Default At A Linked Address That I've NEVER Lived At!

[bh486]

Hi.

Just punched my gen into Equifax (Been using Experian/Credit Expert before today) and according to my credit report I have a default dating back to 2006 with Lowell Financial at an address I've never lived at and have never given.

 

Interestingly, it's actually my parent's address (I've never lived at their new home) and my Father has revealed today that in fact they've been getting letters from Lowell and similar for years. Thanks Pa!

 

I don't know how they got my folk's address (trying their luck maybe? I used to live 5 miles from them, have a very unusual surname and they're in the phone book).

 

So, a few questions for anyone who knows:

 

1. How does my Father (or I) go about getting it taken off his address?

 

2. I want to investigate this further as I have no knowledge of the debt and have obviously never received any communication stating anything is owed - If I do this by sending the standard Non-Acknowledgment-of-Debt-Show-Me-The-Paperwork-And-Prove-I-Owe-It-Or-Bog-Off letter bearing my current address to Lowell, will the process start again or will they simply transfer the default to my current address on my credit file?

 

If I do owe it, I'll pay it all immediately obviously. But having no knowledge of this, what it relates to and having never received correspondence from them about it, I feel I am owed the opportunity to deal with it without it appearing on my credit file, in the same way things like this haven't appeared when they've written to me about other matters in the past.

I've asked them to produce papers and in every single case they've dropped the matter formally presumably having failed to gather the necessary from their client - In these cases nothing's ever shown up on my file whilst it was being sorted.

 

How should I play this?

[reallymadwoman]

You could try writing to the credit reference agency and say you've never lived at that address and the debt is nothing to do with you, so can they please remove it. Just because it is linked to their address, it won't affect your parents at all.

 

If/when that doesn't succeed, you will have to tackle Lowells head on, but why get into writing to them before you have to. OK you have an unusual name, but it could be just coincidence that this has ended up registered to your parents address and it could be nothing at all to do with you. Once you get in to correspondence with Lowells, they could prove extremely difficult to shake off.

[unclebulgaria67]

Agreed you need to take this up with the credit reference agency, as someone has reported your parents address to them. Only they would know who this was and they can make enquires about this.

 

I think it is unlikely that Lowell would have given your parents address. From what I understand, these addresses are generated onto the CRA records by financial services companies like Banks and Insurance companies.

[harrassed senior]

Difficult one this, once you start contacting the CRAs they will 'insist' on all kinds of information from you because of 'Data Protection' and that will mean all kinds of information being openly available. I would suggest you make no mention of the fact that the address shown is that of your parents, just give them as little information as you can.

[Revenant]

As I understand it the CRA's have to make sure that all info supplied to them is accurate

Send a simple email advising them that you have no idea what Lowell are going on about and that you have never lived at that address . . no other info

Equifax are then obliged to contact Lowell to query the entry, they should also place a Notice of Correction on your file so that should anyone have a nose they will see that for the time being that entry is being disputed and not to pay serious attention to it

(I did this with Experian over a default Lowell placed on my file, in my case the default was removed )

Good luck

R

[Guest Lowell CRT]

Hi bh486

 

I have just seen your post about Lowell and am very sorry to learn of your concerns, in relation to the default at you parents address and the support you require to understand this.

 

We would like the opportunity to deal with your concerns through our dedicated Complaints Resolution Team. The Complaints Resolution Team is entirely independent to our Collections Department. Our sole aim is to deal with customer’s specific concerns.

 

We appreciate you may have some reservations about contacting us, but please let me assure you we are here to help.

 

To ensure your enquiry reaches one of our trained Complaints Resolution Officers, please use our direct email, which can be found on my previous posts.

 

 

As soon as we hear from you we will be able to place your account on hold, stopping any collections activity, whilst we deal with your enquiry.

 

We hope to be in contact with you soon.

 

 

James

 

Lowell Complaints Resolution Team

[Revenant]

Hi bh486

 

I have just seen your post about Lowell and am very sorry to learn of your concerns, in relation to the default at you parents address and the support you require to understand this.

