Alleged *3* debt-Have we got the set yet !!

**Mr's Lex** · 2nd May 2009 16:05

Hi to you all,

I have an alleged debt with Three Mobile thats over four years old. I know this account was clear before I moved to o2 icon

. The first I knew about it was back in December when I received a letter from Lowell's claiming they now held the debt for the sum of £11.20. I sent a 'Prove it' letter and heard no more about it. Next came a letter from MacKenzie Hall. (you can see where this is going) Another *Prove it* letter and again no reply. Next up was Buchanan, Clark and Wells, signed by all three of them !! another *Prove it* letter and yet again, no response. Today a letter turns up from 'Red' via Lowell's, saying they now own the debt. So off goes another *Prove it* letter, unless anyone knows of something stronger ??

Many thanks for reading this.

Mrs Lex

**sam614** · 2nd May 2009 16:25

£11.20

FFS.

love to know how many pennies they would offer for f&f
IGNORE the desperate fools.

SAM

LOWELL DETESTER

**buzby** · 4th May 2009 12:53

When you don't respond they take it that you accept their claim and it all kicks into high gear. The trouble you have is when you dispute the charge, the enforcement stops, but the data is not removed. The only way to do this before the time-limit on collection is reached, is to take the matter p with 3UK directly. It might also be worth checking to see if the debt has been sold on, as you'll need them to tell whoever they sold the debt on to, that it is invalid.

**Mr lex** · 5th May 2009 10:17

Hi Raymond,

Thanks for your input, as far as my wife is aware there has not been any negative input on her credit file. The last letter she received stated that the alleged debt had been sold to Lowell's, and now Red have been 'appointed' to collect. This is after letters from those DCA icon

's listed in her post. I will get her to write to '3' as well as Red.

Cheers,

Lex

**42man** · 5th May 2009 10:39

I would write a strong letter to the Chairman of the phone company, stating that in no uncertain terms they remove the default information, explain that you have been wrongly pursued by the various DCA icon

's for this non existant debt....and that they have a duty for their own suppliers too. If they fail to respond within 14 days you will issue a letter before action icon

and pursue this through the courts....a complaint to the OFT too wouldn't go amiss....Do you have any correspondence to state that the account was cleared ? If this is causing you trouble then a SAR icon

might reveal some interesting information, i'd send this to Three, also check your credit files too.....

**42man** · 5th May 2009 10:43

Apologies Mr L !!! just read your post, send the letter to Three and CC it to the Chairman Red/Lowells....you can potenitally sue them if any default information has been placed incorrectly !!!

**buzby** · 5th May 2009 21:22

I'm a firm believer that you never copy the CRA monkeys into a conversation. It gives them too much information and may erroneously give the impression you care about their involvement.

With nothing on the Mrs credit file, she'll be safe from any subsequent hit - and the CRAs don't have the power to add to it themselves. If 3UK have indeed sold the debt on, alleged or otherwise, you clearly need to review the information as you have no recollection of any debt outstanding to the client company.

So, you ask them for this - and to the CRA a bland, "in dispute" and you are dealing direct with the organ grinder. Therefore, you will not be opening s new channel of communications with a third party. Refer them to their client, as you are unable to help them with their enquiries.

**Mr lex** · 5th May 2009 21:55

Cheers guys,

First up is to get her to check her credit report and just make sure she hasn't missed anything (I am sure she hasn't) Then a 'Prove it' to Red and a 'Prove it with theats of court action' to 3UK.

I'll get her to post the letters up here for your comments.

Lex

**Mr lex** · 5th May 2009 22:00

On another point, we don't seem to have contact details up in this forum for 3UK, do we need it and if so if someone can post Address's, Phone numbers and any emails they have, I'll make it a 'sticky'

Lex

**buzby** · 6th May 2009 09:12

I should urge caution regarding threatening 3UK with legal action. I agree that this is simply retalitory, but is kinda pointless and will reduce your just rebiuttal to nothing more than a rant. There's no harassment, they donlt owe you money and you cannot arbitrarily make a charge and try to get them to recompense you. Keep it simple, it often pays dividends.

