robbersway for barclaycard, now sold to lowells

[dizzyhead90]

just got letter in from lowell financial saying account was closed and defaults were removed from credit refrence file keep on fighting these dickheads it works

[westwood91]

Hi

 

Lowell seem to be out for anything they can try to get, and seem to think people aren't bright enough to realise when something is hinky. My boyfriend has been having issues with them since last year. They keep trying to claim £155 off him for a phone contract despite the fact that the time they are saying it was from (2004/2005) was after it got cut off. After it got cut off because he lost his job and couldn't pay his bills he paid 3g all the outstanding debt. Now 5 years later this company is trying to get more money. They say he can make monthly debit payments of £40, carefully leaving out when they would stop the money, or he can pay 3 payments of £33.31 or one payment of £77 or £91 (the amount changes depending on who we speak to from there).

 

They send letters looking like they are from solicitors, but aren't from any registered solictor or firm I know of, and I'm a law student so it was easy for me to check. They also go by the name of Red debt collection and flowers debt collection.

 

I last spoke to them because my boyfriend was getting more and more annoyed with them, and I asked basic questions, like why had the debt not been collected back then? The answer I got was that it would have been passed to other companies. Why then, I asked, had they not collected? No answer, instead I got information on a payment plan. Every question I asked was either evaded or I got an answer that was then contradicted. We've already told them to go ahead and take us to court, and if they can prove he owes anything we'll pay. I even asked for the records they are going on, and she said she would get them sent to us, but there has been absolutely nothing.

[dizzyhead90]

hi westwood91 ask your boyfriend to get in touch with 3g and ask them for proof the bill is paid were your letters from hampton legal if so they are part of lowells they have to prove your boyfriend owes it my guess is it is just a bundle of debt they bought dizzyhead90

[westwood91]

we have requested information from both 3g say it was paid and lowell say not, but lowell will not send us any information that they're working from, and when we asked they said that if they do send the information then they can't let him pay less, which is obviously their way of discouraging you from getting what you want.

the latest thing is when we spoke to them they said there had been 5 payments of £50 but then we looked on my boyfriend's credit report and they've not only put a mark on but they're saying he owed £263 and still owes £155, so it doesn't tally up in any way. Why they think we are stupid enough not to check up on these things I don't know. I don't know about everyone else on here but I was reading an article from BBC watchdog and they're under investigation as Red debt collection.

Our latest deadline (we've had about 7 now) is on the 8th of this month, so I'm really looking forward to talking to them again with everything I've read.

The thing I've noticed on these forums is that people are a bit confused about their rights, so I'd like to clarify in case anyone is unsure because I know finding out about these things is a pain. They can't send a bailiff around, the only bailiffs who have the right to take things from your house are ones appointed by a court. For a court to do that you have to have a CCJ, and to get one you will have been to court. Don't let anyone in because if you do you are consenting to them taking things. If you don't they have no legal rights to come in. If they put a mark on your credit report send them a statute barred letter, since the debts they buy are usually now 6 years plus old, meaning that under the Limitation Act 1980 section 5 they are null and void.They will have 28 days to give you all the information or take the mark off. In all instances where people have done this they've done nothing, so the mark has to come off. They sometimes will send you things making it look like a bailiff has been round and missed you, but if you look in the corner it has the M to show it has been through the Royal Mail.

Most importantly, of you doubt you owe money, don;t panic and pay. If you do that then you acknowledge the debt and you will have to pay them back. Hope I didn;t sound preachy, I was reading through things yesterday and it was absolutely absurd the things they've been trying, and I'd hate for someone to lose out just because they didn't have the right information.

[dizzyhead90]

hi westwood91 tell your boyfriend to request written proof of 3g and do not talk to lowell over the phone and do send them the staute barred letter see how you get on as it is mostly bad debt they buy over 6 years old dizzyhead90

[shedder101]

Had a strange letter today off lowell finance

 

would i like to buy back my account?

 

i was to make a bid to buy back the account just like ebay i think and the winner gets it if your bid is what they had in mind. like a best offer

 

perhaps they want me to admit to the debt, so i have decided to bid nothing and shred it as usual

 

just never seen one like that before has anyone else ?

[tifo]

Had a strange letter today off lowell finance

 

would i like to buy back my account?

 

Could you scan the letter and post here. I've never heard of a DCA selling a debt to the debtor.

[shedder101]

sorry no its gone through the shredder

 

it was exactly that would i like to buy the account really strange never seen one before, with it was a bid offer sheet and a DD form like i would sign that

 

i think its just away to get you to agree to the debt, if you ask to buy it it must be yours.

