There is.  In California it's 7 years.  Look up the statute of limitations for the state that you live in.  It doesn't mean they can't attempt to contact you and get the debt paid after 7 years, it just means that their attempts won't hold up in court, especially if you move to dismiss based on the expired statute of limitations.  Do not send them any money in the meantime because if you do, you restart the clock on your statute of limitations.

Mine has been 20 years

Awesome advice!!! I'm deaf in one ear so I say "can you repeat that A LOT" and I've noticed that they get ticked off! haha.

Clark was wrong on the Drop Dead Letter....The collections agency can sue you if you send the letter. It's a messed up system but they can.

If you owe a recent debt try this.(The people getting calls from 7+yr old debts, I'm not sure what to do)

Sit on it for 9-18 months. You'll get a daily call.
1. Answer it and acknowledge the call and ask the company name (which I'm sure you know) & who your speaking too).
2. Say you can not pay anything now, but will let them know when you can.
3. Remind them that they legally can not call you anymore today (allowed once a day until debt is settled)
4. After sitting on the debt, offer to settle in full for pennies on the dollar!! You set the price.

These companies buy your debt for .15-.25 cents on the dollar, but come after you for the full amount and sometimes interest is added!  
After a year, they get antsy and are more apt to settle. I have settled on a $1352 debt for $270.40 (that's .20 on the dollar) They might say they have to "ask their manager" and will call you back. If they say no, then tell them it's going in the bankruptcy pile or your going to use your extra $ to settle another card..whatever.. (If they want an extra $20-30 take the deal!)
If they accept your offer....GET A LETTER stating the debt is settled in FULL for "X" amount before you pay them anything. Make copies of that letter!!  

You can pay off your debts this way without completely screwing your credit.

*Oh, you are responsible for claiming the written off debt on your taxes. So I have to claim $1081.60. Don't mess with Uncle Sam! ;o)

Can you block them on your cell phone?

getting calls with no one on other end on my cell phone from this number. what a pain

THEIR STOCK IS DOWN 24% SINCE THIS CAMPAIGN STARTED. FAR BELOW THE DROP IN THE DOW. KEEP UP THE PRESSURE FOLKS!

Reverse boycott. Together we are destroying their cost/benefit ratio by consuming their service. Their legal model is less vulnerable than their business model. Individual efforts against their legal model have failed for years. This united effort against their business model is succeeding.

When a company can repeatedly call with the intent of getting money their customers can repeatedly answer or call back with the intent of not giving them any. They need people to pay with as little talk as possible. They don't want to talk with people who know they are never going to pay. Be all talk and no pay. Answer when convenient. Call back. Give no information. Verify nothing. Ask as many questions as you can. Answer none.

Don't ignore/block/report them. It doesn't work. These folks want you to ignore them for as long as you can stand to or until you give them something valuable like money or information. Ignoring them is being their good customer. Sending a cease and desist is giving information. It lets them know you are still alive and remain their good customer. Preparing to initiate unlikely individual legal battles is being their good customer.

Be their bad customer. Make them talk to you fruitlessly for as long as they can stand to or until they stop selecting you as their customer. These companies cannot spend seconds much less minutes on the phone with every person who will never send them a dime. But they don't know who that is. You do. That knowledge is power. Every second you can keep their staff on the phone will render their business less profitable giving them a reason to never call you again.

Calling will not reset your SOL. Making a partial payment will.

I like to ask general questions they should but usually won't answer. "May I have the name and address of your agent for service of process?" Calmly and slowly ask them to spell every word in the address. Read it back for verification. Control the pace. If they are rushing then politely ask them to slowly repeat. "Are you a corporation and if so in which state are you incorporated?" Repeat your questions when you don't get direct answers. When they won't answer a question ask, "Would you like to comply with the business and professions codes of your state?" That is usually the point when they hang up on me but if they say they want to comply then begin your questions again.

Repeat while you have the spare time. These folks have many victims and few operators. If everyone calls back but pays nothing the mass auto-dialer business model becomes unprofitable. Don't aide and comfort the enemy by ignoring them. Call! Have a nice long slow friendly chat! Make them hang up first.

Press 2 for Spanish.

For any business, customers who consume the most resources but don't pay (or otherwise add value) become the least desirable. Most businesses will stop (cease and desist) soliciting an undesirable customer. Those that don't stop remain knowingly vulnerable to the actions of their undesirable customers. Few companies can afford to let everyone take a piece of them whenever they want endlessly. For instance they must pay staff to answer everyone's telephone calls which can be placed at your convenience for the joy of it. Call and consume their operator time without paying or giving information. Be a bad customer. The worst customer. Inspire them to invoke their right to refuse you service by not soliciting you.

There are certainly enough victims to take down this company so ignoring/blocking seems downright Orwellian to me. Really? We're just going to passively submit and go with a block list or however we manage ignoring an endless stream of unwanted phone calls day after day? Hell no! Unite or remain conquered. Answer/return every call - become well practiced at keeping these folks on the phone - or count yourself not amongst the free.

Yup, collection agency, though never had any account or debt with the creditor they claim I owe for. Continue to call regardless.

Think I will start using their' phone number on websites, maybe that will spam their' phone lines!

