Can anyone offer advice Lowell Financial???

Bluerover

Hello all

Opened the post this morning to discover a letter from acompany called Lowell Financial. Never heard of them myself but have a feeling from the way the letter is worded someone will have.

It gives my name and address
And orginal Ref No
An Orginal Creditor SAV Credit Limited.
Balance Outstanding approx £500

Problem 1. I have no idea who SAV Ltd are or who Lowell Financial are.....they say they are instructed by their client Lowell Portflio Ltd regarding the outstanding balance.

Probem 2 . I am not going to contact these people until I know what they are talking about.

So I am asking for advice I figure only talk to them via letter (reorded delivery) never on the phone and to sign nothing to them they shout to me "bully boy tatics" scaring people... I am a little nervous but not that nervous I am about to pay something Ihave no idea of.

What do I do? please?

saffronflowers

From Googling it - it seems it is a bad credit credit card called aqua, could well have been called something else

Lowell are a DCA as far as I am aware

SFx

Bluerover

How did you find that out????? Please....

rog2

Lowell are a particulrily nasty example of the lowest form of parasitic life that hides behind the label of 'Debt Collection Agency'.
They tend to specialise in trying to 'recover' old or unenforceable debts, which would, otherwise had been written off by the original creditor.
They are, however, legally obliged to provide full details, including a true copy of the original signed consumer credit agreement, along with the deeds of assignment (showing that they are legally entitled to be pursuing the 'debt') and an up to date statement of account.
If you are unsure of the debt, then I would suggest that you request, in writing, a true copy of the original cca, as is your right under the Consumer Credit Act 1974, and without which the original agreement is unenforceable.

A good template letter, to request the cca, can be found on the following link:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=7509395#post7509395

Preface the letter with the words: "I do not acknowledge any debt to your company, or any organisation you claim to represent"

For added security, do not use your normal signature. Send the letter by recorded delivery and keep a copy.

The onus is now firmly on them to supply this information.

Good luck.

saffronflowers

just put SAV Credit Limited. into google and it will come up with various sites, the first one you will find the Aqua card about three or four down.

SFx

Bluerover

Thank you both.

Rog2 I am not sure why but the nature of the letter made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up - always a sign....so maybe my preservaion instinct is in tact...Thank you I have just copied the letter and will post this afternoon recorded delivery. I have written my name in print not signed.
Thank you will let you know how I get on.... do I asssume correctly it is advisable to start every letter to them with the sentence...I do not acknowledge any debt to your company, or any organisation you claim to represent

Thanks very much and how long do I wait for them to respond please?

rog2

Bluerover wrote: »

Thank you both.

Rog2 I am not sure why but the nature of the letter made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up - always a sign....so maybe my preservaion instinct is in tact...Thank you I have just copied the letter and will post this afternoon recorded delivery. I have written my name in print not signed.I do not acknowledge any debt to your company, or any organisation you claim to represent

Thanks and how long do I wait for them to respond please?

Thank you will let you know how I get on.... do I asssume correctly it is advisable to start every letter to them with the sentence...

They are, legally, obliged to provide you that information within 12 working days, so allow 14 days total. If they have not provided the information within that time-scale, then they can not enforce the agreement without getting a court order.

Even if they do come up with a cca (and NOT just a copy of the application form) this would show what 'type' of debt you are dealing with - it could well be unenforceable, through the courts, because it is a old debt that is out of statute - we shall see.

We will advise of a second letter to send them, at the time.
In the meantime - do not contact them by phone, and ignore any other letters from them.

Bluerover

rog2 wrote: »

They are, legally, obliged to provide you that information within 12 working days, so allow 14 days total. If they have not provided the information within that time-scale, then they can not enforce the agreement without getting a court order.

Even if they do come up with a cca (and NOT just a copy of the application form) this would show what 'type' of debt you are dealing with - it could well be unenforceable, through the courts, because it is a old debt that is out of statute - we shall see.

We will advise of a second letter to send them, at the time.
In the meantime - do not contact them by phone, and ignore any other letters from them.

Thank you very much so a fortnight to let them stew - okee dokey.:T

Bluerover

Right new information this morning I received a letter from them dated 3.1.08 Telling me they are now the owners of a debt from AQUA credit card, yes I did have an Aqua credit card but thought I had paid it in full - but can find no paperwork to say so, and have never heard from them otherwise surely I would have? seriously I have not heard anything from them regarding the debt previousy honestly.
This is the first I have heard.

The envelope this morning contained two letters. One from Lowell saying the debt from SAV has been sold to Lowell and to call them to sort a solution.
The other is apparently from AQUA but even I can see the heading is a poor poor copy of the AQUA logo, and the letter is signed for and behalf of Lowell Portfolio I Ltd.- with an inleggible signature.This says the AQUA card debt which I apparently owe to the Bank Of Scotland. Has been assigned to Lowell Pportfolio I Ltd.

So as this letter is dated 3.1.08 only the day before I received my first to which I responded with the action recomended, asking for the CCA by recorded delivery on Friday 4.1.08 do I do nothing and wait for them to respond to my letter?

Help?

rog2

You need do nothing - provided that you have requested the true copy of the original cca, then Lowell are legally obliged to supply it within 12 working days. It sounds like the information that they have sent you is nothing more than proof that they have 'purchased' a debt from AQUA.
It certainly does not sound like a copy of a cca.

Bluerover

Thanks No it is not a copy of anything just to say they purchased the debt. And YES I did request the CCA on the 4th January. So I will sit and wait and see what happens. Thanks again I appreciate the help.