Lowell Portfolio Debt Collection Agency

[Elanor]

Is vodafone sell deb to Lowell Portfolio Ltd beacuse I've get letter from them about my old Vodafone contracts?

[BandOfBrothers]

Hi

If Vodafone are unable to secure monies owed to them and they feel they have exhausted all avenues then yes they can and will pass a persons details and debt to a collection company. 

At that stage the debt will also have been reported onto a persons Credit File that will last 6 years which can affect applications for credit such as credit cards and loans and mortgages etc. 

Once the debt is paid then it would change from Outstanding to Settled on a persons credit file. 

Are you aware your Vodafone account/ Contract has fallen into arrears / unpaid bills ?

[Elanor]

The contract was signed about 5 years, I didn't get anything by post about outstanding balance or asking for payment. The letter from Lowell Portfolio is the first I recived.

[BandOfBrothers]

Ok. 

As a monthly contract does not end after its minimum term is reached but instead drops onto a 30 day rolling contract instead did you either...

Keep paying your bill. 

Or give the required 30 days notice to end the contract or alternatively use a Pac Code issued by Vodafone in order to move your number to a new network within 30 days of receiving the Pac Code off Vodafone. 

[AnnS]

Hi @Elanor

Quite sure Vodafone use this agency.

Before any debt is sold onto debt collectors, Vodafone would have tried to make contact by phone to the number in arrears.

As the debt is now out of Vodafone's hands and been sold onto a collection agency, this means the agency is handling the debt and you are going to need to liaise direct with the agency.

[Elanor]

And my last qestion:If I ring Vodafone customer service will they give me any information about my account for example: when was the last payment, outstanding balance or where the deb was sold to Lowell Portfolio?

[BandOfBrothers]

Yes your entitled to the information held in the notes on your account. 

For a £10 fee there is the Subject to Access report too > Link Subject to access.

If tbe debt is correct then I'd suggest to pay it off with the debt collection agency and request a receipt to confirm you've paid. 

Then in around 30 days check your Credit File to check it's changed from Outstanding to Settled if indeed there is a default on your Credit File. 

[AnnS]

Hi @Elanor

With the agency handling the debt, there is no reason for the agency being unable to give you this information.  They should know the final amount outstanding, when you made the last payment and the date they purchased the debt from Vodafone.

The important thing is to get the debt cleared, if you need a payment plan, this can be discussed with the agency.  As soon as you have paid this off, you  be in a position to get help and advise from credit reference agencies on rebuilding your credit rating.

[Elanor]

I think they have to first proof that i really owe that money not just asking for payment without giving any reason.

[BandOfBrothers]

Hi @Elanor

Are you disputing any monies are owed ?

If so my advice is still to make contact with the Debt Collection Agency to advise them of this. 

They then should cease any Recovery Process and pass your Account back to Vodafone U.K as a disputed case. 

You really should then Contact Vodafone U.K asap to have this investigated by Customer Service / Billing Department. 

However if the monies are owed then as I mentioned in my 1st reply if Vodafone feel they have exhausted all there means of recovery then they can and will pass the account to a Debt Collection Agency to take over.

The correspondence the Debt Collection Agency send to you should have enough information for a person to be aware which company this Debt was owed to and amount etc. 

Vodafone are not required to let an account holder know they have reported a Default onto their Credit File.