 

We would like the opportunity to deal with your concerns through our dedicated Complaints Resolution Team. The Complaints Resolution Team is entirely independent to our Collections Department. Our sole aim is to deal with customer’s specific concerns.

 

We appreciate you may have some reservations about contacting us, but please let me assure you we are here to help.

 

To ensure your enquiry reaches one of our trained Complaints Resolution Officers, please use our direct email, which can be found on my previous posts.

 

 

As soon as we hear from you we will be able to place your account on hold, stopping any collections activity, whilst we deal with your enquiry.

 

We hope to be in contact with you soon.

 

 

James

 

Lowell Complaints Resolution Team

 

I don't think anyone has seen any kind of follow up from James, he's also ignored direct questions that have been put to him

Don't waste your time

R

[reallymadwoman]

Under no circumstances contact Lowells until you absolutely have to. I've never seen or heard of a single follow up from any of James' 11 posts, and all the evidence would point to 'Lowell Complaints Resolution Team' being a figment of someone's imagination.

[bh486]

Hi guys.

Thanks for all of your replies. I am not daft enough to fall for James's Phishing-Expedition. I suggest he go back to playing with this rod (or should I say "maggot") (sorry ladies) in his office in Leeds.

 

Incidentally is it worth mentioning that even though both Callcredit and Experian are showing the same data, neither has this as a linked address and the "default" is not showing.

 

Having raised a ticket with Equifax I thought I'd give them a call. Despite my last paragraph, Equifax have told me they can do nothing about it and that it is my responsibility to contact Lowell direct and sort it with them - This despite the fact that I have never lived there, had residency there, have never applied for credit there and that no other CRA has this information on my file.

Clearly it is spurious.

 

If it turns out that I do owe this and for whatever reason it's ended up on my parent's address, I will pay it in full in one lump - What do you think the chances are of me successfully doing a deal with Lowell, paying it in one lump and having the default removed from my file completely, given that it shouldn't be at that address regardless of whether or not it's owed.

I've never had any correspondence regarding this so I've had the opportunity to resolve the issue - Hence it's gone to default (this is not withstanding the fact that it could be a total mistake on their part from top to bottom).

 

It's particularly annoying that my credit rating at Experian is "Good" whilst at Equifax, because of this error, they have me as "Very Poor".

[unclebulgaria67]

I have actually had a complaint resolved by Lowell, but it did take them 3 years. They ignored me and just passed on the debt to other agencies, every time they knew they could not collect.

 

I am surprised by the response from Equifax. You are entitled under Data Protection to know who registered the wrong address details against your record. Ask them again. If this was Lowells, then I would suggest that you send Lowell Complaints Resolution Team a formal complaint in writing by recorded delivery, asking for a full explanation. Don't get into the issue about the debt, as that is a separate issue.

[Revenant]

I may have this wrong and if so someone will correct me

Equifax are by the nature of their business Data Controllers

Under the DPA they should be making sure that information they hold is acurate so by telling you to get in touch with Lowell direct they are (As far as I'm concerned) shirking their responcibilties under the DPA

R

[babybear39]

CRAs ALWAYS say they cannot be expected to make sure all the data they hold is correct. They ALWAYS say it's up to the supplier of the data to make sure it's accurate

 

I have a very interesting situation with the leeds losers myself at the moment : http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?279656-BB-V-The-Leeds-Losers-Freemans.com&highlight=BB+V+The+Leeds+losers

Edited October 18, 2010 by babybear39
link added

[reallymadwoman]

Try phoning the Information Commissioner's Office and asking their opinion. If they say what I expect them to say, ask them to put it in writing then send Equifax a copy.

 

Do not get into a letter ping pong with Lowells unless you absolutely have to.

 

In the meantime insist that Equifax add a note of correction to your file stating that you have never lived at that address and know nothing about the alleged account.

[harrassed senior]

I made a complaint to Equifax by e-mail 9 days ago and am still awaiting a response, didn't I read somewhere that they have to respond in 7 days, or am I living in a parralel universe!