The Virginia BBB is on PRA's payroll!

The Norfolk, Virginia branch of the Better Business Bureau must be on the take from Portfolio Recovery Associates' payroll.

PRA has been harrasing me for months on a debt that is over 10 years old and out of sol violating every FDCPA and FCRA rule out there. They refuse to validate, they refuse to stop calling despite a cease and desist, they keep reporting it on my CRs, they keep posting ghost payments to try to renew the sol and they keep sending me fake summons. Aarggg!

SO... I contacted the BBB to file a complain about PRA and I my case was transferred to the Norfolk BBB Office. I sent them copies that prove my case.

The Norfolk BBB replied to me with following statement:

"The BBB has determined that the company has made a reasonable effort to address your complaint issue. We are administratively closing this complaint. Thank you"

What the heck!!!!!!!! To add insult to injury, despite PRA having over 600 complaints filed in the last 12 month like mine against them, the BBB still gives them an A+ rating!!!!!!

We all know how crooked PRA is!! how is this possible?!!?!?!?

By the way, the only "reasonable effort to address my complaint issue" that PRA made was having their sleazy lawyer Cynthia Robbins write back to the BBB a letter stating that "PRA denies any wrong doing". Thats it!!!!!! no supporting documents, nothing to contradict my evidence, nothing at all! And the BBB took PRA side and closed me out.

what in the world are you waiting for? SUE THEIR PANTS OFF!

Seriously, folks, here's the problem--we all are seeing what the debt collection industry has become, you KNOW they broke the laws.....but as long as no one takes them to task over it, they will NEVER STOP doing things this way!

We need to ALL push this issue with them, they budget for the occasional lawsuit that they will then try to settle out of court, as a "cost of doing business", because they know that oout of every 100 people that they treat like this, probably only ONE will actually file suit. If they can collect from ten people, and only have to pay one settlement for it, they still come out ahead financially! THAT is why WE ALL must hold them accountable! If that number were to change, say to 50% of these people suing them over their actions, there is NO DOUBT that it would change things because it would get far too expensive for them to remain in business this way!

A note about the BBB--they are independently run, it isnt a connected nationwide organization. Some BBB offices actually charge people to pull reports on companies. Others have done things like youre saying. Dont let that stop you--I would go as high up at that BBB as I could, speaking to people that run the place, showing them what you provided, and asking them what in the world their malfunction is! And then, you can also file complaints with the FTC and your state's AG office....but before I go there, I would file that lawsuit and collect the damages!

Yep. Sue them. Go to the National Association for Consumer Advocates (www.naca.net) and get a referral for an attorney in your area. You can most likely find one locally, though, that will take the case pro bono because they will likely get court costs and attorney fees (plus $1000 for you) awarded by the courts, and possibly even higher damages due to stress and inconvenience.

And, unfortunately, it's more like 1 out of 1000 who sues, and 1 out of 100 complains to the FTC, Attorney General, etc.

And I pretty much gave up on the BBB, except for seeing how many complaints filed because people who actually file a complaint are more liable to do it through the BBB than other channels, it seems.