Taking court action AGAINST Lowell Portfolio

[Serendipity abt £]

Some time ago I posted about the issues I was having with Lowell Portfolio, well the issues have not gone away – in fact they are getting more annoying.

 

Below I have copied an email that I have sent to Exprerian. As you will note I have already contacted them on 3 previous occations but I have got no where other than them stating that they only place details on an individuals file based on the infiormation supplied by the applicable company.I now plan to take action against Experian and Lowell –

 

Has anyone done this before?I know that it likely to cost me more than just paying the disputed debt but there is no way that I am willing to let this go, I despise bully boy tactics.Does anyone have any advice on the best course of action/grounds for a claim?

 

In my view these searches have a detrimental affect on my credit file to the extent that I have been declined credit. In the past 10 months Lowell have searched my current address and my previous address once per month so that is 20 searches in 10 months!

 

As I understand it, increased searches also affects your credit score and therfore the availability & interest rates offered to you – Not to mention the unjustified default!Any advice would be greatly appriciated.Thanks(I have tried to make this post look presentable but the formatting does not seem to work)

Edited January 17, 2012 by citizenB
formatted for easier reading

[Serendipity abt £]

I have been trying to resolve this matter for 6 years to no avail.I have contacted Experian for assistance 3 previous times again with zero support.This company now searching my credit file EVERY MONTH!

 

I have NO CREDIT AGREEMENT with this company, how is this allowed?I have never signed anything with LOWELL PORTFOLIO.

 

They took over a disputed debt from 3G and I have written to Lowell instructing them to take me to court as they refuse to amend the bill for the amount that it is meant to be.

 

Why are you allowing a company to update its information on my account therefore making my default look current when I have disputed this information so many times?

 

Why are you allowing this company to search on my credit reference file when I have no signed agreement with them?Are these searches detrimental to my credit score – I believe they are due to me being turned down by Amex.

 

I have exhausted all avenues of trying to resolve this matter with Lowell, they simply do not respond to my letters or when I speak to them on the phone they threaten bailiffs and court action WHICH IS WHAT I WANT but they never follow through with the court summons.

 

I have provided proof that I was billed for “free minutes” in 2005, they still refuse to amend their records to the £75 that the bill should be (which I would immediately pay –

 

They want me to pay the £75 and we can “sort the rest out afterwards” I know this will not happen and then allows the debt to be current instead of statue barred after 6 years).It is totally unacceptable that you are allowing this company to taint my credit record but not take me to court as they know they cannot win.

 

If this matter is not resolved I will take 3 courses of action:

 

Post about this matter on CAG

Address Email this issue to Watchdog

File this matter with the SMC listing Experian as the Defendant – I know you claim that I won’t win but I have zero options left and this matter needs resolving.My contact number is xxx

Edited January 17, 2012 by citizenB
formatted for easier reading

[citizenB]

Were your complaints, in writing, identified as OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS and sent by recorded / tracked post ?

 

When was the last time you made payment to the account ?

 

Have you contacted the Information Commissioner ?

[Serendipity abt £]

Were your complaints, in writing, identified as OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS and sent by recorded / tracked post ?

= YES

 

When was the last time you made payment to the account ?

= August 2005 which was the last correct bill I received from 3G

 

 

Have you contacted the Information Commissioner ?

= No, is this likely to help?

 

Right, well the debt is statute barred in any case, it became so in August 2011, so there shouldnt be any reporting. Therefore, why is it necessary for them to be checking your file on such a regular basis ??

 

Umm, the Information Commissioner.. I rather suspect they are pretty much the same as the FOS.. toothless, over worked and indecisive.

 

You COULD take your complaint there first as a kind of test run.. but it will take time.

 

I will flag your thread for site team and see what they have to say.

Edited January 17, 2012 by citizenB

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

In post one you say you don't have a contract

with Lowell, the fact is you do when they bought

the debt they also bought the rights, obligations

and responsibilities of the original agreement.

If you are sure the debt is statute barred you

must write to Lowells Compliance Manager and

inform them of the fact and state that you will

not be paying, until this is done Lowell can and will

I suspect continue to seek payment, although they

cannot enforce the matter in court.

[citizenB]

Suggest you send the statute barred letter from the CAG library.. perhaps they will then cease searching.

[caro]

Complain to the ICO. They are the organisation for ensuring compliance with the Data Protection Act. http://www.ico.gov.uk/complaints/data_protection.aspx

[Goatan]

subbing.

Good luck against Lowells

[stu007]

Hi

 

This may be of help about Lowells:

 

Lowell Group is a debt purchase company. We purchase customer accounts from various creditors –including credit cards, loans, store finance, current accounts, home shopping and mobile communication –and then work with each customer to build realistic and affordable repayment plans. The sale of an account is usually done when the client has exhausted their own collections procedures, which often includes the appointment of external collection agents, without success.

[Karlsen]

I have received threatening court action letters and an experien default notice from the Lowell Portfolio sharks.

They bought an old statute barred debt from a mail order catalogue of £ 917 and then added more debt to it bringing a default debt to £1544 in March 2011

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

I have received threatening court action letters and an experien default notice from the Lowell Portfolio sharks.

They bought an old statute barred debt from a mail order catalogue of £ 917 and then added more debt to it bringing a default debt to £1544 in March 2011

 

Please start your own thread, and give us some more detail this sounds a very strange situation!!!

[Karlsen]

Please start your own thread, and give us some more detail this sounds a very strange situation!!!

Thanks for the advice

I will never speak to DCA via a phone line as I know they can make treats and then claim not to have said them if they are reported to Trading Standards. I have seen on other website that Lowell have been reported to West Yorkshire Trading Standards on lots of occasions