Good luck to you Smallboy. I'm also currently having a bad time with Lowells, and I'm just off to send my CCA request to them. I've had some invaluable advice and support from the good people on here. Hope we both, and all other Lowell victims become the victors. Can I just repeat what was said earlier in your thread DON'T EVER TELEPHONE THEM, I foolishly did once...they are not nice people. Good luck :o)

Thanks for that pmhcfc :o)

Thanks, I seem to have posted this twice...here and in a new thread. I'm so stressed I really don't know what I'm doing at times. Thanks you lovely people.

Thanks all for your support in this frightening matter. Allykat I have the complaints form ready to fill in...and I will. Thanks ODC for your advice, but can I say I do not acknowledge any debt to your company or its associates when The Bank of Scotland informed me of the sale of my debt? Also I have been trying to negotiate with Lowell and have made 3 payments of £X to them...have I not admitted my liability already? Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks to all for such helpful advice and support.

Wow thanks Kenny for such a speedy reply. Well I can't really remember how long ago I had the credit card, but it was several years. The debt was acknowledged about a year ago when I went to CAB for help, and the last payment was sometime in 2005, without going through my cheque book stubs I can't remember the date. I'm going to get on with the letters now. Incidently can I try to reclaim charges if The Bank of Scotland have sold my debt to Lowells? Again many thanks.

I lost my job following serious health problems and sought help from CAB with my debts, one of which was for approx £1000 on a Unison (public sector union) credit card through The Bank of Scotland. They did not respond to CAB's letters. A few months later I received a letter from a company called Blair, Oliver & Scott offering a reduced F & FS, which I couldn't afford, so I wrote explaining and offering a token payment. I never heard from them again. Late December '06 I received a letter from Lowell Portfolio I stating they had bought the debt, by now the debt had spiralled to over £2600, I also received a letter from The Bank of Scotland informing me they had sold my debt. A few days later I received a letter from Lowell Financial, foolishly I telephoned to explain my circumstances, the person I spoke to was rude, aggressive and very intimidating. He stated that I had to pay them £80 per month. He demanded information about my home & bank account details when I said I couldn't afford to pay them £80 per month. I didn't give much information but foolishly told him I had a mortgaged property, he then told me that if I didn't pay the £80 they would have a charging order put on my home and have it sold. He also suggested I take out a 2nd mortgage, which I explained I wouldn't get even if I wanted to as I didn't have the means to repay it. He demanded to know how much equity I have in my home, which I don't really know, then suggested I should take out equity release, which I've since found out I can't as I'm not old enough. I was becoming more and more distressed, I asked for his name which he refused to give, so I asked if there was a more senior staff member available. I was transferred to someone else who was slighty less aggressive but still demanded £80 per month, I said I could only afford a token payment of £X and offered to send income & expenditure details, which he agreed to the I&E that is not my offer. I sent the details with a letter and cheque for £X, I shortly received a letter saying that as I had not made a reasonable offer I would be receiving a visit, and be transferred to the litigation department. I wrote again asking them to reconsider my offer. I got a letter basically saying the same about no satisfactory offer, but also saying that I had avoided their agent, who incidently never called. I then received a letter with their own income & expenditue form stating that when this was received my case would be fully appraised. I completed and returned this along with a 'pleading' letter asking them to reconsider my offer, and attached a 2nd payment of £X. I did not get a reply, with my 3rd payment, I wrote saying I had not received responses to my letters and urged them to do so. I them received a letter from Hamptons Legal threatening me with court action as I had ignored all correspondence from 'their client Lowells!!! I wrote to them explaining my circumstances, gave dates of all letters sent to Lowells, and again requested acceptance of my offer. As I expected, Hamptons replied saying 'you have failed to respond to us to make satisfactory arrangements to settle the amount outstanding', they also gave a breakdown of extra costs I would have to pay if it went to court. I replied with a standard letter quoting 'Overriding Objectives'. In previous letters to Lowells I have quoted OFT guidelines that have been broken. None of it seems to matter to them, I get the feeling that as they know I have a property...they are determined to get it sold! Any advice on the next steps to take against these vile bloodsuckers would be very gratefully received. My 76 year old mother has said she can give me £800 to help me, is it worth a shot at trying for a F & FS of this amount? Incidentally if Lowell Portfolio I, Lowell Financial and Hamptons Legal are seperate companies as they suggest they are, how come they have the same company reg. no., consumer credit licence no., and registered office address? Is it to increase the threat by passing you from one to another? If it is, its working with me as the stress this is causing me has caused another stroke, and I lie awake at night thinking of how suicide might be the easier option to take.

