Hi Steve, A year ago I had problems with Barclays bank who had sold my "debt" to Lovell. Now I like you didn't have a clue what this was about and as such really started firing from all angles to find out what it was all about. Firstly I wouldn't even entertain talking to these people on the telephone. Lovell is a business and they have purchased a debt - they are not interested how, when or what the debt relates to, so they will try to con you into parting with £25 for a copy of an agreement. Remeber they are not in the business to help you disprove a debt! Now with that in mind you need to send a SARS letter, (in the letter templates) along with £10, which is the maximum charge as per the Data Protection Act. I also sent that same letter to Barclays Bank, notably neither responded in the 40 days, and it was only my constant badgering of Barclays Bank staff that I actually got anywhere. I went into local branch(es), when one wouldn't help me I simply went into another branch and kicked up a fuss in front of other customers, never being rude, but being a customer in distress did work to my advantage, I made calls again never rude, but stood firm, knowing that as a comsumer I had rights, eventually after a number of months, Barclays were forced to buy back the debt and write it off. You will not get a quick fix to this, and you will have to keep, sending letters, making calls to the bank in question, NEVER Lovell, always keep everything in writing with those guys. Eventually you will speak with someone and sense will prevail and they will try to help you. Good luck with it and keep looking on this forum as it is an invaluable source of information. Vicky

Thanks Mike I thought that they had. Just needed it confirmed. Will get a stern letter off to them today informing them of their "error". Quite enjoying hitting back at the bully boys!

Hi I have had on going problems with Barclays Bank and a DCA called Lowell Financial who they apparently sold my "debt" to. I have recently been turned down for a loan and it turns out that Barclays Bank have very kindly defaulted my "debt". Now having argued and ranted and raved at them we have finally come to an agreement whereby they are going to remove the default. ANYWAY I have received my credit report from Experian and it appears that those lovely chaps at Lowell have done a credit check on me. Now I am fairly sure that it is illegal for them to do this without my permisssion. Does anyone know what the lay of the land is on this one, because quite frankly if Lowell have broken the Data protection act then I want to report them. Any information on this would be great. Thanks V

Hi In need of a little bit of advice please! Barclays Bank sold my "Debt" of £381 to a DCA on 2/7/06. I spoke with the DCA on 4/7/06 and they stated that they would get copy statements of the account to me as I know NOTHING about what this could relate to. As per the advice obtained from this site I sent first to the DCA the CCA letter with my £1 postal order on 10/7/06 and the SAR letter was personally taken into Barclays Bank on 11/7/06 with instructions to debit the required £10 from another account I had with them. I have allowed the 42 and 40 respectively pass and to date have not heard a thing from either the DCA or Barclays. Now I don't want to get cocky with either the bank or the DCA but where do I go from here? Any ideas anyone. I want to persue Barclays as I am sure that this debt can only relate to charges against the account.

I have been sitting around waiting for replies from both Barclays Bank and the DCA whom they sold my debt to. On 10th July I sent the CCA letter to the DCA and on 11th I requested the data and my bank statements from Barclays. To date I have heard nothing from either of them. Now I don't wish to be cocky with the DCA or anything but is the debt unenforceable once the 42 days are up? Also does anyone think it a good idea to report them. Like I say I don't want to remind them about little olde me! BUT what do I do about Barclays - I want my statements and I want to make my claim against them. I have been treated outrageously by that bank and now want to get back what belongs to me. Advice would be gratefully received

Hi there, Dont forget Lowell need to provide you with the evidence that they now own the debt. write to them asking them to provide you with the assisignment of deed. Look in the Library and you will find a templete relating to Debt Collection agencies. All they have supplied you with I presume is the original agreement you had with Barclays. They have to prove to you that they now own the debt. Good Luck

Hey just one thing - Dont forget the £1 Postal Order. Why slow things down over a quid!! Good Luck

