Help! Lowell - Littlewoods

[lilmisstami]

I am new to the forum so first of all Hello All!

Really after some advice as I'm now at the end of my tether!

Long story so ill try and keep it brief.....

My mother took out various catalogues (5 in total) in my name a few years ago which i didn't know about until June last year. (she did this as she has a bad credit rating and i guess she saw no harm in it as she intended to pay it all back etc etc) well when i found out, the state of all the accounts were defaulted on my credit file and one actually being a CCJ! needless to say i was furious but i understood the desperation from my mum as most of the items purchased were for christmas presents for my sister and I.

I began by writing to all the debt collection agencies saying i knew nothing about the debt until checking my report and its now become clear it was my mother, she sent a separate letter to them all confirming this and taking full responsibility for all the debt etc etc

It has been going on over a year but eventually, 4 of them have been changed into her name and removed from my credit file, including the CCJ!

Lowell on the other hand, the whole time refused to change this over saying they are not able to do this, they sent me the "signed credit agreement" as requested but in the box where my signature should be it is empty??

Anyway, it escalated to the complaints department who refused still to uphold the complaint (even though they have full admission from my mother, there had been payments made on the account from her account, the account has her email address and the agreement is not signed?)

So then I went to the FOS who have just replied to me saying they think Lowell have done nothing wrong??!?!! They said that if they remove it from my credit file it will be inaccurate, but thats the point, its inaccurate at present!!!

I am fuming and I do not know what to do now. It is not fair to have this black mark on my name, also 4 other companies have been able to do this for me! I have even said in letters, if the account is put into mums name i will be happy to pay it in full straight away as I'm not worried about the money (although i think they don't deserve it the crooks) I just want the default off my credit file!!

Any advice would be really appreciated, I am really stuck now!

Sorry for the long message guys!

Thanks

Tami

[Ruby]

Re: Help! Lowell - Littlewoods

I am, with many others on this forum a member of the 'hate Lowell Group' club so you are in good company! I am also not a fan of the Fos. My personal experience with them is that they are as useful as a chocolate tea pot!

Can I suggest that you go back to the credit reference agency you are with and put a 'notice of correction' against the default that Lowell have entered in your name. This will mean that in the meantime whilst you fight your corner anyone looking at your credit file will be able to see the explanation against the default made. How about copying all the correspondence you have to the OFT and the FSA? That might wake Lowell up. No one likes to get a massive fine for misconduct!

[basa48]

Re: Help! Lowell - Littlewoods

OK, concerning the Lowell account only, you may be on a sticky wicket here.

Basically the account was opened fraudulently, which is admitted. This limits any 'leverage' you may have in persuading Lowells to 'play ball'.

Do you know if Lowells are acting on behalf of the catalogue company or have they bought the debt outright. If they are only acting for the catalogue it may well be worth writing to the catalogue company direct to try and sort it out.

Do you know if the account was opened on-line? If so a tick in a box is enough to confirm the credit agreement and no signature would be required.