lowell group dirty tricks? Please advise

[overworkeduk]

Hi There
I wondered if anyone could help me with this. After a coupe of years of letters and emails i had emails from lowell group agreeing to take a full an final payment on two outstanding accounts i owed, As i have health issues and fell into debt a few years ago, ben fighting my way out ever since.
At the lst moment i asked them to pease put this in wrighting and i will then call the same day to pay the agreed amount.
They replied that the letter would be with me in a few days.
When the letter came it in no way mentioned this and simply said call to make the payment and we will discuss more payments??
Signed by James Crabtree
This was totally against what we had agreed.
I wrote and compained and said i will not bepaying as this isnt what we agreed.
I have only now had a letter from their complaints stating they are looking into tis and my account is on hold for 30 days
Is this a trick that they have tried to use against me?
Is this also against any protocol or professional conduct?
Feel really down now as we had agreed a figure that i was to borrow from my sister but it looks lie they were not playing fair?
I welcome any advice and can post the emails if required. Thanks so much

[mark andrew]

Re: lowell group dirty tricks? Please advise

Hi overworkeduk,

Regards your dealings with lowell you have done write in asking them to put it in writing. You also did rite to esculate to a complaint you need to make sure you keep all contact in writing.
It sounds like they agreed to you on the phone but not in writing it is normal practice to put your account on hold till complaint as been done

[ODC]

Re: lowell group dirty tricks? Please advise

This was Lowells way of getting you to admit a debt existed

[Johnboy007]

Re: lowell group dirty tricks? Please advise

This was Lowells way of getting you to admit a debt existed

I agree ODC...
Lowell will use every dirty trick in the book to get money out of someone.

[overworkeduk]

Re: lowell group dirty tricks? Please advise

Hi Guys
They actually agreed inwrighting well emails anyway as seen below.
I have copied in the two previous email replies regarding this.
Would this be classed as making an agreement to me as i have many emails previous to this negotiating?.

Hello Craig,

Thank you for your patience.

I have received a response from my manager and I am pleased to inform you that your offer to settle your two accounts with Lowell, reference numbers 92548794 and 93875503, at £150.00 each has been accepted.

To allow me to set the discount in place on the accounts please can you confirm the date you would like to make the payments and the payment method you would like to use from the list of options below?

·Direct Debit (will require bank details and payment date)
·Standing Order (our bank details – Sort Code: 60-00-01 Account Number: 39543749)
·Pay in at any Natwest bank using their paying in slips and our bank details
·Cheque (made payable to Lowell, Address: Lowell Financial, PO Box 164, Leeds, LS10 9EH)
·Postal Order
·Debit/Credit Card (you can call us on 0844 8444 716 or pay using our website: www.lowell.co.uk)

Once I have this information I will be able to set the discounts in place for you.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Jessica
Customer Services, Lowell Group
post@lowellgroup.co.uk
Telephone 08448444716
Mon-Thurs 8.00-8.00 Fri 8.00-7.00 Sat 8.00-2.00
www.lowell.co.uk

We value your feedback. Please complete a short survey to help us improve the performance of the service we give you: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Feedback_Customer_Service









.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .....................
Hello Craig,

Thank you for your email and for confirming your offer for me.

I am sorry to hear of your circumstances.

I have put your full and final settlement offers of £150.00 per account forward for consideration to my manager.

I have placed your accounts on hold from collections activity for 30 days while your offers are reviewed, but I will reply as soon as I have more information for you.