As to their address, they do publish it everywhere;

3 Customer Services
Hutchison 3G UK Ltd
PO Box 333
123 St Vincent Street
GLASGOW G2 9AG

**tadg** · 8th May 2009 12:30

I agree with Buzby .. don't rant and threaten at this stage ..

Contact 3Uk's data protection officer by emailing or writing to them at:
dpa.officer@three.co.uk or the Data Protection and Privacy Officer, Hutchison 3G UK Limited, Star House, 20 Grenfell Road, Maidenhead, Berks SL6 1EH

You can call 3's switchboard on 01628 765000 and ask to be put through to the Data Protection Officer

Explain the situation, disoute the debt and any sale of the debt to a 3rd party ... ask them investigate and suspend all collections actions ......

**Mr lex** · 14th May 2009 19:07

A responce from Red.

Thank you for your e-mail.

We are currently looking into your enquiry and will respond to you as soon as possible. Please be assured we will try to answer and resolve your query at our earliest convenience.

Unfortunately I am unable to give you an exact date as to when this will be as our enquiries can take time, as we often have to retrieve information from the original client or external bodies

What I can guarantee is that your enquiry is being dealt with and you have no need to e-mail again.

If you want to speak to someone in our Customer Service team then please do not hesitate to call on 0844 844 4722

OK, it was writen by a robot. One thing she won't be doing is ringing them !!!! Nothing from '3' yet, I'll up date as we go along.

**Brightness** · 14th May 2009 19:32

After all the 'prove it' letters you have sent I think it's time to go to Consumer Direct 08454 04 05 06 I did this yesterday about 3 and they will advise what to do next.

In my case they referred me to the OFT who gave me a reference number and said to call Otelo (the communications Ombudsman icon

) they also gave me a reference number and said to call 3 Executive and gave me their number and told me to quote the ref number.

The guy was actually an English speaker based in Glasgow (miracles) and he promised to do his best to sort things out for me. Today I got a call back from him saying everything was sorted, 3 were in the wrong and they would be refunding everything we'd paid since december as well as getting an apology in writing from 3. My case was slightly different but I would still ring consumerdirect and see what they say.

Good luck :~)

**postggj** · 14th May 2009 19:35

the general prob is 3g and lowell

these phantom small debts are cropping up all over the place years later and no body at 3 or lowells know any thing about them

it stinks

small debt and get a default

**tadg** · 14th May 2009 19:42

I would urge you to contact 3's data protection officer ASAP and not deal with customer services (who are not trained to handle these types of complaints). alternatively email the executive.office@three.co .uk or the chief finance office david.dyson@three.co.uk and ask him to investigate (as he is ulitmately responsible for the credit and debt collection icon

strategy and policy).

**postggj** · 14th May 2009 19:45

great advice tadg

scales clicked

**alan finlay** · 16th May 2009 12:18

Hi there,
I am currently in dispute with Hutchison 3G regarding their refusal to refund unused sim credit which I know is a different issue but can I just say that the contact info for 3 on these threads was really helpful. I wish you well and will update you re my fight.

**Mr lex** · 16th May 2009 12:23

Originally Posted by tadg

I would urge you to contact 3's data protection officer ASAP and not deal with customer services (who are not trained to handle these types of complaints). alternatively email the executive.office@three.co .uk or the chief finance office david.dyson@three.co.uk and ask him to investigate (as he is ulitmately responsible for the credit and debt collection icon

strategy and policy).

Thank you tadg,

I took your advise from your earlier post and we sent an email to '3's Data Protection Officer. I'll give it a few more days then start on the rest of your list.

I would gladdly give you a 'tickle' but for some reason the rep button won't work for me, I'll get webby on it and catch you again.

Thats a very useful list of contacts, I'll add it to the 'Stickys'

Cheers

Lex

**Mr lex** · 16th May 2009 13:07

Good luck with yours Alan, do keep us informed.

Lex

**buzby** · 16th May 2009 16:18

Incidentally, there's no credit physically on a 'SIM' - the credit levels are stored on a server, which allows the SIM to make calls or block it if the credit is low. That said, there is no obligation on the network (according to the T&C's) to refund money used as credit on PAYG handsets.

This is because it quickly became a way to 'launder' money - load an account, then get a credit back to a different payment method. Some networks will only credit a new SIM account, NOT return the cash equivalent.

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