Help needed! (Lowell debt collection)

MTS2020

I have had a letter from Lowell's Debt Collection claiming I owe them (or HSBC to be exact) £850.

I had a HSBC account going back to the late 1990s after I left school and ran up an overdraft but paid that all off by about 2001.

I don't know what this relates to and I'm a bit scared to contact the debt collectors to ask.

I have had money trouble before (firstly due to a relationship breakdown; and more recently due to a six month period of being unemployed). I did the whole burying my head in the sand but have since nearly paid off these debts.

So I am now back on my own two feet, I have a good job and am paying off any money that I owe.

What I don't want to do is pay back money that I never borrowed in the first place but then again I don't want these people to leave me with a completely ruined credit rating (again!).

Could anybody offer me any advice?

Thanks in advance!

king100

MTS2020 wrote: »

I have had a letter from Lowell's Debt Collection claiming I owe them (or HSBC to be exact) £850.

I had a HSBC account going back to the late 1990s after I left school and ran up an overdraft but paid that all off by about 2001.

I don't know what this relates to and I'm a bit scared to contact the debt collectors to ask.

I have had money trouble before (firstly due to a relationship breakdown; and more recently due to a six month period of being unemployed). I did the whole burying my head in the sand but have since nearly paid off these debts.

So I am now back on my own two feet, I have a good job and am paying off any money that I owe.

What I don't want to do is pay back money that I never borrowed in the first place but then again I don't want these people to leave me with a completely ruined credit rating (again!).

Could anybody offer me any advice?

Thanks in advance!

A few things you can

Do nothing and wait for another letter

Ignore it completely, its a fishing trip

Write a letter stating that you do not acknowledge the debt.

Its totally up to how you want to handle it.

MTS2020

Thanks for the advice. I might wait to see if there's more contact and come back at you all if there's more letters forthcoming.

That's unless anybody else has some good advice?

fermi

Ignore it and see if they send anything else?

Write back telling them to "bog off"?

Which one you do depends on how you feel about it I suppose.

If you do feel the need to write back, then...

1) You dispute that you owe the debt, and require them to provide proof if they believe you do.
2) Because of the length of time, regardless of (1), the debt would be statute barred anyway.

There is a letter in this link that makes both points: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=34906257&postcount=5

Hannah_10

It's alright, Lowells are notorious for it, they've just done it to me this week too, something from the late 90's which I paid in the late 90's and which was even in my maiden name. I've been using my married name for 8 years. If a debt is over 6 years old (or 5 in Scotland) and it's had no payments in that time it's Statute Barred which means they can't legally chase it and it can't legally appear on your credit file. Send the letter Fermi suggests but under no circumstances phone them. They know you can't prove what they say on the phone so they will lie, manipulate and intimidate- no one needs that bother. Post the letter and it's job done. If you really want to slam the lid on this send it signed for, you wouldn't believe how often Debt Collection Agency's pretend not to have received any post they dislike.

fermi

I forgot that. Definitely send record delivery if you reply.

MTS2020

Cheers guys. I'm going to send this letter (recorded of course) if I receive anything more from them. I shall let you know what happens.

decemberboy

I was getting letters from them too, I ignored them for a while until they started threatening CCJs, deducting the debt from my wages etc (something they couldn't do but these letters do scare people into paying.) After seeking help here, I sent off the prove it letter and, surprise surprise, I got a letter back saying the matter is now closed.

The advice on here is great, don't worry about it, Lowell are trying it on.

ghostmadlittlemiss

MTS2020 wrote: »

Cheers guys. I'm going to send this letter (recorded of course) if I receive anything more from them. I shall let you know what happens.

And don't sign it, print your name. Or you might find your signature mysteriously appearing on documents you've never seen before in your life.
Kayleigh