Night Monkey's diary

[Still Waving]

Two emails from PRA regarding the Barclaycard and MBNA accounts telling me that "PRA Group (UK) Limited recently transferred your account to PRA Group UK Portfolios Ltd."

Does anyone know if this is PRA just parking them, or them gearing up for further action? I suspect the former since one was the subject of failed court action and the other they have admitted to being UE.

Either way, I will not be following the link to FAQs.

Don't know the significance, but -


Pra Group UK Portfolios Ltd is an active company incorporated on 25 October 2023 with the registered office located in London, Greater London. Pra Group UK Portfolios Ltd has been running for 2 months. There are currently 3 active directors according to the latest confirmation statement submitted on 25th October 2023.

[Night Monkey]

Two emails from PRA regarding the Barclaycard and MBNA accounts telling me that "PRA Group (UK) Limited recently transferred your account to PRA Group UK Portfolios Ltd."

Does anyone know if this is PRA just parking them, or them gearing up for further action? I suspect the former since one was the subject of failed court action and the other they have admitted to being UE.

Either way, I will not be following the link to FAQs.

[Roger]

And the ClearScore changes are in. The existing HSBC current account defaults remain, one ~£4k and one ~£100 that I didn't bother to add to the diary. Lowell have added two credit cards, one ~£5.5k and one ~£3.5k. With a bit of cross-referencing with my 'time since defaults' spreadsheet I can see that the missing credit card has been added, and the overdraft has been duplicated as a credit card with a different default amount. There doesn't seem to be any reference to dates of default, and fwiw the credit 'score' remains the same, and apparently quite high when compared to the average.

It seems to me that all that's been achieved is a muddying of the waters as far as any debt chasing is concerned.

And Muddy waters is GOOD!
We know that CRA's objections etc.. Have been used in Court to prove acknowledgment of a Debt!
But these public entries work both ways especially if a Debt is clearly being misreported.

I watched my debts and took the worst case calculation of the Statute Bar Date!
Made up my mind that I would stay SILENT make notes and watch the CRA's read Diaries make personal notes.
Stay current!
Tactics have change over time and what I did at one time I would never do now!

[Night Monkey]

I had an email notification today from ClearScore that a 'credit agreement' was about to be added to my report - checking the account shows that two Lowell accounts are due to be added, both listed as a 'credit or store card'.

The HSBC accounts were last updated in April 2017, with no mention of the credit card atm. I'll update in a couple of days when the changes have happened.

And the ClearScore changes are in. The existing HSBC current account defaults remain, one ~£4k and one ~£100 that I didn't bother to add to the diary. Lowell have added two credit cards, one ~£5.5k and one ~£3.5k. With a bit of cross-referencing with my 'time since defaults' spreadsheet I can see that the missing credit card has been added, and the overdraft has been duplicated as a credit card with a different default amount. There doesn't seem to be any reference to dates of default, and fwiw the credit 'score' remains the same, and apparently quite high when compared to the average.

It seems to me that all that's been achieved is a muddying of the waters as far as any debt chasing is concerned.

[Roger]

Ain't that the truth. I tend to keep my eye on ClearScore, which is free and (I believe) sources its data from Equifax. I'm aware of one glaring omission that is reported elsewhere via Experian but I try not to overthink it. Whenever we're about to do something major (remortgage for a better rate, for example) we'll cast the net wider to see if anything is lurking elsewhere. Consistency doesn't seem too much to ask, but there we are.

Doing your homework which is very important! Well Done.

[Night Monkey]

One of the really confusing things with credit agencies is that not everyone reports to every credit agency...

Ain't that the truth. I tend to keep my eye on ClearScore, which is free and (I believe) sources its data from Equifax. I'm aware of one glaring omission that is reported elsewhere via Experian but I try not to overthink it. Whenever we're about to do something major (remortgage for a better rate, for example) we'll cast the net wider to see if anything is lurking elsewhere. Consistency doesn't seem too much to ask, but there we are.

[Pat]

I had an email notification today from ClearScore that a 'credit agreement' was about to be added to my report - checking the account shows that two Lowell accounts are due to be added, both listed as a 'credit or store card'.

The HSBC accounts were last updated in April 2017, with no mention of the credit card atm. I'll update in a couple of days when the changes have happened.

One of the really confusing things with credit agencies is that not everyone reports to every credit agency and some creditors do not always report- barclaycard for example only seem to report every three months or so and that is on a live account.

[Night Monkey]

I had an email notification today from ClearScore that a 'credit agreement' was about to be added to my report - checking the account shows that two Lowell accounts are due to be added, both listed as a 'credit or store card'.

The HSBC accounts were last updated in April 2017, with no mention of the credit card atm. I'll update in a couple of days when the changes have happened.

[Night Monkey]

...of course Iron Mountain storage facility disaster for many banks etc.

Plenty to look forward to then

[The Tech Clerk]

Fair point, I'll give it until next month & then send it. I would like to see what HSBC actually still have, these counts hail from the '90s.

most HSBC 90s and pre are from other banks before acquisition, and midland bank etc had a white one piece form for application? & of course Iron Mountain storage facility disaster for many banks etc.

[Night Monkey]

I think I would be inclined to let the dust settle a bit, to ensure their systems are updated. In any case, in all probability Lowell have bought a job lot of accounts from HSBC, and there won't be any specific conversations to discover.

Fair point, I'll give it until next month & then send it. I would like to see what HSBC actually still have, these accounts hail from the '90s.

[Still Waving]

I think I would be inclined to let the dust settle a bit, to ensure their systems are updated. In any case, in all probability Lowell have bought a job lot of accounts from HSBC, and there won't be any specific conversations to discover.

[Night Monkey]

Why Lowell ?

That's a very good question - now would be the perfect time to GDPR HSBC to capture whatever they have & any conversations with Lowell. I had an unformed thought that if I was going to GDPR HSBC then I'd have done it years ago, when I've actually been waiting for them to sell the accounts on before doing it.

I'll recycle the one I sent to MBNA in 2020, unless it's been updated since then.

Any thoughts on reasons why I shouldn't send it just yet?

[Still Waving]

I await Lowell's contact with interest, which I will studiously ignore. In the meantime I'm minded to GDPR Lowell, does anybody have thoughts on this, or the best timing?

Why Lowell ?

[Night Monkey]

Strange goings on with two HSBC accounts, one current and one credit card. A ClearScore flag a couple of days ago alerted me to the fact that the credit card account was being removed from the file, and today I get two envelopes with one letter from HSBC and one from Lowell in each telling me that the accounts had been sold on.

As to the detail, the HSBC letter says that the accounts have been sold to Lowell Portfolio I Ltd ('LPI') who have appointed Lowell Financial Ltd ('Lowell') to manage them. There are the usual smatterings of the 'contact us, we can help' blurb.

The £108 HSBC account which appears on the credit file that I haven't diaried appears to not exist as far as HSBC are concerned and is not included in these shenanigans.

I await Lowell's contact with interest, which I will studiously ignore. In the meantime I'm minded to GDPR Lowell, does anybody have thoughts on this, or the best timing?