they insisted upon 1000 payments and I didn't have to means to comply. MBNA charged off... PRA bought it and quickly increased the debt to 11,000K. So they sued me. Fearful of what could happen, I managed to hire a Lawyer.
After paying 1200 in legal fees, he reached a settlement with the Sawaya Law Firm, representing PRA, for 7866.By this time, PRA had manufactured my debt to be well beyond 13,000K. The 'settlement' terms were agreed upon. I paid with a Cashier's Check, in person, to the Sawaya Rose Law Firm, in downtown Denver. I never spoke with the Lawyer, Mr. Rose, even though i arrived in person to pay a significant settlement.
Instead, they sent out an intern who gave me a cheap handwritten receipt stub. Shortly thereafter, I got a release form which i signed and mailed to Confirm that the payment was received, fully settled, and released. I called both PRA and the Sawaya Law Firm and experienced a frustrating lack of concern or acknowledgement.
Both entities were disinterested, uncooperative, and particularly non-committal in terms of providing me with a piece of mind that I had fulfilled my obligations to PRA. PRA conveniently passed responsibility to Sawaya. And Sawaya conveniently passed the responsibility back to PRA. This was January.
Today, my credit report shows an UNPAID debt to PRA for well over 6000K. This is absolutely false. Additionally, MBNA continues to report (twice) the (9750) original debt. I don't know why. More important, I don't understand how PRA can do this without regard or consequence. My family and I suffered through this in agonizing ways. We sacrificed what we had and did our best to reach, what i understood was an amicable agreement. What I now know, based upon their own mission statement (if you can call it that), it PRA still made a very considerable profit on what I paid to them.
As they says, they buy debts for 'PENNIES on the DOLLAR' and proceed to make exhorbitantly high profits. I feel strongly that the majority of these people (victims) are normal, everyday people like myself that have experienced some misfortune, for whatever reason.
In this case, PRA was very agressive, extremely impersonal, and even moreso cavalier at having ravaged yet another 'debtor' with whatever means they felt necessary. So even today, it is as if I am still in debt to them. Can they not be held accountable for their actions, or more specifically in my case, willful inactions?
Their practices may be legal but, if so, they are scraping down to the bare minimum and it's definately unethical, at best. I would feel no remorse whatsoever in joining together in a Class Action case against them. My debt has long since paid but they are still causing a great deal of stress, uncertainty, and anguish directly to my family. I no longer have debt, except a mortgage, but my credit continues to look shabby, primarily because of PRA.
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