Me v GE Capital Bank

[zara_goza]

Ok this is my turn to start to get PPIs to get refunded. I started with the ones that are most painful. I am writting to GE for two store cards that I got one with River Island and the other with Debehams.

I had just realised that since I opened the account I have been paying for the this kind of insurance thinking it was normal. Considering that this get charge depending how much you own and that the APR in the Debenhams card is insulting, I think I have been taken by a ride without knowing.

i took the two store cards in their shops, and they were sold to me by Sales Assistance and I believe they probably don't have a clue what they are selling as they probably got commision about this. Anyway I didn't know this insurance was optional, and I didn't know you could use this kind of policy if you are made redundant and so on. Actually I was made redundant and obviously I didn't claim because I didn't know for what was this PPI for.

So I have sent two separate letters asking them for the full refund plus interest for being mis-sold to me on the basis, that They were added into my account without any explanation there and then, I was not given an option or explain what it was cover and what it wasn't cover, because they were sold to me by a sales assistant with not FSA training, apart of that I know that GE have been fined previously about this PPI tactics before so I did mention this in my two letters.

My questions is the following...Does anyone know how long they take to deal with this in GE?

Thanks,

Julia

I'm thinking in get next Mint Card and Barclay card for this same issue. Also I did have a loan with Smile, and I'm sure I was put a PPI on it, but I didn;t even knew about it was paid off...

[hellhasnofury]

Originally Posted by zara_goza

Ok this is my turn to start to get PPIs to get refunded. I started with the ones that are most painful. I am writting to GE for two store cards that I got one with River Island and the other with Debehams.

I had just realised that since I opened the account I have been paying for the this kind of insurance thinking it was normal. Considering that this get charge depending how much you own and that the APR in the Debenhams card is insulting, I think I have been taken by a ride without knowing.

i took the two store cards in their shops, and they were sold to me by Sales Assistance and I believe they probably don't have a clue what they are selling as they probably got commision about this. Anyway I didn't know this insurance was optional, and I didn't know you could use this kind of policy if you are made redundant and so on. Actually I was made redundant and obviously I didn't claim because I didn't know for what was this PPI for.

So I have sent two separate letters asking them for the full refund plus interest for being mis-sold to me on the basis, that They were added into my account without any explanation there and then, I was not given an option or explain what it was cover and what it wasn't cover, because they were sold to me by a sales assistant with not FSA training, apart of that I know that GE have been fined previously about this PPI tactics before so I did mention this in my two letters.

My questions is the following...Does anyone know how long they take to deal with this in GE?

Thanks,

Julia

I'm thinking in get next Mint Card and Barclay card for this same issue. Also I did have a loan with Smile, and I'm sure I was put a PPI on it, but I didn;t even knew about it was paid off...

Hello Julia,

You could say how long is a piece of string. It would appear that most companies including GE will drag it out, hoping that you will get frustrated and go away.

Be prepared to have a bit of a fight, because they really do not like to give you your money back. Read around the threads, there are a few on GE.

As for your Mint claim. Send them a full S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) one in the stickies and get the information that you need.

Good luck and keep us posted and if you need help just ask

[lilal]

hey hell that,s easy twice as long from the middle at each end .however you are right about ge tho .keep at em

[zara_goza]

Originally Posted by hellhasnofury

Hello Julia,

You could say how long is a piece of string. It would appear that most companies including GE will drag it out, hoping that you will get frustrated and go away.

Be prepared to have a bit of a fight, because they really do not like to give you your money back. Read around the threads, there are a few on GE.

As for your Mint claim. Send them a full S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) one in the stickies and get the information that you need.

Good luck and keep us posted and if you need help just ask

Thank you a lot for your help. I thought all this was over after of claiming my bank charges back, but now it seems the other tactic to get people into waste their money with this little insurance tricks. I don't know what I've done without this website, as I'm trying to sorting out my finances and thanks to all the people around this forum I found more information about how the UK banks work. They don't have any scruples. Being young and foreign don;t help you a lot.

I think I should have sent a letter for request a full S.A.R, but after of realising of the amount of money I have lost I was so upset that I went straigh for the jugular with GE. This is a copy of the letter that I sent them which I got from the Money Saving Expert Website:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I purchased the above policy years ago but now believe that I was miss-sold this policy due to the fact that you have been fined by the FSA for failing to treat your customers fairly when selling Payment Protection Insurance and I do not believe that my policy was sold in my best interests.

Furthermore, I was not given the correct information when the policy was sold to me, as your salesperson did not tell me that the policy was optional and I have since realised that I have alternative insurance cover. Your salesperson did not give me full information on what the policy would and would not cover.

In addition, I am concerned the sales assistant in the Beauty Dept of one of the branches of Debenhams, that sold me the policy has no financial background and the policy was not sold in my best interests and having recently looked at the paperwork for my store card I now realise that I have been paying for insurance that I did not know I had taken out so could not have been explained to me.

Unless you can satisfactorily justify to me that the policy was fair and reasonable I am requesting a full refund of all premiums, and subsequent interest on these payments, that I have paid to date. As I believe I have been deprived of this money I also expect 8% statutory interest, the amount a court would award, to be added to each payment made.

I look forward to a full and prompt response to this letter and for the matter to be concluded within eight weeks or I shall be contacting the Financial Ombudsman to investigate my complaint.

