Lowell debt- on my credit record.

[Confusedlady]

I have been checking my credit record for a few months with Experian. All good on there. I've been thinking about having a 0% credit card for a car purchase, I've been coming back on soft credit checks as only 30% likely to be approved. So Google suggested I use all 3 main record checks to help see why.

Clear score also ok when I checked them.

But Noddle. They are showing a default, and it's been taken over by Lowell. I did default (back in teens and naive!) and had moved house. I've had no contact with the original people or with Lowell. No letters from them so they potentially don't have my address. I have moved 11 times in 9 years 🙈 I had totally forgotten about this! This was a mobile contract internet dongle thing. I naively just stopped paying because the internet hadn't been used by me for almost 3 years (dongle long gone by then) and I didnt know how to stop the contract. I was paying for a contract that was just rolling over and over month by month after it reached its end point.

The statue of limitations should be up in 5 months give or take according to the date on my credit record.

What should I do? I'm scared to contact Lowell because they may start hounding me. They might also have inflated the cost???? Apparently this was all for £29! Though originally!!!

My concern is I don't know what Lowell do next. They last searched me on my report Nov 16 and Dec16?? Against an address that is from 2 years ago and I've moved 3 times since that address too. I have no idea if letters are going to that address. And I'm scared a CCJ might appear on my account?

Help!!!!

Naive youth catching me up. 😣

[charitynjw]

Re: Lowell debt- on my credit record.

Hi Confusedlady, welcome to LB.

Where you say that the alleged debt would be barred by statute in 5 months or so, are you calculating that to be from your last payment, or from the default dates on the Credit Reference Agency database?
(Btw, do you live in England/Wales, or in Scotland?
Or somewhere else?)

[Confusedlady]

Re: Lowell debt- on my credit record.

Thank you!

I was going off dates on credit agency. I did get it wrong though. It's 8 months off not 5. I counted from first red Mark not the "d" for default?

And I'm in England.

[charitynjw]

Re: Lowell debt- on my credit record.

Ok....it's just that in Scotland it is 5 years, not 6.

Although CRA records are a useful indication, they might not always be accurate. (The CRA will put whatever date is supplied to them by the creditor/assignee).
Can you check historic bank records for details of payment dates?

[Confusedlady]

Re: Lowell debt- on my credit record.

I changed bank accounts a long time ago. And I also have no statements anymore. I wasn't at all wise with finances back then. Nor sure how I would check that?

- - - Updated - - -

Why is this only showing up on one credit record?? It isn't on 2 of them ��

[charitynjw]

Re: Lowell debt- on my credit record.

You can usually get bank records going back at least 6 years from the banks themselves.
They normally charge a small fee.

It's entirely the creditor's choice how many of the CRAs they use.

[Confusedlady]

Re: Lowell debt- on my credit record.

Okay. So what date do I need? The last time I made a payment or when they logged it as default?

- - - Updated - - -

Also the accounts still saying open?

[charitynjw]

Re: Lowell debt- on my credit record.

Okay. So what date do I need? The last time I made a payment or when they logged it as default?

- - - Updated - - -

Also the accounts still saying open?

A difficult question.
What you really need to get hold of (along with the bank data) is an accurate copy of your agreement/contract together with the applicable T&Cs.

[Confusedlady]

Re: Lowell debt- on my credit record.

I've seen scary stories online about Lowell.

I guess a concern is- how likely they are to lodge a CCJ.
Will they know the address is wrong? How easily will they find a new one?

Part of me wants to just contact Lowell ans pay it off. But are they honest if I do this??

The company the contract was has changed a lot since those days also ��

[charitynjw]

Re: Lowell debt- on my credit record.

I've seen scary stories online about Lowell.
Most of the ones I've read show that they are not scary at all.

I guess a concern is- how likely they are to lodge a CCJ.
Only they will know that.
An indicator would be the £amount they are chasing.

Will they know the address is wrong? How easily will they find a new one?
They can usually find new addresses fairly easily.
But sometimes a county court claim is sent to an old address.
The courts are aware of this, & any default judgment obtained in this way can usually be set aside.

Part of me wants to just contact Lowell ans pay it off. But are they honest if I do this??
Their business model is to buy non-performing debt for peanuts, then aggressively chase for the full amount. (Inc all the charges, interest etc which has been added over the years).
If you put up a decent fight, they may be more inclined to do a deal.
If you do try to negotiate, mark the correspondence 'Without Prejudice'.

The company the contract was has changed a lot since those days also ��
Even so, they should still hold historic records.
& if they don't, where are Lowells going to obtain the evidence necessary to prove their claim?

####

[Confusedlady]

Re: Lowell debt- on my credit record.

Thank you.

So I think it would rather contact them. The default was for £29. So hopefully wouldn't be too much.

How would you advise best to contact them? By phone Okay? Or email? I don't have access to a printer in any form.

Also- if I pay off the debt will that make it stay on my credit history longer.

I'm so cross this happened ��

[charitynjw]

Re: Lowell debt- on my credit record.

Always best to correspond in written form, with proof of sending (eg by post with receipt/certificate of posting).
Email is fine, but it is wise to first establish that they are ok with email communication.
If you do have to phone them, follow up with hard copy verification of the content of the 'phone call (where necessary, & esp if you have made some kind of verbal arrangement or agreement).