Lowells chasing debt from original company: Hoist.

[saintlyman]

Hello everyone

In July I received a letter from Phoenix pensions, saying they had lost touch with me and had used a tracing company to get in touch. They wanted me to prove my id and policy numbers. This is all good (I do have pension with them and we had lost touch), but....

Recent happenings
14/08 Letter from lowell - "Its time to take the first step" - not responding in the past and its time to get in touch.... I need to take the first step and get in touch... Original Company name Hoist Finance UK for £2,300 +
29/08 Letter from Lowell - "set up an affordable plan" - attempted to engage but no response from me so far
12/09 Letter from Lowell - "you have not contacted us" - disappointed about no contact and want to avoid a third party debt collection company
27/09 Letter from Lowell - "we're considering further recovery action" - they are nice and keeping in touch but I've not been in touch. They don't want to use a third party
13/10 Letter from Lowell - "what further recovery action means" - I'm going to get further phone calls (I dont get any), collection letters and emails and sms messages.

Facts and questions
1) I have never in my life had an account with hoist, there will be no CCA in existence between myself and them
2) This is the first I have heard from Lowells about this.

So, do I:
1) ignore, or
2) ask for copies of the original agreement and proof that they are entitled to collect, or
3) something else?

I have had to deal with debt in the past, I made mistakes, but I had huge help from this forum previously. Thanks everyone! I am confident that this is nonsense. But I don't want to make any mistakes in dealing.Reading around, they (lowells) do seem to be a tricky and slippery bunch.

Thanks a lot

[atticus]

Can you please clarify. Are you saying that Lowell was able to contact you as a result of the information you gave Phoenix?

[saintlyman]

Can you please clarify. Are you saying that Lowell was able to contact you as a result of the information you gave Phoenix?

I find it odd that Lowells appeared shortly after the pension company made contact. The pension company referenced the use of a tracing company/agency (identity unknown).
It is perhaps possible that Phoenix confirmed contact with that agency to stop further unnecessary work. What happened after that is pure speculation.
I mentioned this in case others had received contact from Lowell that was seemingly out of the blue.

My questions are regarding how I should or should not handle the enquiry from Lowells.

[PallasAthena]

If Phoenix Pensions could use a third party tracing company to find you so could Lowells. I think it's very unlikely that PP supplied data to Lowells or that there is any connection between them. Just coincidence.

Lowells have recently acquired Hoist's debt portfolio and have been sending out tens of thousands of speculative letters to people with old Hoist debts even though many are statute barred.

Du you know if your debt is statute barred?

Just ignore them unless you receive a formal Letter of Claim from them or any court papers. They are just on a large scale fishing expedition to see how many people than they can frighten into paying something.

[saintlyman]

Du you know if your debt is statute barred?

Just ignore them unless you receive a formal Letter of Claim from them or any court papers. They are just on a large scale fishing expedition to see how many people than they can frighten into paying something.

Thank you for the reply.

I don't recognise the alleged debt at all. I have never opened an account with hoist. All my historic actual debt was settled in 2015 (when I was last active on this very helpful forum). I do not believe that this alleged debt is anything to do with me whatsoever.