Help me to cut Lowell Portfolio 1 Ltd out of my life!!!

puredew77

Hi all,

Please help me to cut Lowell Portfolio out of my life!!!

I had a NatWest account long time ago. But as a overseas student, I couldn't find a job after graduation, so the account was gone overdrafted and the total overdrafted amount was getting worse with charges. Eventually my account was passed to one of debt collect agency called Apex. They contacted me for the outstanding balances. Back then I couldn't afford to pay the full amount so had to negotiate to pay partly and leave my account as defualted. Since then I haven't heard any from neither of them. But unfortunatly I was too naive to realise that the Apex company didn't send me the final settlement letter regarding my defaulted account.

Recently I noticed from credit report that the Lowell Portfolio had a couple of unsuthorised searches in my personal data so I contacted them. They said that there is outstanding balance from NatWest. I said to them I paid the arranged amount to appointed debt collect company back in Jan 2008 and the account had been settled since then. But they said that they bought my debt from NatWest March 2012 and it says that I still have outstanding balance in NatWest!

I contacted the NatWest but because my account has been closed for a long time, they couldn't even access my account in system and of course they can not clarify whether I still have outstanding balance in their system.

Could any of you help me what I should do now??? I contacted NatWest several times but they keep passing me over to various depts and none of them could even access my details in their system. I know that Lowell won't get away from easily. They said that they will contact NatWest to verify my case but I know that they will chase me to pay that whichever amount that they bought from NatWest.

I had a rough few years back when I graduated but I try to clear my credit so I can get my mortgage to start my new life with newborn baby. But this debt collect company keep chasing me to haunt me down. Lowell chased me to pay my suspended Tmobile account early this year so I paid them off all beacuse it was completley my fault, but this NatWest case I dealt with them back in Jan 2008 and it was all closed. It is so unfair that they asked me to pay the rest amount after they kept me as a defaulted account holder for those years.

Please help me out of this hell!!!

fatbelly

This is why, when you make a settlement offer, and have it accepted, you must make sure the offer is confirmed in writing, that it is unambiguous and then you keep it for six years.

If Nat West have passed them your payment history, they will see a payment made Jan 2008. That means they have till Jan 2014 to take court action. If they did so, you have no evidence to defend the claim.

Nat West surely must keep records for six years so your best chance is to find out what Nat West hold on you. Actually there's no need to wait for Lowell (wouldn't trust them anyway). Do a Subject Access Request on Nat West.

http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_the_public/personal_information/how_manage/access_info.aspx

Hopefully there will be something there but don't rule out Apex having lied to you at the time.

puredew77

When you said that NatWest will keep my record for 6 years, is that from when my account has become defaulted??? or when I made the last payment through Apex???

fatbelly

What I meant was that banks should keep records for a long time. I admit I don't know what the industry standard is. Where I work, it's six years. So it would be irresponsible if Nat west have destroyed your records. You should be able to view them.

Edit: checked some old threads on CAG and the general opinion is that banks retain data indefinitely (for their own use) but will only be willing to supply you with data for the past 6 years. There was, however, a reference to someone getting an Abbey statement from 1926!

You shouldn't have any problem getting what you want from 2008 if it ever existed.

They stop reporting to the CRA six years after the account is defaulted; it becomes statute barred six years after the last acknowledgement by payment or in writing; these are two different six-year rules.

Once_Bitten_3

Just an idea having had problems with Lowell over bank debts from Uni. I went to the CAB who did everything and ended up having to pay just £1 a month to each creditor. Hope it helps