I hope this information helps. If you have any further questions in the meantime please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Jessica
Customer Services, Lowell Group
post@lowellgroup.co.uk

[overworkeduk]

Re: lowell group dirty tricks? Please advise

Hi I didnt deny the debt, i couldnt pay it off and eventually i just offered the amount as i had no way of settling, and got to the point where i wasnt bothered any more as had nothing they could take anyway. But as a last ditch effort to try and put things behind me i made the offer. There is no discussion regarding if the debt existed as it was mine on a credit card, But when i fell ill it all came tumbling down. But its the fact that i made an offer and they accepted as i asked them to communicate my email, no phone calls have been made or received, so i have it all in writing.
Hope this helps
Cheers

[mark andrew]

Re: lowell group dirty tricks? Please advise

Hi overworkeduk,

In my opinion the email confirms the agreement so why do you want it in writing?. the email is proof of what you want. But it looks like the letter doesnt mention what in the email. So send letter and email telling them they contradict each other and base this on your complaint

[FlamingParrot]

Re: lowell group dirty tricks? Please advise

If you are planning to do a F&F I'd suggest reading this thread: http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/...stions-success

...and other threads linked to from there such as:
http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/...ght=full+final
http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/...350#post423350

It is important to ensure they will neither pursue you for the balance, nor sell it to someone who will. :mad2: :rant:

[wales01man]

Re: lowell group dirty tricks? Please advise

How does the offer compare to the debt maybe her boss said no.

[overworkeduk]

Re: lowell group dirty tricks? Please advise

Hi
The emails state that she had taken the matter to her manager and they had decided to accept my offer.
The reason i then said well send me that in writing also was to guard against exactly what happened.
The letter received never even mentioned the full and final agreement made by email.
I have of course raised this as a complaint and have had a standard reply letter from their complaints dept as seen below.
I was just wondering if the emails would actually prove an agreement was made if taken to court.
Below is the email received after i filed a complaint.
.................................................. .................

Thank you for taking the time to write to us on the 8 August 2014 we have fully noted all the points you have raised.

I can confirm that the Customer Relations Department now owns your complaint and will be conducting a thorough investigation into your concerns. Upon completion of this investigation we will write to you again, with our resolution.

Before we have reached a resolution we may need to contact you again to update you with the progress of the investigation or to request further information.

I would also like to reassure you that whilst our investigations are on-going, we will place the account on hold, which means we will not be carrying out any collections activities, until your complaint has been resolved.

We have attached a copy of our internal Complaints Procedure for your information. Please take the time to read this, as it explains fully the steps we will follow in responding to your complaint.
In the meantime, if you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact my team by calling the free telephone number: 0800 542 0058*, which brings you directly through to the Customer Relations Department.

Yours sincerely

Robert Sharman
Head of Compliance

[FlamingParrot]

Re: lowell group dirty tricks? Please advise

That's a bog standard template response to a complaint. :ohwell:

Why should they refuse to send you a letter confirming acceptance of your F&F offer? :mmph: It would have cost them the same both in terms of time and money to send you that letter as they one above.

If they're not willing to send you a letter explicitly accepting your offer, I'd be paying them zilch, zero, nada.

[overworkeduk]

Re: lowell group dirty tricks? Please advise

I Agree with you, I think they may have been trying pull one into tricking me paying the amount and then come at me for more. But on the basis of this complaint i will not now be paying them anything, Ill keep you posted

[Johnboy007]

Re: lowell group dirty tricks? Please advise

I think a court would throw it out if Lowell tried to get more out of you.
The email is time stamped and dated, and is a definite acceptance of your offer.
Just give them the £300.00 and then sod them.

[overworkeduk]

Re: lowell group dirty tricks? Please advise

Many thanks for the reply.
I would do that but they are not rplying now lol.
Seems they are internally investigating?. Another word for "blagging me" in my view.

So i think as i requested the offer in writing to be sent within 7 days, i will see what happens by the weekend.
If no letter or email then im just going to wipe my hands of it as its 5 years old anyway and a few more months it would be Barred i think.
Clinging to the fact that i did offer and it was accepted but they didnt send in writing as requested twice.
After all, i simply requetsed for the accepted offer in letter headed paper, Although im presuming that i have emails as proof. I am of the opinion that they feel that these are not proof of an agreement. Otherwise why wouldnt they just put it in writing and be done, and paid?
Seems strange to me really But im learning a lot on this great forum

[ODC]

Re: lowell group dirty tricks? Please advise

It wont be barred now for another 6 yrs as you have reset the clock by admitting the debt. Did you ever request the paperwork on this