Letter from 3, help please.

[jay_a_rushton]

dont know if anyone else has had this but I have received a letter from 3 today, informing me that they are passing on a debt for £23.56 to a debt collection agency for a mobile which I cancelled in March 07 and have never had a bill for that amount. After speaking to their call centre for over an hour, all they can tell me is thats my final bill. I have never received a bill for this amount and have had no other communications from them telling me that I owe it. Their call centre say that there is no record on the system of letters sent to me, just saying that it is automatically generated but not logged. They have also admitted that they have had upgrade requests on my account in June 08 from a retail outlet based in Scotland, I tried to explain that this cant have been me as I live in Manchester and was in work on the day in question. They are still adamant that I owe them this amount. I am not impressed that they have forwarded this to a debt collection agency without actually giving me the chance to sort it out, I'm not even sure if its a genuine bill. I still have another contract with them that I have had for over 2 years and pay that regularly by direct debit, so why would I avoid £23.56 for over 18 months? I havr asked them this been keep getting the scripted reply.

 

Anyone got any ideas what I should do? If they can prove that I genuinely owe the money, I am happy to pay it, but dont think its right how they have treated me.

[maroondevo52]

Hi, JA.

 

I'll move your post to start your own thread, keep it updated and people will help you out.

 

Regards.

 

Scott.

[jay_a_rushton]

3 phoned me today and told me they cannot discuss my account with me as they have passed it to a debt collection agency, yet when I spoke to them they said I need to speak to 3 mobile to get it sorted.

 

What is going on, other people seemed to have received similar letters!?!

[abi1982]

Hi, Me and my husband are currently having the same problems with 3 doing this and it seems the problem is now nationwide.

 

I recieved a letter today stating that I owe just over £10 from 2005-2006. My husband owed £13. Both 'debts' passed to Lowell without our knowledge. My Husbands credit was effected by this as his account was defaulted and this is now currently effecting our chances of moving house due to getting another mortgage.

 

I would have paid the 'debt' in 2006 if I would have been notified about this, but the letter I got today was the 1st I heard!!! We think this is a con. I have just emailed watchdog and will be contacting Ofcom. In my email to watchdog I have copied in the following link (edited)

Edited December 7, 2008 by jonni2bad
Link removed

[jay_a_rushton]

I have emailed BBC Watchdog and not heard anything back yet. 3 phoned me again today and they can't discuss the account and won't give me any information about why I owe this money and will only send out a final bill and won't send me any previous bills or do an audit on my account.

3 have told me I need to speak to Lowell Portfolio as they now own the debt but they have told me I need to speak to 3.

No one can give me any answers as to where this debt has come from and I paid my final bill over the phone by card which they agree but also say I owe them this extra £23.56 which they never told me about until I got a letter from a debt collection agency.

I can't seem to get anywhere with 3 or Lowell Portfolio.

I am considering paying it for my credit rating but still think this is a [problem] by 3 mobile.

 

Can anyone give me any decent advice about what to do?

[abi1982]

Hiya, This is the same which has happened to me and my husband. I did reply earlier but cant see my thread on here. My husband owed £13 I recieved a letter today stating that I owed £10. I have tried to query it but you dont get any where with either 3G or Lowell Portfolio. I also never cancelled my direct debit with 3 so surely it was down to them to take the money they needed, isnt that the whole idea of direct debits so you dont forget to pay and inccur charges etc??. My husband paid his £13 right away but still got a default on his credit rating which stays on there for 6yrs. This is up there with CCJ's and is complete madness over such small amounts of money, escpecially when these letters are the 1st we heard about any debt. I called today and paid the money I had 'outstanding' from a contract dating back from 2005. I shall be expecting the default to be added to my credit score soon which is a nightmare as we are trying to move house at the moment and we have only just finished explaining this default to our mortgage provider who finally agreed to over look it. Ive also emailed Watchdog today. I suggest everyone does the same. Im also going to call Ofcom on Monday morning. My arguement is that if 1000's people owed them this money then why couldnt they send out a letter advising us of this?? The 1st we have all heard is when getting a letter off Lowell 3-4 years later. Once its been passed to a DCA its very hard to get it sorted, you either pay and they put a default on your file or you dont pay and they do the same. Im serioulsy thinking about starting some sort of online petition about this.

[abi1982]

Ps there is a big thread about this on moneysupermarket.com. It might be easier if we all post on one big thread somewhere and try and sort this out.

[jay_a_rushton]

We shouldn't give in to this, imagine if they claimed £10-£20 off every old 3 mobile customer how much money they would accrue?

I think they are trying it on because of the 'credit crunch', I just want some advice about where to go from here.

[Bazooka Boo]

I have already emailed BBC' Watchdog, and I informed Consumer Direct who in turn are going to inform Trading Standards. They sent my Mother a letter (Lowell Portfolio I) claiming she owed 3G £20, My mother is petrified and went into her local 3G shop today where an extremely irritating monkey simply shrugged his shoulders and mumbled "it will be the final payment, and that isn't paid by direct debit, so you have to pay it yourself"

Just aswell I live 160 miles away!I have been trying to tell my mother not to worry or pay these clowns, and that I will send her all of the letters she needs in order to get them to prove this debt is owed. Personally I would start by sending them a letter stating that you do not acknowledge any debt to their company, followed by a CCA, and then just wait and see. But right now I've got my hands full trying to convince my mother not to pay until it is proved she owes it!

[chrisnorden]

Hi,

My son has received a letter, supposedly from Mike Reid, Collections Manager @ 3 Glasgow, to pay £216.81 to HFO Services in West Byfleet. This was the first communication relating to this since mid 2004.

