Default for £19 - Three/Lowell

Just received a letter from Three saying a sum of £19 has been transferred from them to Lowell debt collection, which has left me a little surprised and angry.

I think it's to do with me transferring my mobile number from Three to Vodafone and rather than Three taking out the remaining balance out via Direct Debit as I would've expected, they've sent me a request to pay via letter - one letter which I overlooked because I thought they'd just round it up on my last payment debit my account as was previous, this was around a year and a half ago.

Now I've got this letter saying Three have defaulted my Credit file for £19 and the debt has been passed to Lowell, which is crazy, my file is pretty much spotless and I'm stunned it's going to be wrecked over 19 quid.

Any advice appreciated before I call Lowell (and probably Three)..

Thank you!
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Comments

  • BoGoF
    BoGoF Posts: 6,968
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    Be angry at yourself for 'overlooking' the letter.

    Be nice and apologise.....you are relying on goodwill here.
  • majestix wrote: »
    Just received a letter from Three saying a sum of £19 has been transferred from them to Lowell debt collection, which has left me a little surprised and angry.

    I think it's to do with me transferring my mobile number from Three to Vodafone and rather than Three taking out the remaining balance out via Direct Debit as I would've expected, they've sent me a request to pay via letter - one letter which I overlooked because I thought they'd just round it up on my last payment debit my account as was previous, this was around a year and a half ago.

    Now I've got this letter saying Three have defaulted my Credit file for £19 and the debt has been passed to Lowell, which is crazy, my file is pretty much spotless and I'm stunned it's going to be wrecked over 19 quid.

    Any advice appreciated before I call Lowell (and probably Three)..

    Thank you!
    I thought the same as you that as 3 had a direct debit they would take the money.
    Carphone sent me a similar letter when i moved with a demand of £20 even though they had a DD mandate, amusingly saying if I could not afford it they would accept staged payments

    it is an interesting question as to why a company who have a dd mandate should be allowed to default if they do not take the money and personally I think this behaviour is disgraceful.
    ( I suspect they cancelled the DD when the account got closed and did not tell the OP as some energy companies do)
    in practice I would be be nice initially but if they don't play ball become very noisy
  • BoGoF wrote: »
    Be angry at yourself for 'overlooking' the letter.

    Be nice and apologise.....you are relying on goodwill here.

    No issue with apologising, I just think to send me a separate bill when I'd been paying via D/D is an 'ar.se about face' way of dealing with parting customers. Appreciate £19 is owed but to default a customer of 10+ years over such a petty amount is laughable.

    I thought the same as you that as 3 had a direct debit they would take the money.
    Carphone sent me a similar letter when i moved with a demand of £20 even though they had a DD mandate, amusingly saying if I could not afford it they would accept staged payments

    it is an interesting question as to why a company who have a dd mandate should be allowed to default if they do not take the money and personally I think this behaviour is disgraceful.
    ( I suspect they cancelled the DD when the account got closed and did not tell the OP as some energy companies do)
    in practice I would be be nice initially but if they don't play ball become very noisy

    Appreciate the feedback Jumble, my situation and thoughts too.

    Anyone have an idea where to start? Three or Lowell?
  • BoGoF wrote: »
    Be nice and apologise.....you are relying on goodwill here.
    Yup. I reckon it might be possible to resolve this over the phone, stating it was an oversight, that the account is now settled, and by being really humble, polite and apologetic. You could request a goodwill gesture, in that they remove the default marker from your file.

    If you don't ask, you don't get!!!
    I work within the voluntary sector, supporting vulnerable people to rebuild their lives.

    I love my job

    :smiley:
  • majestix
    majestix Posts: 26
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    edited 14 January 2020 at 2:18PM
    Yup. I reckon it might be possible to resolve this over the phone, stating it was an oversight, that the account is now settled, and by being really humble, polite and apologetic. You could request a goodwill gesture, in that they remove the default marker from your file.

    If you don't ask, you don't get!!!

    With Three or Lowell? Lowell have the debt after all.

    For what it's worth, I currently don't have the default on my file but would expect it to pop up in the next month or so..

    Thanks.
  • You have said that 3 has sent you letter saying they have defaulted the account. So I would phone them.

    However Lowell basically bulk buy "bad debts" off companies like Three and buy the account for a few pence in the pound. So, in theory, they should also record a default against you. So I would phone them too.
    I work within the voluntary sector, supporting vulnerable people to rebuild their lives.

    I love my job

    :smiley:
  • BoGoF
    BoGoF Posts: 6,968
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    Whatever you think about it, they did send you a bill, it's not like they didn't give you a chance to pay it. That would be 'disgraceful'.

    They probably get lots of people ending their contracts who also cancel the D/D so they can't win.

    For reasons only you can explain you didn't pay it. What does it take for an amount not to be 'petty'.
  • dekaspace
    dekaspace Posts: 5,705
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    BoGoF wrote: »
    Whatever you think about it, they did send you a bill, it's not like they didn't give you a chance to pay it. That would be 'disgraceful'.

    They probably get lots of people ending their contracts who also cancel the D/D so they can't win.

    For reasons only you can explain you didn't pay it. What does it take for an amount not to be 'petty'.

    I once had a debt collector threaten to take me to court for £1 ! It must of been auto generated and another for about £3.42.
  • adindas
    adindas Posts: 6,805
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    edited 14 January 2020 at 3:31PM
    majestix wrote: »
    No issue with apologising, I just think to send me a separate bill when I'd been paying via D/D is an 'ar.se about face' way of dealing with parting customers. Appreciate £19 is owed but to default a customer of 10+ years over such a petty amount is laughable.

    Appreciate the feedback Jumble, my situation and thoughts too.

    Anyone have an idea where to start? Three or Lowell?

    I fully agree with you defaulting people for the fee of £19 is harsh, especially if they know this is the fist time happening. They should have done more effort to contact you before they record a default.

    In my personal experience, and from what I have read here if it is already recorded on your credit file it is extremely unlikely they will remove the default from the credit file.

    If there is fee such as late payment from credit card, the creditors / lenders are more likely to refund that fee, but not the default if it is already recorded.
  • fizzy123
    fizzy123 Posts: 11
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    I got defaulted for £49, still haven't paid it off, its been 5 years. Would of paid it off it if was my fault, but because it wasn't, they won't be getting a penny. Contacted them multiple times saying it was wrongly put on my account they denied it. But my £49 default didn't go to any debt collection agency.
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