Night Monkey's diary

[Night Monkey]

Things warming up a touch, an email from PRA today (total outstanding acording to them around £8500) basically suggesting I visit their website:

Here’s what’s new:
• How we may use your information to send offers or support for your financial journey (marketing)
• Which sources we may get your data from, and who we might share it with
• Clear explanations of when automated decisions do (and don’t) apply to your account
• A new, simpler layout

There's also lots of help and information available, apparently. I suspect logging on might be an arument to restart SB, so alas the site remains unvisited by me.

[Night Monkey]

I just updated my diaries & noticed the amount of letters I've received over the years, so I've done a back-of the-envelope cost approximation.

According to ChatGPT the cost of sending a business letter in the UK is between £2.15 & £3.50, depending on class, office efficiency etc. Let's say £2.50 as a starting point. I've received in the order of 250 letters from various agencies over the years so in very round, finger in the air figures they've spent around £625 chasing me.

Small victories, but I do like to think of them burning money.

[stuckinarut]

Today I received a letter from Lowell listing both alleged HSBC debts, the credit card and the overdraft, informing me that they have been returned to them by their debt recovery partners. Apparently I now need to get in touch with them to set up a payment plan.

I'm unsure whether this is just the normal grind of events or whether they're preparing their ground for a final assault as SB nears, now about six months away.

We'll see.

Not long to go now then hang tight soon be over

[Night Monkey]

Today I received a letter from Lowell listing both alleged HSBC debts, the credit card and the overdraft, informing me that they have been returned to them by their debt recovery partners. Apparently I now need to get in touch with them to set up a payment plan.

I'm unsure whether this is just the normal grind of events or whether they're preparing their ground for a final assault as SB nears, now about six months away.

We'll see.

[Sparkles]

Thanks for the update, it's good to see how people are getting on. It's surprising how quickly the time goes, it don't seem like that log ago that I was requesting CCAs but I'm now half way to being statute barred on some of my alleged debts.

[stuckinarut]

Super stuff, next 12 months will fly past

[Night Monkey]

Night Monkey's Fifth Annual Report

We're now coming up to five years since we stopped all payments on our alleged debts, so in what is now an annual event here's a summary of where each account is in a single post. Feel free to ignore this information, I like to do it as it keeps the situation clear for me and also emphasises how quickly the year rolls around...

MBNA
Last full payment early 2018, defaulted October 2018
Payments to StepChange stopped in March ’20.
Standard letters and texts continue, all ignored.
Current owner - PRA Group UK Portfolios Ltd.
Last update was an internal transfer of ownership.
Current status UE since 'varied T&Cs are unavailable.'

• No change on this one

Barclaycard
Last full payment early 2018, and defaulted in August 2018.
Payments to StepChange stopped in March ’20.
Current owner - PRA Group UK Portfolios Ltd.
Current status closed due to failed legal action by PRA.

• Again, no change

Santander
Last full payment early 2018, not appearing on credit reports for some reason.
Payments to StepChange stopped in March ’20.
Current owner - Santander
The last contact was from drydensfairfax was in February '21. Since then statements and a transfer to ‘Financial Support’, together with a random refund (to the account) of £12.
Current status UE since a CCA was supplied but it’s a random one not specific to me, with no signature.

• No change bar the odd statement

HSBC credit card
Last full payment early 2018, and defaulted in October 2018.
Payments to StepChange stopped in March ’20.
Account sold to Lowell Portfolio I Ltd in May ’23.
Account remains UE pending production of requested CCA. Lowell seem to have pulled back from threatened legal action but continue to annoy with requests for payment.

HSBC overdraft
Last full payment early 2018, and defaulted in February 2019.
Payments to StepChange stopped in March ’20.
Account sold to Lowell Portfolio I Ltd in May ’23, periodic ‘chasing’ letters received.
Currently UE pending production of the requested CCA.

• Routine begging letters received throughout the year

All the defaults are now more than six years old (yay!), and no longer show on credit reports. One more year of the six-year UE journey remaining, and there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I’m expecting a flurry of activity as we approach SB, but I can’t say I’m concerned. Bring it on…

[Night Monkey]

And they're gone - 'You have no defaults or repossessions on your report'.

That makes a nice change .

[Night Monkey]

Today the youngest alleged debt reached the ripe old age of six years (from default), so should soon be dropping off the credit agency files. Which will probably result in another credit score tumble .

[Night Monkey]

Happy New Year, everyone.

Nothing bar generic letters and texts recently, although I expect that to change once we get within shouting distance of SB, which is currently a year and a bit away. However, I do have a brief snippet to discuss which I think sheds light on what I would regard as the almost (?) perverse world view of the debt industry.

We have recently been in the fortunate position to be able to finally pay off our mortgage, which is obviously a huge life milestone - we've been paying one for thirty five years after all. All thanks to my wife's pension lump sum, so it's nice to know that there's there's something we did right when it came to money.

As a result I've been watching my credit file with interest, waiting for that debt to be flagged as paid, which it duly was. And what do you know, my credit score took a massive hit with the attendant advice that 'a secured loan positively impacts your credit score'.

Now I don't normally put much stock in the 'score', but I would have though common sense dictates that paying a loan is a positive, who knew it would be a Bad Thing?

[Night Monkey]

Hopefully the next 3/4 months will fly past, and all dropped off

That's the next milestone, then all being well a quick sprint to SB in March '26. How time flies .

[stuckinarut]

Hopefully the next 3/4 months will fly past, and all dropped off

[Night Monkey]

The slightest of updates.

All bar the HSBC overdraft have now dropped off my credit file, this being the most recently defaulted in February 2019 so hopefully only three months or so until this one goes too. Annoyingly it appears twice (with differing amounts), last updated by HSBC in April '19 and by Lowell in July '23. I'm not minded to address the double entry given that time should sort it out soon enough, and I don't want to risk restarting the SB clock.

Other than that, all's quiet.

[Roger]

At this point in time Lowells are up a gum tree aren't they!
The Truth is simple Sold Whilst in Dispute ie HSBC had failure to respond to the S.78 (they received that request and sent back the statutary monies (sic Postal Order) doesn't matter whether the letter was hand written or otherwise it came from HSBC)
The DSAR no CCA
Overdales might not have been sent a Statutary S.78 (because of the missing £1) . At one time we would have sent the Sold Whilst In Dispute to Lowell.
But you have the evidence! Keep this very safe!

[Dottir]

Night Monkey

As I am sure you know Overdales are being a tad disingenuous here. They are part of Lowells. Well to be exact the people who own Lowell also own them. They pretend to be a third party but I think we all know they are not.

It used to be Lowell Solicitors but they ceased practicing 31st March 2024

Just for further reference they used to be called Lucas credit services