Lowell Financial Ltd???

unifan

Hi,
Not sure if this is the best place to post this.

My husband has just received a letter from Lowell Financial Ltd out of the blue. We don't owe anybody anything, not in arrears with anything. The letter does not say what it's about and can't get them on the phone as yet. It says they're a company that buy debts but we don't have any, can't think what it's about. They just want my husband to contact them. It says that they've been checking with a credit reference agency, but we've checked and there is nothing on there either. We have no idea what it's about. We're always very careful.


I've read on here and BBC watchdog that this company don't exactly play by the rules.


Does anyone have any advice on how best to approach this? Is it best to email rather than phone?


Obviously we'll have to find out what it's about as the letter tells us nothing at all, but what do we do from there. We honestly can't think what it can be. Debt, loans, etc., are something we avoid. All utilities paid up to date.


It's really distressing already. We're both really ill and have more than enough already to cope with.

Any advice? Thanks.

unholyangel

They may be on a fishing expedition (ie someone with your husbands name owes money and they're assuming your husband is that person).

That could possibly be what they mean by checking credit agencies (although if you can post the exact wording they used, it may help clarify that).

If you're confident you don't owe the debt, I'd contact them but I'd be very wary about giving them any information beyond your name & address (what they already have). Sometimes these companies may try to tell you that you need to provide them the information they ask for so they can dispute the debt/return it to the original company/close the account/set up a repayment plan but they're lying. They may want that information but there is no requirement on you to provide it (even if you do owe the debt). They have your name & address, that is all they need.

Remember, its up to them to prove you owe the debt, not up to you to prove you don't.

unifan

Hi Unholyagent,


Thanks for tour reply. We don't owe anything, as far as were aware. It's not something we do, we go without first. I've never owned a credit card ever. We can't think of anything it could be.


It says 'Information provided by the credit reference agencies suggests that you are our customer and therefore we'd like to speak to you about personal matters.


If you are not the person named above, please accept our apologies and let us know as soon as possible so we can update our records, and ensure that no further correspondence is sent to your address.'


Sounds like they're not sure it's him. Very wrong that they should do this until they're sure.


There is a slight mistake in the spelling of the name on the letter. Where would they have got our address from?


We're going to email them and ask them for full details of the 'personal matters', as it does not say at all what they're contacting him about and suggest to them that it was sent in error.

[Deleted User]

unifan wrote: »

We're going to email them and ask them for full details of the 'personal matters'

E-mailing them will provide them with additional personal information-your E-Mail address.

You might be better advised to send them the proper "Prove It" letter. It is here: https://www.nationaldebtline.org/EW/sampleletters/Pages/Complaining-to-debt-collection-agencies-that-you-do-not-owe-the-debt-%28sole-name%29.aspx

powerful_Rogue

unifan wrote: »

Hi Unholyagent,


Thanks for tour reply. We don't owe anything, as far as were aware. It's not something we do, we go without first. I've never owned a credit card ever. We can't think of anything it could be.


It says 'Information provided by the credit reference agencies suggests that you are our customer and therefore we'd like to speak to you about personal matters.


If you are not the person named above, please accept our apologies and let us know as soon as possible so we can update our records, and ensure that no further correspondence is sent to your address.'


Sounds like they're not sure it's him. Very wrong that they should do this until they're sure.


There is a slight mistake in the spelling of the name on the letter. Where would they have got our address from?


We're going to email them and ask them for full details of the 'personal matters', as it does not say at all what they're contacting him about and suggest to them that it was sent in error.

People that run away from debts end up costing all of us money in the long run.

I'm all for these companies trying to track down the rightful debtor and if that means contacting several people with the same name to do so, then I can't see what the issue is.

As you say, you know it can't be you, so a quick phone call will resolve this. As for the person that does owe the debt, hopefully it will be an "Oh rubbish, they have tracked me down. Better stop running and deal with this" moment.

George_Michael

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

E-mailing them will provide them with additional personal information-your E-Mail address.

It's extremely easy to set up a disposable e-mail account using Google mail, Yahoo etc and use this for correspondence.
Once the matter has been finalised this account can either be closed or simply ignored.

unifan

In answer to Powerful Rogue,

This is causing us huge distress and replies like yours don't help. We are both ill, as in very ill and suffering enough without adding to the pile of issues that come along as a knock on effect of being ill which you clearly won't understand unless you've suffered this badly too. This we can do without. No we do not owe any money, despite our difficult circumstances, never have in that respect, so why should they be allowed to harass people like this. They should wait until they're sure before being allowed to contact anyone. Very wrong that this should be allowed.

unifan

To money ineptitude
That letter doesn't seem to match our circumstances. It suggests we may owe money which we don't not that we're aware of If I send that at this stage it will impy that we owe something we don't surely?

KeithP

Unifan, it looks like you don't want or need any help. Good luck.

unholyangel

If you're calling them, with hold your number. Them getting your email isn't a big deal - easier to ignore that (or set it up as junk mail) than the phone ringing at all hours of the day!

Email has the benefit of providing a record of what was said during communications although obviously phoning gets a reply quicker.

powerful_Rogue

unifan wrote: »

In answer to Powerful Rogue,

This is causing us huge distress and replies like yours don't help. We are both ill, as in very ill and suffering enough without adding to the pile of issues that come along as a knock on effect of being ill which you clearly won't understand unless you've suffered this badly too. This we can do without. No we do not owe any money, despite our difficult circumstances, never have in that respect, so why should they be allowed to harass people like this. They should wait until they're sure before being allowed to contact anyone. Very wrong that this should be allowed.

If you know you don't owe money to anyone and believe this has been sent to the wrong "Mr Unifan" then why are you so distressed about it?

Do you believe that people that run away from debt should be allowed to get away from it, pushing up prices from us abiding citizens?

Despite what you have said, I stand by my original post. I think you are being over dramatic by classing it as "harassing". Plus how do you know I haven't been in your very situation?

What advice what you specifically looking for? As it appears unless people agree with you, then you're going to disagree.