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i got a call from the same debt collector. i see so many people on here that have no idea why some compacy would call about a debt after ten years. but not many denied they have debt. thats why we are all on here talking about a company that harrasses people for money they owe. i had them threaten me they would take me to court and that never happend yet. but how in the world is this company getting your phone numbers when you change it? its hard to get some ones cell number when they change it. and i dont understand why they do but i also dont get why people claim that goes on? i said before you should call the police about it but what are they really gonna do about it? you have to call the company and tell them in writing what is going on. they call from several numbers all the time to trick you into answering. but change your number if you dont like it or send them a letter and tell them what you tell this site. good luck.

Portfolio Recovery hounds me for a debt that is from 16+ years ago.  I must have over 20 numbers from over 10 area codes on file for them.  Just pathetic

Portfolio - Pain in the a**!

yeah, PRC.  This old debt collecting company.  These debts are over 8 years old so they can suck it.

This is a creditor.  One of those collection companies.  Just ignore them

I get calls several times a week from numbers like this.  This particular number is persistent, but since it had the "Portfoliorecov" name on the caller ID I took that to mean a telemarketing scam, so I just ignore the calls. I figure if they were legitimate customers they would leave a message on our machine anyway.  It is so frustrating as a business owner to be bombarded with these kinds of calls and the phone company and the government wont' do any thing because we are using a 'business line' they say we are exempt from using the do not call list!  This uses up our valuable time and in some cases fraud billing for services we never authorized.  We need to have some legal recourse or at least be able to block these numbers permanently with out incurring fees!  Really, why should we, the consumers, be required to pay money to block calls that annoy us?  What is wrong with that picture folks?!

no message left

Portfolio Recovery...people paid to call and harass you for old debt that you may or may not owe. Unbelievable bottom feeders.

Portfolio Recovery trying to collect a debt that was written off 25 yrs ago

WHy is this person calling me and not leaving a voice mail?

All I can say is they must have bought some bad paper. I save their number in my phone as Gay Ck Sukers" therefore I dont answer it when they call..

The Wall Street Journal posted a story about Portfolio Recovery Associates, using the signature of a woman named Martha Kunkle, who died in 1995. Although she died in 1995, Kunkle's signature has apparently shown up on thousands of affidavits submitted since her death by Portfolio.

these  bottom  feeders  are  a  collection  agency.  They  keep  calling  me  over  a  debt  owed  by  someone  with  the  same  name.  Since  they  can't  find  the  true  debtor  they  think  they  can  harass  me  into  paying  it They  will  now  experience  the  fun  of  being  auto  dialed    forever.

i recently changed my landline number, and what do i get!?  calls from this "company"...at all times, from different numbers!!!  I HATE THEM!!! dont know what to do to make them stop...ive tried the feature on my phone, block calls, but i think ive used up all of the 20 slots i have!!!!!  ugh!!!

Portfolio Recovery Service...Says they're collecting on closed account from 1997.  Past statute of limitations and never even belonged to me.  They have no information they can send you.  They purchase old debts and try to collect on them.  Here are other numbers they also call from:
518-207-3600; 702-410-7069; 205-423-4020; 412-282-1420; 443-313-1380;208-588-8181; 404-592-5171; 407-347-4014; 484-489-2840; 620-662-8870; 731-984-7690; 859-918-0780; 757-961-3544; 865-292-0385; 678-265-1568; 440-580-0720; 620-662-8870; 757-864-0020; 731-215-8010; 205-599-8181; 800-387-1357; 800-383-8013.

I have blocked these numbers and continue to block every number they call on.

Called/contacted me for the first time today. For a cell phone bill from 1997 from a company i have never heard of. After they repeatedly told me I owed this debt I Nicely told them they were out of their minds explaining I got my first cell phone in 2000. Gave them the three companies I have been with to date. She admitted this is the first time they contacted me since...1997!

They wanted me to send them all sorts of information and I laughed at her. Its never shown on my credit and I told her as far as I am concerned they are scammers... of course she got nasty after that and hung up

Portfolio Recovery...people paid to call and harass you for old debt that you may or may not owe. Unbelievable bottom feeders.

no message left

I get calls several times a week from numbers like this.  This particular number is persistent, but since it had the "Portfoliorecov" name on the caller ID I took that to mean a telemarketing scam, so I just ignore the calls. I figure if they were legitimate customers they would leave a message on our machine anyway.  It is so frustrating as a business owner to be bombarded with these kinds of calls and the phone company and the government wont' do any thing because we are using a 'business line' they say we are exempt from using the do not call list!  This uses up our valuable time and in some cases fraud billing for services we never authorized.  We need to have some legal recourse or at least be able to block these numbers permanently with out incurring fees!  Really, why should we, the consumers, be required to pay money to block calls that annoy us?  What is wrong with that picture folks?!

This is a creditor.  One of those collection companies.  Just ignore them

Portfolio Recovery hounds me for a debt that is from 16+ years ago.  I must have over 20 numbers from over 10 area codes on file for them.  Just pathetic

Yup, collection agency, though never had any account or debt with the creditor they claim I owe for. Continue to call regardless.

Think I will start using their' phone number on websites, maybe that will spam their' phone lines!

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