 

or am i getting suspicious

[dizzyhead90]

hi shedder i got these begging letters as well i just binned them as i just thought it was a way of getting you to admit debt wonder how many offers the leeds losers get dizzyhead90

[shedder101]

if it was a bid situation perhaps we could all bid on each others for a £1 each then they could feel contented they have it off the books

[westwood91]

ok well lowell have a pretty poor reputation. In january 2009 watchdog did a bit on lowell, if you google lowell financial watchdog it's the top link. I'd suggest you watch the video and just take the advice there. Any debt over 6 years old is statute exempt anyway so you just need to file to have it set aside by a judge after writing them a statute barred letter, which requests your info in 28 days or they can't claim the debt. Do NOT take just, for instance, a piece of paper claiming cut off fee etc as proof you owe it. There are a lot of forums about them and red debt collection, who are basically the same people. Whatever you do, do not pay them any money without absolute proof that you owe it or you'll have a job and a half getting it back again. Hope this helps

[Traceywak]

sorry i am going to disagree with you all, i had a number of debts and i listened to advice from a number of people on CAG and tried everything to not pay. i then decided to call them and they were fine with me, infact they help me with a managable monthly payment when other debt collectors woulnt. i found the worst thing was to take the advice and try to avoid it, i found them really helpful

[shedder101]

do you work for lowells by any chance

 

they are nasty money grabbing parasites who have no legal right to pursue statute barred debt

 

they flaunt the law and the weak

 

i my self have had to fight them and won costs for there errors

 

so i am sorry and i think most will agree with me you are very wrong

[westwood91]

if everyone thought they owed the money lowell is asking for, then no doubt they would pay it. however, lowell offers no proof, and because the debt is from so long ago people don't know whether they owe it or not. if you think we are all wrong tracywak, why not google lowell financial watchdog and watch the top link? even bbc watchdog has investigated them. they try to con people out of their money, and yes, no doubt some people do owe it, but we would hardly all be here on these forums if we didn't think, for good reason, that we do not deserve to be chased by lowell. that would make us all look really stupid, as would paying a debt unnecessarily

[westwood91]

oh we have success. to quote dear lowell, they are thinking commercially (ie know they will be sued and sued some more by me) and are, without admitting liability (so basically admitting liability) erasing the debt and stopping looking at the debt. not bad given we all supposedly owe the money they are chasing us for is it traceywak? all it took was me being as bitchy as they are i wrote them a letter, they looked into everything, and based on the phone calls and letter they have given in mwah haha. would it be wrong to frame the letter?

[tifo]

you got lucky. I've had a few debts with Lowell and despite trying everything, they didn't clear them. Others who used my letters got more success. I even settled the debts and they still didn't clear them properly (when i reclaimed charges from the bank, Lowell wanted the money because suddenly there was a debt again on accounts i'd settled). They tell the bank there is a balance owing and they tell me they are not chasing. They don't respond to calls and letters, nothing at all. This is on debts settled in April 2007.

[andi666]

hi i have currently recieved 2 phone calls from lowell 1st one they asked me if i was who i was i wouldnt tell them as they wouldnt tell me who they were they told me to look lowell up on the web and that would explain it they couldnt tell me anythign else unless i completed there security quetions well at that point my brain was rackin fast and realised this is there code for whats my d o b address confirmation etc so i added im not sayin a word untill you tell me your part if u want to know my details then you have to go first ended up stale mate and fone call ended today a bloke cqalled steve called from lowell and said id know what it was about sounded like they were in a car id had a previous call 30seconds before that one i ignored as didnt know number so i think there were 2 in this lowell driven car any advice on what i should say i have read few threads and also printed off to learn my lines as im ready to do battle and if all else fails il do what im good at and im sure they will leave, are they allowed to just turn up. i cant remember having any sort of letter of them what so ever so im in the dark and dont want to start talking if its goin to open up a can of worms i cant close thx also where is the button to start own thread cant see it thx

[Guest Cartaphilus]

Home James!

[Hopster]

I have just found out from CreditExpert that Lowell Financial Limited have just done a credit check on me so I should be joining this thread proper soon. Does anyone know if they but the debts or have the ssignment of the debts they chase ?

[unclebulgaria67]

I believe most are just assigned but they do also buy debts. If you have been chased by other DCA's for a few years, it is more likely a bought debt. From what I have seen with a relatives debt, it was bought by Lowell about 4 years after the default, allowing a couple of years collecton activity before statute barred.

[jimbo45]

Hi there

if they tell me to look up on the Web -- I just ask them What's that -- I've never heard such SHOCKED silence at the other end of a phone.

 

As for security If the say it's a busness matter when I ask them what's the call in relation to -- I just say well I don't need any double glazing or house repairs - and I've retired from business a long time ago so I don't think there is any interest in continuing this discussion again EVER and then put the phone down.

 

Cheers

jimbo