I would give minus 5 if I could. I thought I would share my experiences with Lowell and other debt collection agencies so that others might learn from my experience. The primary issues I am having with Lowell and others is in relation to recording details about my ex-debts after I was declared bankrupt and after my bankruptcy was discharged. I am also having issues with them chasing me for parking charges to which I do not owe (but I'm not going to discuss this in detail). I think there is a lot of money in debt collection and consequently a lot of corrupt, unethical and otherwise immoral and often unlawful practices which are sometimes criminal. The only real law protecting you from debt collection agencies are: (1) harassment under section 40 Administration of Justice Act 1970 which is a criminal offence but the penalties are £100 for a first offence and and £400 for each subsequent offence thus is hardly a deterrent, and (2) GDPR as falsely recording you owe a debt means inaccurate records have been kept. The strategy of debt collection agencies is thus:1. You write to them and say you do not owe the debt which is ignored (a criminal offence).2. You send a Letter Before Claim alleging GDPR violations and asking them to correct your inaccurate records, which is ignored or in Lowell's case they allege they never received it.3. If they do respond or are forced to respond because you've started legal action (and sometimes not even then) they then allege: (1) you failed to include the debt in your bankruptcy and therefore you must pay the debt - Section 382 Insolvency Act 1986 is quite clear that all debts are included within your bankruptcy - declared or not. Otherwise it's preferential treatment of a creditor which is unlawful; (2) if that doesn't work that you failed to inform them of your bankruptcy despite Rule 10.66 of the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 making it a statutory requirement for the Insolvency Service to inform creditors (it's funny that only debt collection agencies never received this notification); (3) and you also failed to inform creditors your bankruptcy had been discharged - despite them being informed by the Insolvency Service.4. If you somehow manage to tie them down then they will then (if your lucky) mark your debt as partially settled on the date your bankruptcy was discharged but claim you were in default from when your bankruptcy was ordered until when it was discharged (presumably out of spite) - despite such liabilities no longer being vested in me and such actions extending my bankruptcy by one year from 6 to 7 years (which is clearly wrong).Some patterns you might be interested in:1. I have written Letters Before Claim to 5 out of the 7 above debt collection agencies and none of them responded including Lowell (the others being Link Financial Ltd, TRACE Debt Collection Ltd, Gladstone's Solicitors and QDR Solicitors), meaning it's a strategy within the industry.2. Lowell, Lantern, NewDay Ltd (Aqua Card) claim that the debt was not included within my bankruptcy (though Lowell to their credit did close my account). In terms of bankruptcy, industry guidance SCOR document "Principles for the Reporting of Arrears, Arrangements and Defaults at Credit Reference Agencies" (which was produced in collaboration with the ICO) requires credit files for those declared bankrupt to show:1. No default or missed payment after bankruptcy is ordered 2. Once bankruptcy is discharged all these debts to be marked as settled or partially settled.3. Accounts to be marked closed.Lowell is refusing to do 1. in violation of the above SCOR document and GDPR (because I cannot be in default for a debt to which I am no longer liable - all assets and liabilities are vested in my bankruptcy trust managed by my Insolvency Service Trustee - this is basic bankruptcy law and clearly stated in Section 308 Insolvency Act 1986 - I don't believe Lowell is this stupid thus it's on purpose.)I think, although the actions of Lowell and others seem criminal to me, the penalty for acting the way they do is so trivial that they act with impunity safe in the knowledge that harassing people for money they don't owe will be highly profitable (but profits from the damaged, vulnerable, sick and disabled)So Lowell (and everyone who works for them) are corrupt, unethical and immoral, operating essentially an extortion racket. And they should be ashamed and one day these parasitic companies and those who invest in them will be held to account for their shameful behaviour. I will make sure of it.
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