Very (Shop Direct) sold debt to Lowell

[weirdo]

I signed up online to a mail order catalogue (very) a year or so ago. Last November i had to take time off due to having a major operation. The only income i was getting was statutory sick pay. As my income decreased considerably i was unable unable to make certain payments and the catalogue was one of them. I contacted the company explaining my situation and asking them to cease all interest and charges until I was back in employment. I was told they would not do this unless i filled in a i+e form and also got a letter from the CAB. I did not send them either of what they asked for as i was hoping to restart payment within a few months when i restarted work.

to cut a long story short i had to take more time off work than expected and quite a few payments were missed. originally the amount of goods came to around £750 but after interest put on the goods and constant charges for missed payments, admin charges etc the debt amounted to around £995. Now the catalogue company seems to have sold the debt onto Lowell as i received a letter from them this morning.

I do not deny the debt as i was willing to pay it but i do not agree with all the charges they have put onto the sum i originally owed.

I am guessing i now have to correspond with Lowell but am unsure what i should be putting in a letter to them, any help or advice what i should do now or put in a letter would be greatly appreciated.

 

thank you

[citizenB]

I would send a Subject Access Request to the original owner of the debt - this should provide you with all the data they have on you, including statements showing the application of the charges.

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?387306-Full-Subject-Access-Request-**Updated-January-2015**

 

The company has 40 calendar days in which to provide this information - you need to include £10.00 which is the statutory fee.

 

You can then complete one of our spread sheets and ask for the charges to be removed from the account.

 

I wonder if it would be worth advising Lowell that you have an unresolved dispute with the original creditor and that you dispute the amount they are demanding !

[weirdo]

just wondering if Shop Direct has sold the debt on how would i be able to get the amount Lowell are claiming to be reduced?

I would have thought once Shop Direct had sold the debt on they completely wash there hands of the debt.

If i can get statements printed off, that are still available when i log into my Very account, of all the charges what do i do with the figures and who do i send them to?

Can Shop Direct request Lowell reduce the amount or can i contact Lowell and tell them the figures are in dispute and i would like a review of the amount owed?

As stated previously i do not dispute i owed Very money for goods and was/am willing to pay in small installments as i am in-between job at the moment.

 

any more advice or any tips on what i could include in any correspondence would be regretfully received

 

thank you for your time

[citizenB]

If there are charges and they can be reclaimed, then you would send to Very for the charges to be taken off the debt and that would be a transfer between the original and current owners of the debt.

 

Alternatively you would advise Lowell that you dispute the figure they are claiming (if you have already worked out how much the charges are you can let them know a figure) .

 

Strangely enough (despite my loathing for this company) I will say, if you are polite and factual in your dealings with Lowell, they do sometimes negotiate with the "debtor".

[weirdo]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]58556[/ATTACH]

 

after a couple of months writing to shop direct i received a letter today that says shop direct are refusing to remove charges from the debt and said if i am not happy with their decision i should contact the FOS

 

Could someone please advise what next step i should take... All i asked in my original letters was for them to remove the £90+ charges they added to my account for missed payments, phone calls and letters as to lower the amount owed to Lowell

 

I contacted Lowell previously telling them the amount claimed was in dispute, they originally said they would hold off for 28 days but after that time the letters have started up again asking what i intend to do about paying off the debt.

 

any help is appreciated

 

thank you

Edited July 18, 2015 by weirdo
added info