Letter out of the blue asking if I'm the Miss xx that lived in xx...?

[notsurewhattodo]

Hello, I would be very grateful if anyone could offer some advice on the following. I received a letter this morning from Lowell Portfolio I asking if I was the Miss X that had lived at address Y. Then asking that I contact them immediately; it also states that their records will be updated to show that it was in fact me if I don't contact them.

 

The address they state I haven't lived at for over five or six years and I ended a relationship and moved out of there (leaving ex-partner still living there.)

I really don't want to walk into a situation and was wondering if there was anyway I can find out what these people want without confirming that it could be me?

 

Thanks for any help.

[Bookworm]

Ignore it. They're on a fishing trip. A lot of users have had the same letter, all about time-barred alleged debts.

[42man]

It would be likely that your debt (if any) is now statute barred !! so make sure you don't acknowledge anything NOR ring them....they are fishing and definately not sure you do live there !!! If it was me I would ignore it !!

[uk1975]

Ignore it ... don't do anything.

 

File the letter for if and when they contact you again.

 

As Bookworm said, the debt they will be chasing will more than likely be Statute Barred so there is nothing they can do.

 

If they start trying to contact you by phone, NEVER talk to them ... straight from the word go just say that you want everything in writing.

[Welshwoofs]

There is no earthly point in you responding because no matter what you write, or what you say, the result will be a demand for payment of a non-existant or statue barred debt.

 

Lowell Portfolio are a bunch of blood suckers who specialise in buy up old statue barred (i.e. not enforceable) debts for pennies and then spraying out fishing letters to anyone of the same name (or at the same address) hoping that they'll intimidate someone into paying up.

 

Click on the link in my sig which is a site another CAGer has set up to try and fight these people of undemonstrated parentage.

[DejaVu]

Dont take this as advice...

 

But,

 

Cant she reply with...

 

'The debt you would be referring to was in dispute and has already been statute barred as it is over 6 years old meaning it is not enforceable!

 

Your recent correspondence explains that you are only just starting proceedings and is usable in court.

 

Any further correspondence from yourselves regarding this matter and I will file court action for harrasment.'

 

Surely, if Lowell know they cant get anywhere with it, a letter explaining to that tune (as long as it's not signed) will shue them off? No?

 

If she does ignore it, the floods of 'give us money' letters will start to fill her letter box wont they?

 

Perhaps nipping it in the bud early?

[itsamomentintime]

just ignore. end of.

[Welshwoofs]

I think she should respond with the relevant template (CCA or Statute Barred) when they've said what it is they're after. At the moment they are fishing and they well may have sent numerous people the same email about the same debt to see who responds.

 

Personally I would not respond to a contact from any company which simply asked me to confirm who I was and where I lived without giving information about what they actually wanted my details for.

[2Grumpy]

If notsurewhattodo moved out 5 or 6 years ago then it may not be statute barred yet

 

Plus she doesn't know what the alleged debt is for, who it belongs to, who owes it

 

So I agree with doing nothing, if they try again then she could ask them what it is all about, remembering it is up to the DCA to prove that it is her debt, not for her to prove that it is not.

 

Grumpy

[2Grumpy]

Everyone else obviously thinks & types a lot quicker than me!

[firstwithit]

I think there is a lot of jumpiness in some of these replies.

 

Looking at the situation, Lowell have written asking if she was the person that lived there, if she doesnt reply they will assume she is. End of story!

 

So the advice at the moment is DO NOTHING.

 

Other than assuming that she is Miss so & so they have neither asked nor stated anything else at this time, I am sure they will later.

 

My personal opinion of all this Lowell rubbish with these statute barred BC accounts is why bother wasting a stamp and the time to do a letter, I should think they have a budget of around a £1 for each of these debts so that might mean another two letters at most.

[ODC]

Wait until you get a more substantive letter from these clowns and see what they ALLEGE then we can give you an appropriate response.

 

In the meantime ignore them and above all NEVER EVER RING THESE PEOPLE

[MrSensible]

It looks like you are the debtor. Best to phone the creditor and try to sort this out.

 

ignoring the letters cannot do many good at all and possibly result in them taking legal action. Some bad advice here!

[N.P]

Hi all,

 

I just noticed this thread.

 

I`ve never had one of these kind of letters myself, but I don`t see why you need to confirm who you are to anyone. If they say you have a debt with them, then they should prove it with their first communication.

 

If you confirm your name and address they will only hound you.

 

As ODC says, wait until a letter with more substance arrives, including information such as original creditor, amount, account number etc. That way you will know if you owe and possibly owe. Then go from there.

 

So, just blank it, and just keep reading the CAG and enjoy.

 

Regards

 

 

N.P