Hi there! OK you need to establish first is if the debt now owed by the DCA. If it is then you need to send to the agencies involved a copy of the letter below. I also sent a SAR to the bank involved and to date I have not heard anything back. Most of the letters you require can be found in the templates area. Try looking there. The FAQ area is excellent as well. I spent a good week or so looking through this site and now have a much better understanding of my rights. Good Luck Your Reference No: To Whom It May Concern: I do not acknowledge ANY debt to your company. I require you to supply the following documentation before I will correspond further on this matter. 1. You must supply me with a true copy of the alleged agreement you refer to. This is my right under your obligation to supply a copy of the agreement under the legislation contained within s.78 (1) Consumer Credit Act 1974 (s.77 (1) for fixed sum credit) - your obligation also extends to providing a statement of account. I enclose a £1 postal order in payment of the statutory fee, PO Serial Number 2. A signed true copy of the deed of assignment of the above referenced agreement that you allege exists. 3. You are notified that you are obliged to supply these documents, whether you are the original creditor or not under S189 of the CCA 1974. Non-compliance with my request is a criminal offence under the above Act and will result in a report being submitted to the relevant statutory authorities. As you are aware, a credit agreement that is not properly documented and signed by the customer is totally unenforceable under the CCA and therefore is a complete defence to any court claim that is issued. Take note at this stage, that any legal action you may contemplate will be both vigorously defended and contested. Regards,

Thank you. I have gone from mad and terribly upset to thinking I am actually going to enjoy this!!

I have been reading through this fabulous site for the past 3 days and am feeling the "mini" revolution. I am telling everyone I know about this site and am hoping to give Barclays a taste of their own revolting medicine! Heres my story which like most is about their horrendous treatment of their "customers". I like most had got myself into a bit of a pickle financially and as my father used say "a bank will give you an umbrella till it rains". I continually went over my agreed overdraft but each month got the account back into credit once I got paid. Barclays were more than happy with this arrangement as they got to penalise me. My immense dislike for them really started when they called me not once, not twice but three times on the day of my father’s funeral to discuss my £450 unauthorised overdraft!!!! I foolishly continued to use the account and eventually they really starting turning the screws on me, first by stopping my cheques and then finally withdrawing my cash card facilities. Barclays had all but effectively closed the account. Now some 5 years later having walked away from their branch in Epsom leaving a zero balance have been informed that they have sold my debt of £381.95 to a DCA and have closed my account. Thanks to the fantastic advice from this site I have sent the DCA a letter, along with the £1 postal order, requesting the original agreement etc and have also sent a SARs to Barclays cheap at £10 when you consider how large my claim against them is going to be! I want to wish everyone lots and lots of luck with their claims and hopefully with people power the banking systems will have to change. Thank you Bank Action Group I was going mad before I stumbled across your site.

B*gger!! Thank you!

Hi I was wondering if anyone knows the answer to....... Barclays bank has sold my debt to Lowell Financial - I have sent the recommended letter to Lowell requesting that they supply me with a true copy of the original signed agreement. Barclays have closed the account and my question is this - would they still hold a copy of the agreement as it has the account has now ceased to be? Admittedly they only closed the account on 2nd July 2006. Vicky

Hi I am having problems with these parasites also known as Lowell Financial. I have just received a letter from Barclays claiming that I owe them £381.95 on an account I ceased to use 5 years ago. Barclays left a slightly sour taste in my mouth when they saw fit to call me 3 times on the day of my fathers funeral! Yeah....!!! I have today written to them requesting a copy of the original agreement and hope to god that they will not be able to lay their filthy little mitts on it. Sorry I feel so bitter about Barclays - they simply enrage me. I wish you lots of luck in resolving your problems and I will not allow Lowell to "bully" me into making payment against a debt they can not enforce!

Hope you like the correction! Yes it's a mistake I make far far too often. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.

I need some advise!! Obviously I am one of the hundreds if not thousands of people who have been charged by the banks. I was however completly shocked to receive a letter from Barclays Bank last night informing me that my debt to them of some £381.95 had been sold to a debt collection agency. I have had what I beleived to be a dormant account with Barclays which has not been used in some 5 years! After one too many charges from them I finally thought with my feet and moved my account. The balance was left at Zero and that was the end of my dealings with that particular bank! Or so I thought!! I am now in conversation with their bully boy debt collection agency who have informed me that this debt relates to charges and I suppose interest. Is there anything I can do? I know that I left that account at zero with no money going in and none coming out - how can it be that some 5 years later I get a demand of a staggering £381.95. I have explained to the agency that I can not pay for a charge / debt if I am not aware that it even exists. They will only supply me with statements and not letters from the bank. I simply don't understand how this has happened.This they don't care about and just want me to cough up. I understand that this site is about claiming back charges but does anyone have any dealings once the account has been passed to an agency?