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Apologies for needing help again. I have discovered why Lowell have been searching my credit file for over a year. It seems I have a 3 mobile debt of £54.81.
The annoying thing about this is that it is for a final month payment when I stopped a contract back in 2009. They should have taken it by direct debit but obviously didn't and this is the first i've heard of it.
The really, really annoying thing is that I have no paperwork left from this contract. I do know that I had to give one month notice and that I had already used my minimum contract time up yet they afre claiming an additional amount of £169.81 early termination fee. There should be no eraly termination fee as I was out of my minimum term and on a notice period of one month. All this was discussed with 3 when I cancelled the contract. Of course, I have nothing to prove this but it is the truth.
I'm nervious on two accounts. I had a letter recently from Link scamming to try and get confirmation that I live here by sending the friendly 'someone has applied for credit using your name' trick. It is a big coincidence that within a few weeks I now get this letter despite Lowell having searched my credit file every month for over a year. Why would they have done that and not contacted me a lot sooner? It's so odd. I am terrified of confirming to anyone that I live here, Lowell or Link. I really can't handle the hassle I had back when I did actually owe Link money. They used every trick in the book to harrass me and ultimately, I was one little person and they used to laugh down the phone at me. I despise them and their shoddy practises.
Anyway, deep breath, this is the very odd letter:
Contract no xxxxx
Lowell Ref xxxxx
Mobile number xxxxxx
Balance Outstanding: Arrears £54.81 Early Termination Fee: £169.81*
We're contacrting you about your Three account which you started on 21/02/2008. There is an outstanding balance on your account and we've tried contacting you about this previously. You might not have heard from us for some time though, possibly becauise your address has changed from the one we have on our records. Please get in touch with us as soon as possible so that we can bring your account up to date. If you don't pay the outstanding balance within 20 days from the date of this letter, our debt purchasing partner (called Lowell Portfolio 1 Ltd) will contact you to arrange payment directly with them.
To pay your outstanding balance before the deadline please call us on 0845 3550 480 between 9 and 5.30 mon to fri.
To discuss other payment options that may suit you better, you can contact Lowell Portfolio 1 Ltd directly on 0113 308 6014 where they'll help you settle your account.
Finally, if you've paid the outstanding balance in the last 7 days, thanks and please ignore this letter.
Lots of love & hugs (I may have made this line up)
Mike Elliot
Head of Credit & Collections
* Your early termination fee is the total of all the outstanding monthly charges on your contract.
Sooooo. My issue is this. Who am I contacting? The headed paper is 3 mobile but the phone numbers are both Lowell. The address is for Three, Star House, 20 Grenfgell Road, Maidenhead, SL6 1EH and they have the Three website address on there. I called 3 seperately via their customer services and they told me 3 no longer held my account but confirmed the debt was only £54.81. Are Lowell deliberately making up high false amounts to shock people into calling in?
All very odd. Not sure what best to do as I really do not want them knowing I live here for sure when they have been searching my credit file for so long with no contact until now.
The annoying thing about this is that it is for a final month payment when I stopped a contract back in 2009. They should have taken it by direct debit but obviously didn't and this is the first i've heard of it.
The really, really annoying thing is that I have no paperwork left from this contract. I do know that I had to give one month notice and that I had already used my minimum contract time up yet they afre claiming an additional amount of £169.81 early termination fee. There should be no eraly termination fee as I was out of my minimum term and on a notice period of one month. All this was discussed with 3 when I cancelled the contract. Of course, I have nothing to prove this but it is the truth.
I'm nervious on two accounts. I had a letter recently from Link scamming to try and get confirmation that I live here by sending the friendly 'someone has applied for credit using your name' trick. It is a big coincidence that within a few weeks I now get this letter despite Lowell having searched my credit file every month for over a year. Why would they have done that and not contacted me a lot sooner? It's so odd. I am terrified of confirming to anyone that I live here, Lowell or Link. I really can't handle the hassle I had back when I did actually owe Link money. They used every trick in the book to harrass me and ultimately, I was one little person and they used to laugh down the phone at me. I despise them and their shoddy practises.
Anyway, deep breath, this is the very odd letter:
Contract no xxxxx
Lowell Ref xxxxx
Mobile number xxxxxx
Balance Outstanding: Arrears £54.81 Early Termination Fee: £169.81*
We're contacrting you about your Three account which you started on 21/02/2008. There is an outstanding balance on your account and we've tried contacting you about this previously. You might not have heard from us for some time though, possibly becauise your address has changed from the one we have on our records. Please get in touch with us as soon as possible so that we can bring your account up to date. If you don't pay the outstanding balance within 20 days from the date of this letter, our debt purchasing partner (called Lowell Portfolio 1 Ltd) will contact you to arrange payment directly with them.
To pay your outstanding balance before the deadline please call us on 0845 3550 480 between 9 and 5.30 mon to fri.
To discuss other payment options that may suit you better, you can contact Lowell Portfolio 1 Ltd directly on 0113 308 6014 where they'll help you settle your account.
Finally, if you've paid the outstanding balance in the last 7 days, thanks and please ignore this letter.
Lots of love & hugs (I may have made this line up)
Mike Elliot
Head of Credit & Collections
* Your early termination fee is the total of all the outstanding monthly charges on your contract.
Sooooo. My issue is this. Who am I contacting? The headed paper is 3 mobile but the phone numbers are both Lowell. The address is for Three, Star House, 20 Grenfgell Road, Maidenhead, SL6 1EH and they have the Three website address on there. I called 3 seperately via their customer services and they told me 3 no longer held my account but confirmed the debt was only £54.81. Are Lowell deliberately making up high false amounts to shock people into calling in?
All very odd. Not sure what best to do as I really do not want them knowing I live here for sure when they have been searching my credit file for so long with no contact until now.
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