Questions of Cash: The ghost in the house and another case of Lowell Financial chasing a mystery debt

What to do when you don't get the hire car you've booked or when you're charged after ending a mobile contract

Like the Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida, a reader had too many cases for the hire car (Getty Images)

Q. I saw the letters from AT, London (Questions of Cash, 5 September) and TB, Carmarthen (24 October) about Lowell Financial. I have had the same problem.

In February 2013 my husband and I received a letter from the firm with the correct address and surname, but an incorrect first name. It claimed this person had an outstanding debt to O2 of £778.50. My husband phoned Lowell to explain that this person was not known to us and had never lived at this address. He was told that our address would be removed from the link to this debt.

I phoned Lowell a few days later seeking reassurance our address had been removed, but I was told it could give me no more information because of the Data Protection Act.

In June this year we received an identical letter – same name, same address, same debt; so much for its previous reassurance. I again phoned Lowell to explain that no one of that name lived, or had ever lived, at our address. We bought the house as a new-build and have lived here for over 50 years.

I was told to check my credit rating with Experian. This I did and found no problems. I phoned Lowell again and was told to check the electoral roll, which I did and again found no problems.

Lowell told me it gets its information from public listings, but could not tell me which listings it got this incorrect information from. JT, Wales

A. Lowell accepts it made an error, has apologised and sent you a £50 cheque as a gesture of goodwill. A spokeswoman for the firm said: “Information provided by a credit reference agency led us to believe that our customer lived at [the reader’s] address. Following contact by [the reader’s husband], who confirmed that this was not the case, we updated our files and this should have been the end of the story.

“Unfortunately, an error by one of our team resulted in a further letter being sent in June to the address. Additional training has been provided and a letter of apology is on its way.”

Lowell said it contacted you on the basis of information supplied by Experian. A spokesman for the agency said there was no link shown on its records between the person who owes money to O2 and you and your husband.

“So if there were financial information recorded at your address in her name, it would not impact your credit rating; it would be invisible to lenders assessing any application you made,” he explained.

“Second, there is actually no financial information registered at your address in this woman’s name either.”

However, two organisations have looked for the debtor at your address in the past. Experian is now contacting them to determine if this information can now be deleted. The spokesman added: “While the information could not impact your credit rating, its existence might be seen by any other firm looking for the same person as evidence of a link to your address – so I think it is important that we query the data’s accuracy.”

Q. My family and I went on holiday to Menorca in August. We flew by Jet2.com and booked a car at the same time as our flights. With four of us travelling, I needed to make sure that the vehicle would have capacity to carry four people and four suitcases.

The cars were grouped into different classes by size and luggage capacity. The website gave examples of the types of car you would get, but did not promise the exact model. The classes were “economy”, shown as suitable for two suitcases; “compact” – three cases; and “intermediate” – four cases. I paid for an intermediate car, the example being a Seat Toledo. In the end we took just three suitcases.

When we arrived we were given a Volvo V40 – a lovely car but only a small family hatchback that would take just two cases. We had to place the third suitcase on the back seat, squashed between my two daughters. If we had taken four items of baggage, the situation would have been impossible.

The hire company said it didn’t have the type of car I had booked and this was the best it could do.

I contacted Jet2.com afterwards to complain. Eventually I received an email from a car-hire broker saying we had the type of car we booked so were not entitled to a refund. MB, by email

A. We contacted Jet2.com, which has arranged for the car-hire broker to provide a refund of £72.11, representing the difference in cost between the car you booked and the one provided. It apologised for the inconvenience.

Q. I had a monthly contract with O2 for a mobile that we never used. I cancelled it in October – after the minimum period – and changed to a pay-as-you-go account.

In error, O2 took £93.99 from my account in October, which it thought was due as an early-cancellation charge. I contacted the company, which accepted the charge was a mistake and promised a refund within 10 days. I have not received this.

O2 said it paid £104.06 into my account on 11 November, but it is not showing. KY, by email

A. Apparently the payment was shown on O2’s system as having been refunded, but it was not actually processed. A spokesman apologised, adding: “As a gesture of goodwill, we’ve added £50 to the sum owed.”

You have now received a payment of £154.06.