Evenin' all. Long time lurker and small-time poster here. Not seen the programme yet, its waiting for me when I finally get home. However, seems to have provoked a level of outrage on here. So hows about finding an independent television company who is prepared to invest some time and effort in painting the TRUE story of the debt collection/purchase/DCA industry? Many people on here would I'm sure have credible testimony in the way of nasty letters, recordings etc to the real goings-on and tactics employed by both big corporates and the **** of the industry. I think a decent well-balanced and proper truthful programme format could be mapped out in its entirety by people on here and simply presented to a TV company for the making. May be an excellent alternative avenue to the likes of youtube etc. Oh, and just thinking out loud, "feedback" for the Panorama programme will be treated as just that. Perhaps if people have a genuine complaint about the programme content it may be more prudent to punt a formal complaint their way so they HAVE to deal with it and HAVE to make it public - BBC Complaints - Homepage Just my ramblings ss

Good evening fellow CAGers! I'm sorry, long time lurker here, not much posting, but had prior dealings with this shower of (EDIT)so forgive me if my observations are cynical:- Utter rubbish. Are you suggesting that it was a director that instigated over 20 letters to myself offering me a settlement that worked out over 78% discount? Aye, right! yeah right, give them a full breakdown of my personal finances that they are not entitled to. "If you own your own home"... hmm, so they can consider a nasty charging order? Well, how convenient that this is the next quarter coming! Lowell trying to bump up their figures for the coming months are they? Fall for that one, I think not! If Lowell provide a VALID CCA first, I might have conversed with them. Anything less, they can go (EDIT) emselves and I don't have to provide anything. In summary, I believe this to be an untrue posting with an ulterior motive.

Hi quick update I have received through the post a photocopy of the application form, dated Aug 2001 and three copies (exactly the same) of a statement, along with a (I presume, quite standard) snotty letter saying status: defaulted. Reading other posts I am under the impression they have not complied with the request to show properly executed agreement, and their legal right to claim. Ergo, I can write back and tell 'em to shove it? As an aside, I belive the default they have registered on my credit file may have been a major contributer to being knocked back by A&L for a company bank account (me being named director). As this is default is not substantiated, I believe I am within my rights to demand they remove it? Keep smiling SS

Signed "...to Restict Access...." should be changed on both the petition itself and confirmation email. not that I'm any good at typing though. Keep smiling SS

So, letter was sent, and surprise surprise the "standard" letter than many have received came winging its way back... (quite fast actually :o) We are in receipt of your request for a copy of your credit agreement in accordance with section 78 (1) of the consumer credit act 1974. We are also in receipt of the prescribed fee from you. We are requesting a copy of the agreement from the original lender with whom you originally entered into the agreement. Whilst we endevour to reply to you with the required information within the prescribed 12 day period under the consumer credit act you will appreciate this is dependant upon receipt of the information from the original creditor. Questions are: 1. Seeing as they did not act properly and seem not to have the documentation, am I amble to insist on the default Lowell placed on my credit file removed? 2. (think this has been asked before) - Are they "twisting" the rules with their "this is dependant upon..." line to get around their 12-day time limit. Cheers SS

I would like to add my £0.02 here Lowell - entering a default on credit record without being able to substantiate, etc. and "sly" tactics as in sending through the post a "sorry you were out" style postcard to try and infer somebody has called. I'm sure many people have these. Experian (in particular, but for that matter any so-called "credit reference agency") - for accepting on face value the word of a shark, third-party "for profit" DCA and entering credit information available to banks, financial institutions etc which has not been verified and not capable of being verified, and will not lift a finger when formally disputed. I would love to see a mass "class action" against the companies/institutions/organisations that do it wrong. Keep smiling SS

Hi, the default was registered in the past two weeks by Lowell (there has never been anything registered by Cap 1 on there). The "Date Defauilted" is claimed to be 2002. Thanks for the help though, I will go and peruse again all the template letters.

pmhcfc thank you for swift reply! I had an inkling that my next step was to request the appropriate paperwork from them. I did wonder however where I stood on dates. They are claiming a default date of aug 2002. This does bring it under the 6-year limit. I wonder if they are being crafty in obfuscating dates? As above I'm fairly certain that I last used card/contacted Cap1/paid balance early 2002, which does make it tricky. Letter will go out in the morning, thanks again! SS

Good evening all Reading up on other users' dilemmas with Lowell has prompted me to write about my own problem which has recently arisen. It seems they are buying debt from Capital One, which appears to be where they have got my details from. Yes, I used to have a card with Cap 1, but cannot honestly remember leaving any balance on it when I finished using it in 2001. I also don't recall sending a closure letter for the card. My bad, I suppose. On 17/03/07 I received a letter from Lowell dated 11/03/07 (a Sunday?) stating that I owed £478 on a Cap 1 account and that they have sent previous letters to me. (None received). On 22/03/07 I received a postcard 2nd class which is made to look like an agent has called. As others on here have described, there's a preprinted tick in the "sorry you were out box". I was in fact in, as the postman rang the doorbell for a parcel which was delivered. Friday, I check my credit report and found that Lowell have issued a default. They have done this in the last two weeks, maybe even before letters were sent out to me. The date default is listed as mid 2002. I am not sure how this is calculated, but do know I went overseas way before that date, and as such had destroyed card, therefore had not made use of it (see above, my bad for not writing to Cap1 to close it!) I have not received any formal default notice regarding this. I have also read some threads that suggest that they have to prove they have legal title to the debt before they can issue default. As yet I have not asked for any confirmation or documents or indeed contacted them. Would anybody be able to suggest how to proceed, in terms how I might get this default removed, and how to get them off me back. Many thanks SS