'Prove it' success...I think!

LL30

Howdy folks,

So I've been helping a friend who got in a financial pickle recently and I fired off a prove it letter to Lowells for a debt from circa 2005 for her. She got a letter back stating that they could not prove if it belonged to her or not, and due to this they have removed her details from the database. She's very relieved but she's concerned that won't be the end of it. I suggested it might get sold on (which didn't help reassure her) but I've said she could just send the 'prove it' letter again to whoever did buy it and would probably get the same response. Am I right? Feel a bit bad now because maybe I've reassured her when I shouldn't have...on the up side, I turfed a door step collector off her garden the other day by telling them they were trespassing - they fell for it

I don't post in this bit of the forum much, but I always use it for info for my course and to find stuff to help people out. Massive thanks to all those who contribute so much, it's not just people on the forum you help, it reaches much further than that :beer:

fermi

There is no guarantee that anyone it was passed on to would fail to get the paperwork in the same way Lowells did. Sometimes original creditors turn things up unexpectedly after quite some time.

I would think unlikely though and that this would be the end of it.

They will probably never hear about it again.

Also, if from 2005 and never paid or acknowledged since then, it would very likely be statute barred as well, meaning you could tell any collector who di manage to drag anything up to naff off on those grounds.

LL30

I thought that might be the long and short of it. I did consider the SB route, but she's not sure when the last payment was, so I decided a cheeky 'prove it' letter might be a better way forward (nothing to lose by trying!).

Interestingly, she had another one that we did the same to, and she's not heard back, but today she got a letter from the original creditor about reclaiming PPI on the debt. I told her to hang fire - I suspect it's a way to get her to admit to the debt? She thinks that one was circa 2006 and she's unsure when the last payment was too (it really is a pickle, but we'll get there) so that's why I decided on the 'prove it' letter for that one too.

absolutereturn

LL30 wrote: »

Interestingly, she had another one that we did the same to, and she's not heard back, but today she got a letter from the original creditor about reclaiming PPI on the debt. I told her to hang fire - I suspect it's a way to get her to admit to the debt? She thinks that one was circa 2006 and she's unsure when the last payment was too (it really is a pickle, but we'll get there) so that's why I decided on the 'prove it' letter for that one too.

Reclaiming PPI could acknowledge the debt (the jury's out on that one), but this would only be a problem if it's not yet SBd. If there's been a clear 6 year period without payment or acknowledgment, it would be SBd. Once barred, it can never be un-barred.

LL30

Thanks, there's lots of paperwork to still delve through, so until we've found something more concrete re last payment then I think I'll tell her to leave it. At the moment we're working on the principle that nothing's SB'd yet.

azlan

just want to say you sound like a really good friend to have!

LL30

Thanks azlan - I only just saw this as I was about to update! And your name made me chuckle as a few years ago I had my bank account hacked and they changed my place of birth to Narnia and my mother's maiden name to Aslan Ok, it wasn't funny at the time, but I can laugh about it now!

UPDATE: My friend rang in panic mode a few weeks later as they sent two letters to her, one from Lowells and one from their legal section (can't remember the name) demanding the monies. She panicked but I sorted out a letter for her lodging a complaint stating that they were unfairly pursuing her for a debt that she didn't owe. Well it's taken several months for them to sort, but she sent me a picture message this morning of a cheque for £50 - they've apologised and sent her some compensation.

Result! And mainly thanks to you guys here

sourcrates

LL30 wrote: »

Thanks azlan - I only just saw this as I was about to update! And your name made me chuckle as a few years ago I had my bank account hacked and they changed my place of birth to Narnia and my mother's maiden name to Aslan Ok, it wasn't funny at the time, but I can laugh about it now!

UPDATE: My friend rang in panic mode a few weeks later as they sent two letters to her, one from Lowells and one from their legal section (can't remember the name) demanding the monies. She panicked but I sorted out a letter for her lodging a complaint stating that they were unfairly pursuing her for a debt that she didn't owe. Well it's taken several months for them to sort, but she sent me a picture message this morning of a cheque for £50 - they've apologised and sent her some compensation.

Result! And mainly thanks to you guys here

Lowell is a large organisation and one half of it doesn't know what the other is doing half the time, hence the contradicting letters.
Glad it was sorted, and some compensation thrown in, well done :beer: