Argos Card debt - from lowell to scotcall

[Guest]

well ....... the latest email from this lot is to tell me that theyre client can now offer a substantial discount if I pay up by the 28th May and offers me to ring them to arrange payment. No mention of any visits this time. I did as BB said in earlier post and sent copy of their email re they have the right to visit, to the OFT ...they wrote to them, and told me snotcall had to be given a chance to put it right before they would act and advised me how to take the complaint further if needed. Seems snotcall have now changed tactics........what a bunch of nomarks. So glad once AGAIN for CAG, and thanks BB.

[Bazooka Boo]

Excellent, discount=No debt....

[Guest]

It sure is always the best idea to tackle them on it.........they are now in the ignore file lol

[Guest]

So the OFT wrote to snotcall....and snotcall wrote to me....seemingly sorry I have been dissatisfied with their service and confirming they are conducting a thorough investigation into my concerns...really? and they will then write to me again, they then go on to tell me what I can do if still not happy....like I don't already know thanks to the OFT info.

On the letter they state Lowell as the creditor, so I assume they bought this from OC, and when snotcall offered the "discount" that their "client" was offering, they mean Lowell and not the OC......snotcall being part of the Lowell group.

my only concern was the bombardment of door step visit threats which I couldn't care less about now as I just wont answer the door and the dog can and will create merry hell until they leave.

All this however shows me that they are just grasping at straws, there is no debt, they are just trying to squeeze money out of me, when I have none......

Sorry to bump this up again was just hoping that if another member reads this then it may answer a query or two for them also, as I am damn sure snotcall do this a lot to many people.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

When did ScotCall become part of the Lowell Group?

[Guest]

well I assumed they were as Lowell passed it to them and I got the impression that they were?.....I must have misunderstood. So if they aren't then Lowell is scotcalls client? as scotcall said in the letter that their client was offering this discount....confusing for sure lol

[Guest]

actually I think I misunderstood as Lowell called snotcall "their" collectors or words to that effect.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

actually I think I misunderstood as Lowell called snotcall "their" collectors or words to that effect.

 

Yes ScotCall are assigned to collect/manage accounts. one of the most persistent 'door stepping' DCAs take a look at the groups web site, also resolvecall part of the same group.

[Guest]

Apologies...yes my error Brigadier. Lowell use snotcall as one of their approved collection agencies, not the same at all as being part of the Lowell group.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Apologies...yes my error Brigadier. Lowell use snotcall as one of their approved collection agencies, not the same at all as being part of the Lowell group.

 

No apology needed it is very easy to become confused by the wording used re assignments and the recent number of mergers and take overs in the debt collection industry.

[Guest]

So scotcall have written to me, after having received a letter from the OFT about the emails I forwarded to them from scotcall re this home visit insistence. Upshot is they don't accept my complaint is upheld as they didn't visit....?....and don't class the letters insisting they could or would,( despite my not agreeing,) as any kind of harassment.....however....they said they have concluded their internal investigation on it and closed the investigation (lol) and then go on to state that:

 

The account has now been closed on our system and has now been returned to our client (Lowell), should you wish any further information contact our client with their referece ....etc etc.......

 

so it looks like its back to Lowell now.

[Bazooka Boo]

Good wait for lowlifes to try it on again, or to flog it on to another lemon buyer.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Good wait for lowlifes to try it on again, or to flog it on to another lemon buyer.

No doubt or they will Hamptons on it to threaten the end of the world.

[Guest]

[Guest]

Sorting through old paperwork and have found that Hamptons and Red have already written a few times last year, I was in meltdown so it would have gone over my head totally. Seems its already done the rounds. Glad I kept the letters. Even Moorcroft had a go and offered a 50% discount.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Just proves the account is dead in the water, looking through some of my files that I use to link the progression of the matters like this as the DCAs already named have had their grubby hands on this, the likelihood is that it will be palmed off to the bottom of the pond to a company like Ruthbridge.

[BazzaS]

Is there a hierarchy of pond life?

I'm amused by the image of a murkier section of water "looking up in awe" at Lowell's thinking "wow, wish I was in that bit of the pond, the water looks so clear there!".

 

Is it common for an alleged debt to have "done the rounds" so much it had ended up back with a DCA it was with before?

 

If so, for the same amount? Or inflated sums??

New account numbers?? Do the "churn-o-grams" generating the "we MIGHT take this to court or MIGHT send round a door-stepper" letters realise they are just recreating a previously used cycle of threat-o-gram?

 

(My wife never owed '3' a sum they claimed she did)

the resultant Threat-o-grams never ended up with a county court claim : a shame, since it would have at least given res judicata.

Various DCA's : all fended off with "deny liability, happy for you to issue claim as at least it'll be sorted in court, robust defence", always then sold on.

Recently : back to Lowell's / Hamptons / Red - but they seem to have forgotten we've already had their sequence of letters already.

It is fun guessing if we'll just get the next one in the sequence, if we've "missed one out" previously and may get to see a new letter we haven't had before, or if they'll realise they are just going through the motions and just repeating themselves.

 

It is scary if you aren't aware of their ways : which is where CAG comes in ......

 

We just need another copy of the one with the BIG SHOUTY CAPITALS in the very scary RED INK, and we'll be able to use them to paper the downstairs loo!

Edited May 30, 2013 by BazzaS

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Yes it is very common for this to happen.

Usually the original amount remains the same, but ''discount'' offers are regularly made some of them quite ridiculous.

Then you get to the worst threat monkeys who will be all bluster and have no idea what the status of the debt is often

stat barred or unenforceable, you then disappear as soon as they are challenged to prove it.

 

There is a section of the OFT Guidance that deals with the sale of stat barred debt (Section 3,23 © without the seller informing the purchaser of the status of the debt which can be very useful in stopping accounts being passed on.