I lost my job following serious health problems and sought help from CAB with my debts, one of which was for approx £1000 on a Unison (public sector union) credit card through The Bank of Scotland. They did not respond to CAB's letters. A few months later I received a letter from a company called Blair, Oliver & Scott offering a reduced F & FS, which I couldn't afford, so I wrote explaining and offering a token payment. I never heard from them again. Late December '06 I received a letter from Lowell Portfolio I stating they had bought the debt, by now the debt had spiralled to over £2600, I also received a letter from The Bank of Scotland informing me they had sold my debt. A few days later I received a letter from Lowell Financial, foolishly I telephoned to explain my circumstances, the person I spoke to was rude, aggressive and very intimidating. He stated that I had to pay them £80 per month. He demanded information about my home & bank account details when I said I couldn't afford to pay them £80 per month. I didn't give much information but foolishly told him I had a mortgaged property, he then told me that if I didn't pay the £80 they would have a charging order put on my home and have it sold. He also suggested I take out a 2nd mortgage, which I explained I wouldn't get even if I wanted to as I didn't have the means to repay it. He demanded to know how much equity I have in my home, which I don't really know, then suggested I should take out equity release, which I've since found out I can't as I'm not old enough. I was becoming more and more distressed, I asked for his name which he refused to give, so I asked if there was a more senior staff member available. I was transferred to someone else who was slighty less aggressive but still demanded £80 per month, I said I could only afford a token payment of £2.00 and offered to send income & expenditure details, which he agreed to the I&E that is not my offer. I sent the details with a letter and cheque for £2.00, I shortly received a letter saying that as I had not made a reasonable offer I would be receiving a visit, and be transferred to the litigation department. I wrote again asking them to reconsider my offer. I got a letter basically saying the same about no satisfactory offer, but also saying that I had avoided their agent, who incidently never called. I then received a letter with their own income & expenditue form stating that when this was received my case would be fully appraised. I completed and returned this along with a 'pleading' letter asking them to reconsider my offer, and attached a 2nd payment of £2.00. I did not get a reply, with my 3rd payment, I wrote saying I had not received responses to my letters and urged them to do so. I them received a letter from Hamptons Legal threatening me with court action as I had ignored all correspondence from 'their client Lowells!!! I wrote to them explaining my circumstances, gave dates of all letters sent to Lowells, and again requested acceptance of my offer. As I expected, Hamptons replied saying 'you have failed to respond to us to make satisfactory arrangements to settle the amount outstanding', they also gave a breakdown of extra costs I would have to pay if it went to court. I replied with a standard letter quoting 'Overriding Objectives'. In previous letters to Lowells I have quoted OFT guidelines that have been broken. None of it seems to matter to them, I get the feeling that as they know I have a property...they are determined to get it sold! Any advice on the next steps to take against these vile bloodsuckers would be very gratefully received. My 76 year old mother has said she can give me £800 to help me, is it worth a shot at trying for a F & FS of this amount? Incidentally if Lowell Portfolio I, Lowell Financial and Hamptons Legal are seperate companies as they suggest they are, how come they have the same company reg. no., consumer credit licence no., and registered office address? Is it to increase the threat by passing you from one to another? If it is, its working with me as the stress this is causing me has caused another stroke, and I lie awake at night thinking of how suicide might be the easier option to take.