Help! Lowell Group are harassing me for a Welcome Finance Debt that ive cleared :(

[tezzam]

Hello, First post so here it goes,

Back in 2008 i took an unsecured loan out with Welcome Finance as i was in need of some extra cash and seemed to be the only option available to me. (this proved to be a big mistake looking back at it now)

I made several monthly payments on time and for the correct agreed amount. I was then fortunate enough to have my family help me out with some money so i contacted Welcome and arranged a final settlement fee for the loan i took, which i paid to them by check (and it cleared)

Then around 10 months ago i received a letter from Lowell group saying that i had an outstanding debt with Welcome Finance which they'' be collecting. i originally ignored the first couple of letters as i was certain that this was a mistake. I then moved house and continued to received letters from them trying to get me to pay the debt off. I then decided to reply to them by email saying that the debt had been cleared with welcome finance and that i didn't owe any money. i also sent them a copy of the receipt i got when i made the final payment. Lowell group claimed that the final payment i made wasn't an agreed final settlement payment for the loan i took out and that i still owed them money. I've since requested a statement from them showing the full account history and what i received was a three page letter showing various charges I've incurred over the years. this letter doesn't show the original loan agreement that was made with the amount i borrowed or the term of the loan and is not on headed paper. to be honest it looks like something an 8 year old would do.

Can someone please help me and advise me on what my next steps should be as i don't believe the loan summary they sent me is valid proof of the loan. I'm getting increasingly frustrated with these letters threatening me to pay or face legal action. id previously sent them an email asking them to stop harassing me for a debt that i didn't have but this didn't work.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

[bluebottle]

Re: Help! Lowell Group are harassing me for a Welcome Finance Debt that ive cleared :

This is par for the course with Lowells, aka the Leeds Losers. Ask Welcome Finance to confirm, in writing, that the debt is now satisfied and ask them to explain why Lowells are now chasing you for a debt that has been settled.

If Welcome Finance confirm that the debt is settled and they cannot explain why Lowells are now chasing you, Lowells will have to prove they have a right in law, okay, a right in law to make the demands they are making and that the threats they have made are a proper means of enforcing the demands. If they can't or won't, the company could be in very serious trouble and so could its management. It would be wise to report this to OFT Credit Fitness Team and Trading Standards as Lowells hold a Category F Debt Collection Licence and their actions may be a breach of their licence.

Contact Welcome first, see what they say, then come back onto this thread and we will see what further help you need.

Hope this helps.

[PlanB]

Re: Help! Lowell Group are harassing me for a Welcome Finance Debt that ive cleared :

This is par for the course with Lowells . . . .

. . . . . the debt is settled and they cannot explain why Lowells are now chasing you, Lowells will have to prove they have a right in law, okay, a right in law to make the demands they are making and that the threats they have made are a proper means of enforcing the demands. If they can't or won't, the company could be in very serious trouble and so could its management. It would be wise to report this to OFT Credit Fitness Team and Trading Standards as Lowells hold a Category F Debt Collection Licence and their actions may be a breach of their licence.

How come Lowells are still in business :rant:

And am I the only person who thinks the OFT Credit Fitness Team sounds like a gym or health club :lol:

[bluebottle]

Re: Help! Lowell Group are harassing me for a Welcome Finance Debt that ive cleared :

OFT Credit Fitness Team may sound like a gym or health club, but once they have enough evidence to revoke a licence, they will go ahead with the necessary procedures.

[PlanB]

Re: Help! Lowell Group are harassing me for a Welcome Finance Debt that ive cleared :

OFT Credit Fitness Team may sound like a gym or health club, but once they have enough evidence to revoke a licence, they will go ahead with the necessary procedures.

I'm sure we've gathered enough evidence on here to at least get the OFT to issue *Requirements* even if they're not minded to revoke Lowells' licence yet

[bluebottle]

Re: Help! Lowell Group are harassing me for a Welcome Finance Debt that ive cleared :

I'm sure we've gathered enough evidence on here to at least get the OFT to issue *Requirements* even if they're not minded to revoke Lowells' licence yet

You've given me an idea for a FOIA request to OFT. Should make interesting reading.

[FlamingParrot]

Re: Help! Lowell Group are harassing me for a Welcome Finance Debt that ive cleared :

Lowells should also be reprimanded for using SDs as debt collection instruments :mad2: :mad2:

[bluebottle]

Re: Help! Lowell Group are harassing me for a Welcome Finance Debt that ive cleared :

I'm hoping any rollockings they have had from OFT about that will show up on an FOIA request.

[tezzam]

Re: Help! Lowell Group are harassing me for a Welcome Finance Debt that ive cleared :

firstly thanks for the swift response. i'm very impressed and feel I've come to the right place. i will now be contacting Welcome and try to find out the current status of the debt. Is there anywhere i can find out what all these acronyms mean that you guys use as i'm not too savvy with this kind of thing
I will update my thread when I've had a response from welcome.
Thanks again

[tezzam]

Re: Help! Lowell Group are harassing me for a Welcome Finance Debt that ive cleared :

do you think i should tell Lowell that i"m contacting Welcome directly as they claim i have 28 days 'until collection activity will commence'

[tezzam]

Re: Help! Lowell Group are harassing me for a Welcome Finance Debt that ive cleared :

i do feel a little reluctant to contact welcome finance and update my personnel details with them whether it be by phone or by letter. ( they dont have an email address)

[bluebottle]

Re: Help! Lowell Group are harassing me for a Welcome Finance Debt that ive cleared :

Firstly, you need to find out from Welcome Finance what is going on. Secondly, you do not tell Lowells that you are contacting Welcome Finance. Once you have its true status, that is when you contact Lowells. If Welcome confirm the debt is settled, Lowells are going to find it difficult to explain their way out of the demands and threats they are making. As I have stated in an earlier post, if Lowells cannot prove they have a right in law to pursue the debt, both the company and its management could be in serious trouble, not only with the OFT, but the law enforcement agencies also. It is a criminal offence to obtain or attempt to obtain money you are not entitled to obtain and it is also a criminal offence to to make an unwarranted demand and at the time of doing so, using menaces (threats) as a means of enforcing the demand.

Hope this explains the situation.

[wales01man]

Re: Help! Lowell Group are harassing me for a Welcome Finance Debt that ive cleared :

It is a criminal offence to obtain or attempt to obtain money you are not entitled to obtain and it is also a criminal offence to to make an unwarranted demand and at the time of doing so, using menaces (threats) as a means of enforcing the demand.

Does this apply to bailiffs we read on here of charges that are illegal and threats of prison having children taken away being used in some cases?

[bluebottle]

Re: Help! Lowell Group are harassing me for a Welcome Finance Debt that ive cleared :

It is a criminal offence to obtain or attempt to obtain money you are not entitled to obtain and it is also a criminal offence to to make an unwarranted demand and at the time of doing so, using menaces (threats) as a means of enforcing the demand.

Does this apply to bailiffs we read on here of charges that are illegal and threats of prison having children taken away being used in some cases?

Same offences, Wales, i.e. Fraud by False Misrepresentation (Section 2, Fraud Act 2006) in respect of illegal charges and Blackmail (Section 21, Theft Act 1968) in respect of any threats they make to enforce demands for illegal charges.

[wales01man]

Re: Help! Lowell Group are harassing me for a Welcome Finance Debt that ive cleared :

Thanks Bluebottle