The Lewis Group owe me money..made me pay them for 'fake' NEXT catalogue debt

[bojox666x]

Hi, I will try to make this as short as possible...

 

In 2006 I received letters from the Lewis Group concerning a debt owed to NEXT.

 

I asked them repeatedly for the CCA as I had no recollection of this debt and has not lived at the address they claimed it was taken out since 2000.

 

They used their usual threats and because I did no know any better I started paying them £10 a month.

To cut a long story short, I carried on paying this debt until this month.

 

In the meantime, I had contact from Lowell about the same account, in 2013.

I asked them for the same information about the account and all they could provide was a couple of statements dated 2004 as NEXT said the account was closed.

 

In the end Lowell sent a letter saying they had taken a commercial decision and decided that no money was owing on this account.

However, due to constant changing of reference numbers, I have only just twigged that I have been paying Lewis for this debt still.

 

However,

although Lewis have agreed they sent the account back to NEXT in 2011, they deny any money is owed back to me.

I therefore have been paying Lewis £10 a month for the past two years for a debt that they didn't have.

The problem comes that they have used a different reference number,

therefore I have been paying under a different reference number for the past two years. It adds up to £220.00.

 

I have complained to Lewis and they are saying they do not believe they owe me any money,

but they are not acknowledging the amount I paid once the account was sent back to NEXT.

They just say they do not owe me any of the £870.00 they claimed while the were dealing with it.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I get this money back?

[citizenB]

In the first instance you need to write to their Head office as a formal complaint. You will need to exhaust their complaint procedures first and have them provide you with a final response letter if they don't uphold your complaint.

 

If they don't return your money, then you have two choices - escalate the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman or issue a claim through the small claims court.

[ericsbrother]

Write to NEXT and ask for all of your data as a SAR.

There is a fee of £10 for this, if you have been paying off someone else's debt Next should refund any monies they have received as "betterment"

and when you have the info do the same to the debt collection agencies and challenge them likewise.

 

If you have been paying money you dont owe they are obliged to refund it to you or you can recover it via the small claims procedure.

 

I bet that the DCA's have been up to no good, even if it was your debt so worth fighting over it to recover any overpayments.

[bojox666x]

Thank you for your reply.

 

I just feel Lewis isn't listening and it makes me so mad that they have my money and won't give it back.

 

I have repeated asked for proof the debt is mine off both Lewis and Lowell.

 

All Lowell could provide was two copies of a statement from NEXT and said they couldn't give me anything else as NEXT didn't have any other paperwork.

 

That's why Lowell took the commercial decision to write it off in the end.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Thank you for your reply.

 

I just feel Lewis isn't listening and it makes me so mad that they have my money and won't give it back. I have repeated asked for proof the debt is mine off both Lewis and Lowell. All Lowell could provide was two copies of a statement from NEXT and said they couldn't give me anything else as NEXT didn't have any other paperwork. That's why Lowell took the commercial decision to write it off in the end.

 

Follow CBs advice, formal complaint to the Compliance Director at LG.

[dx100uk]

ruddy fleecers!!

 

dx

[steampowered]

It will be from NEXT directory. You probably ordered something from NEXT a few years ago and ticked the box to open a directory account, they used to offer a free catalogue if you ticked the box.

 

Most people do not realise they are actually opening a credit account as NEXT do not make this clear at all. Even though you still have to enter your credit card details, it is like any other form of credit and they ask for payment the next month. However you should have received monthly statements from NEXT.

[bojox666x]

Hi,

 

Thanx for the replies.

 

I have contacted their head office and received a full and final response.

 

However, in this response the ignored the fact that they have carried on having the £10 a month from me under a different reference number.

 

It's like the woman didn't even read my complaint properly as I asked for this amount back, whereas the letter she sent refered to the amounts I had paid while they were collecting it.

 

Any suggestions?

[dx100uk]

how was the money paid please?

 

dx

[bojox666x]

I paid it by Standing Order

[dx100uk]

darn hoping DD

 

ok off to next it is

 

dx

[bojox666x]

hmmm I doubt they will give my anything back.

 

My Main complaint with Lewis is the fact I carried on paying and they had passed the account back.

 

They kept this money and it did not get sent onto Next as the outstanding balance that Lowell wrote off is exactly the same as it was when Lewis passed it over in 2011.

 

However, I have paid a further £220.00 using their wrong reference number ( which they gave me).

 

Thank you for your help though x

[dx100uk]

sri lewis then

 

dx