Letter from Lowell

decemberboy

Thanks for all your replies, you've been a great help. I'm going to keep an eye on the letters - although I haven't received any in the last week or so - to see if the content changes at all but won't send anything to Lowells just yet. Thinking back I know I definitely didn't make a payment after March 2005 because I moved in that month and know that I made no written contact or payment from that address.

Thanks again, this forum is a massive help!

decemberboy

I've received another letter from them this morning, I'll post it up here word for word:

We have written to you several times now about the money you owe us, but you have not paid or set up a payment plan.We will be able to help you, however you must call us straightaway.

We are willing to do all we can to help you clear your balance, but if you do not pay or put a plan in place after this letter, we will pass your account on to Red Debt Collection Services. Red Debt Collection Services are part of Lowell Financial LTD and specialise in assessing customers' financial circumstances. They do this by obtaining a copy of your credit file from a Credit Reference Agency and then using the information within it to determine what options are available to us to recover what you owe, an example could be to use litigation. If legal action is taken against you, you could end up in Court having to pay not only what you owe, but legal costs and interest as well.

If you get in touch with us today, we will find a repayment plan that works for you and your finances. Repaying your debt will help improve your credit rating and avoid the possibility of court action.

Phone us and we'll help you straightaway.

I'm not sure what to do now with regards to this. Do people know about these Red Debt Collectors? Should I send off a prove it letter?

Thanks again for all your help, much appreciated.

fermi

The are just Lowells writing on a different letterhead.

Up to you, but 2 possible letters are blinked to here: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=39985920&postcount=10

decemberboy

Hi again,

I received a letter from Red this morning claiming to be acting 'on behalf' of Lowell. They said that they will obtain a copy file and may obtain a CCJ against me if I don't repay the debt.

I think I will send off the combined prove it/statute barred letter and see what they come back with.

Thanks again for all your help, greatly appreciated

fermi

Red are just Lowells using a different letterhead. Let us know what reply, if any, you get.

decemberboy

Just thought I'd update you as to what has happened.

I sent off the standard prove it letter to them and heard nothing for a couple of weeks then over the weekend received a letter which said:

"The information you have provided has now been updated on our system and I would like to thank you for your assistance in this matter."

The part of the letter which normally states the Lowell account details now simply says 'Not applicable"

A massive thanks to everyone on here who helped me out with this! :beer:

fermi

Excellent.

decemberboy

Just as I thought this matter has been resolved, I get a phone call from my mum saying that a letter had arrived for me at her house. I thought it a bit strange as I haven't lived there for ages but asked her to forward it on to me.

And yes it's from Lowell thanking me for my recent letter and saying they're looking into my enquiry. I didn't send a letter with my parents' address on it because I don't live there.

My parents are pensioners so I don't want to worry them with debt collector letters arriving at their house in my name.

Any advice would be great.

king100

decemberboy wrote: »

Just as I thought this matter has been resolved, I get a phone call from my mum saying that a letter had arrived for me at her house. I thought it a bit strange as I haven't lived there for ages but asked her to forward it on to me.

And yes it's from Lowell thanking me for my recent letter and saying they're looking into my enquiry. I didn't send a letter with my parents' address on it because I don't live there.

My parents are pensioners so I don't want to worry them with debt collector letters arriving at their house in my name.

Any advice would be great.

ok so 1st letter was sent to you at your address

Now they have sent a letter to your old address where your parents are?

decemberboy

king100 wrote: »

ok so 1st letter was sent to you at your address

Now they have sent a letter to your old address where your parents are?

Sorry, I'll explain it more clearly, I was in a bit of a rush earlier. Yes they sent the initial letters to my current address, I sent off the prove it letter and they wrote back thanking me for the letter and said they have updated their records, so I thought the matter was closed.

Now they have written to me at my parents' house again thanking me for my letter and that they will get back to me when they get the information I have asked for.

I only sent one letter and I used my current address on it. I have never given them my parents' address although I was living there for a while around 2003/2004 so realise they could have obtained it.

But why are they acting like I sent them a letter from that address? If I responded to it would that be acknowledging the debt? If it is my debt they are chasing I'm pretty certain it's statute barred now so should I ask my bank for statements from 2004 and 2005 to see exactly when I last made a payment? Thanks