Lowell Finance chasing statute barred debt

MrCJW

Hi,

Out of the blue in the early part of this year, I received a letter from Mackenzie Hall telling me that I owed a company called Lowell £1020.

Having never heard of Lowell, I called Mackenzie Hall to ask what they were on about. They told me it was for an old Barclays overdraft. I asked when I last made any payment or written acknowlegement, and they told me 2002. I therefore wrote a Statute Barred letter to them and sent it recorded delivery on 8th April.

I have received 4 text messages, and two phone calls on my home number over the last two days. This morning I got a letter from Lowell telling me they intend to take further action.

Is this harrasment? It certainly feels like it.

What is my next course of action?

Thanks,

Chris.

fermi

Send the normal statute barred letter to Lowells now.

If after that you hear any more from them, then there is a follow up complaint letter here: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/10477981#Comment_10477981

mr.ton

This is typical behaviour from Lowells & Mackenzie Hall.
Both are notorious for trying to collect on stat barred debts.
Report them both to the OFT & trading standards.
Refuse to answer security questions if they phone you.

magpiecottage

You are probably better off using my template letter on this thread.

Don't bother complaining to the OFT - go to the Financial Ombudsman Service because:

The OFT does not investigate individual complaints but FOS does

If FOS finds it is upholding lots of complaints against a DCA, it will report it to the OFT

FOS will publish details of all firms it deals with more than 30 complaints about in a six month period. If it is upholding lots of complaints against a DCA, then other consumer credit licence holders will know the OFT may question whether they are fit and proper if they continue to use it.

FOS will charge the DCA £500 for investigating the complaint - so there is a financial disincentive to try a scattergun approach.

FOS may actually award you compensation!