After many phone calls threatening an increase in amount owing up to £900, Court appearances etc, I discovered that HFO had fabricated & written the letter on photocopied 3 headed paper.

Following advice from Consumer Direct, I gave HFO 14 days (which was up 5/12/08) to produce written evidence of the outstanding amount (from a phone that was returned to 3 in April-May 2004).

We've now sent all copy letters etc. to Consumer Direct asking what action we can now take, but my son is just in the process of applying for a mortgage, and from other site members, it would appear that a 6 year default is going to appear.

Any advice anyone please?

 

Should I contact BBC Watchdog? What documents, if any should be sent to them?

 

Worth writing to Sunday Times or any other papers?

 

All comments welcome.

 

Thanks in advance

[abi1982]

Hi. I cant believe how many people are getting letters for outstanding money which they knew nothing about. This is really turning out to be a nightmare. Yes please email watchdog, if you look on their site there is an email address which you can send your story to. I was also thinking of emailing the sunday papaers, especially the one Martin lewis is in. The more people who email they might take action. Also please email/call ofcom. Although ofcom cant reply to each person, if they have an x number of complaints about the same thing then they can investigate.

[hightail]

This happened to me but with not with 3, it was with O2 from a contract properly ended 12 months previously. It was the reason I joined this forum, the first I knew was phone calls from Credit Solutions Ltd. This DCA are simply not interested in the records from O2 (obtained by S.A.R.) which show all payments were made.

 

Something very weird is definitely going on.

[Bazooka Boo]

For some reason? (Typing with my toes!) I am unable to paste the letter I sent to Muck hall, who had claimed my mother was owing £19.76, It pretty much says that the debt is not acknowledged unless they can prove otherwise, (doubtful) and only to communicate vis letter, phone calls will be treated as harassment, no "doorstep callers" etc etc etc. Sent first thing this AM recorded delivery, with the words "PAYMENT ENCLOSED" written on the outside of the envelope! Funny enough chrisnorden the letter that allegedly came from 3G was in the exact same envelope as the letter from Lowell Portfolio I stating all payments must be made to Muck hall, and it is in the same type face?

I reported this to Consumer direct on Saturday who are informing Trading Standards, and I also emailed Watchdog on Sunday, will be watching them later to see!

[hightail]

Hopefully 'something' will be done but I don't know what. I honestly can't work out how to sort it out other than pay them money I don't owe (which I'm not doing). DCA's just threaten you with court but don't follow through so you end up with a default on your credit file for a paid up account and there is no way of shifting it. I have clear evidence of department X saying something to department Y and the idiot in department Y deciding to 'interpret' the message in a ludicrous way and mark my file accordingly. They say nothing to the customer because one half of the company knows you don't owe them anything so the supposed letters are not actually triggered.

[astral]

I'm in a similar situation where 3 have passed a debt to Lowell Financial. I can't get any sense out of 3. I've emailed watchdog a couple of weeks ago and not had a reply. I'm going to email trading standards now

[mallyonline]

3 phoned me today and told me they cannot discuss my account with me as they have passed it to a debt collection agency, yet when I spoke to them they said I need to speak to 3 mobile to get it sorted.

 

What is going on, other people seemed to have received similar letters!?!

 

If they (three) refuse to speak to you or do not give you the chance to sort things out then explain to them the debt will NOT be paid without a court order! when the debt collection company calls advise them the debt will not be paid without a court order! you have an outstanding complaint three have failed to respond to and that makes your case very strong in court.

 

If they refuse to speak to you then a judge cannot possibly be expected to accept to judge on the case! IF and that is a very big IF they take court action then you will be in a strong position to defend as they have not followed the required regulatory steps.

 

Good Luck

[chrisnorden]

I have read, on Ofcom's website, that the phone provider has to provide an ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) option. If they don't they are in breach of Ofcom regulations..

i cannot see on 3's or HFO's website any link to an ADR option, and have not heard from either of them since 13/12/08.

 

I don't know whether to "poke" them with the ADR stick, go to my son's Credit File and make a note concerning his disagreement with their viewpoint, or just leave things as they are.

 

My son has applied for a mortgage & got past the credit check stage.

 

Anybody any experience/strong views?

[Bazooka Boo]

I have read, on Ofcom's website, that the phone provider has to provide an ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) option.

My son has applied for a mortgage & got past the credit check stage.

 

An ADR or Alternative Dispute Resolution, would normally only be actioned after three (3) months has lapsed from receipt of the first complaint, and where the customer or company cannot come to an agreement, therefore the argument would then be deadlocked and and ADR, which is an alternative to going to court and it would then be looked at by an independent body to make a decision as to how best come to a mutual agreement that both suits the customer and the company.

It's a long drawn out process, one which I am in the middle of with Virgin Media.

I have sent two letters both recorded delivery to "Mike Reid" at 3G and to their chosen debt collection agency, Lowell Financial, acting on behalf of Mackenzie hall. Both letters clearly state that "I do not acknowledge any debt to your company"

Funny how they soon sit up and take notice! As it is not me who allegedley owes them a few pounds, it happens to be a family member of which I acted on behalf of, the letter did state that they were to provide evidence of where this debt has come from 24 months after the contract had lapsed, why they sold the debt to a DCA without first informing the alleged debtor that there was money still owing, and that if there is proof of the debt it will only be paid to the creditor and not their chosen DCA. If they still (likely) drag their heels the next course of action will be to S.A.R them as it is very unlikely there going to be professional enough to have proof of where this debt materialised from!