Yours faithfully,

I sent a separate letter for the River Island Card too with similar wording. I will open a new threath for the Mint Card, this one I've been trying to cancel the policy and still they have not done it. So I'll send the S.A.R to start the process, the same I'll do with Barclays, Smile and my old HSBC mastercard (This is went I was student), although this was in 2000-2001 so I'm not sure how to go around that one yet. I guess I'll have to get all the statements and so on first.

I really hope the people of this forum help me out with the wording and letter as my written English is not very good, and more when you have to write formal letters to be taken seriously by these kind of cowboys. I'm fed up of being taken for a ride.

[msowing]

Hi Julia,
Im in same boat with GE for an Evans store card. Going after them for mis sold ppi, shop assistant didnt have a clue just said sign there naively I did even thou I was not in employment at time.

Good Luck.

Caz

[zara_goza]

Originally Posted by msowing

Hi Julia,
Im in same boat with GE for an Evans store card. Going after them for mis sold ppi, shop assistant didnt have a clue just said sign there naively I did even thou I was not in employment at time.

Good Luck.

Caz

I'll keep you post with this after of re-checking the APR in the Debehams card and the one in River Island. Now I wonder how they make their money....

Good luck to you too.

[zara_goza]

I got letters from GE Money, both letters the same one for the Debenhams card and the other for the River Island card, they are they startard letter which says:

Dear XXXXx,

Thank you for your letter on 14 February 2008.

We always try to provide the very best level of service possible and I am sorry you are unhappy with the service provided on this occasion.

The concers you raised are currently being investigated and a response will be forwarded to you within 4 weeks from the date we received your complaint.

Should you require any further information in the interim, please contact a member of my team on the number below.

A copy of our Complaints Handling Procedure is enclosed for your information.

Yours Sincerely,

Ruth Ritchie
Customer Complaints Resolution Team
0870 125 2545

Then I got a copy of their Complaint Procedure and other copy of the contact numbers and the Financial Ombudsman.

They give the following address from their Complaint Resolution Team

GE Money
Capital House Unit A
Bruntcliffe Way
Morley
Leeds
LS27 0JG

FAX: 0113 240 4801

[stroke a badger]

Zara,
GE Money are a Nightmare!!

I'm in the final stages of completing the POC claiming back over £5k in missold PPI on behalf of my wife. The claim relates to an old Debenhams store card account opened mid 1990's (I don't want to give the exact year - the spies are watching!).

When Mrs Badger opened the account In our local Debenhams the form was completed by hand (this was 1990!) then the information was given to GE Money over the phone for authorisation. I did however notice that the PPI field on the application form provided by GE Money looks to be pre-selected, therefore I can not see how they can claim that the policy was optional.

Keep us Informed on how you get on

[PGH7447]

Subscribing - Got abone to pick with GE money/Debenhams re PPI

PGH7447

[hellhasnofury]

Originally Posted by zara_goza

I got letters from GE Money, both letters the same one for the Debenhams card and the other for the River Island card, they are they startard letter which says:

Dear XXXXx,

Thank you for your letter on 14 February 2008.

We always try to provide the very best level of service possible and I am sorry you are unhappy with the service provided on this occasion.

The concers you raised are currently being investigated and a response will be forwarded to you within 4 weeks from the date we received your complaint.

Should you require any further information in the interim, please contact a member of my team on the number below.

A copy of our Complaints Handling Procedure is enclosed for your information.

Yours Sincerely,

Ruth Ritchie
Customer Complaints Resolution Team
0870 125 2545

Then I got a copy of their Complaint Procedure and other copy of the contact numbers and the Financial Ombudsman.

They give the following address from their Complaint Resolution Team

GE Money
Capital House Unit A
Bruntcliffe Way
Morley
Leeds
LS27 0JG

FAX: 0113 240 4801

Hello

These are just standard template letters informing you that they are going to drag the complaint on for as long as they can

Stick to your deadlines, not their as you will wait for ever and ever.

[zara_goza]

Thank you guys for the help. I know they are going to trying to drag this as much as they can but I'm fed up and this time it's pay back. I also got my card done by a lady in their beauty dept, and I don't even remember the year, what I know it's that she keep mentioning the 10% extra off if I opened an account, she filled the paperwork for me there and then and she contact whoever was over the phone to give the approval, no mention what's or ever about the PPI or the APR or nothing really. Me being young and naive dind't ask about anything else, gave my bank detals for the DD to go through and forgot abotu it. I was never send papaerwork for the PPI and I thought the Payment Protection was part of the deal as standard... The other card kind of similar and more or less on the same time than the other.....

I'll stick to my guns and times. It seems since the people are getting more aware of their nasty practises and are bombarded with complaints these people are dragging as much as they can't. I actually mentioned in my letter 3 or 4 reasons was it was mis-sold to me the PPI. And I pointed out that the FSA fined them because of this.

If they don't answer in my time scale I'll have to pressure them in other ways.

My only problem is that I don;t keep any of the old statements, I lost them or shredded ages ago, so I don;t know how to calculate what they owe me. I'm going to have to send them a S.A.R letter I guess...

[hellhasnofury]

Full S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) for ppi

Today

[zara_goza]

Originally Posted by hellhasnofury

Full S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) for ppi

Today

Thanks, that was quick...

[zara_goza]

Bad news, I got What I think is a stardard letter from GE Money for the Debenhams card, which says:

Thank you for your letter dated xxxxxx 2008. I understand that you complaint is regarding Account Cover Insurance.

Having checked your account details, I can confirm Account Cover Insurance consisting of price, payment and purchase protection was added on the xxxxx 2001, when we received your signed credit agreement and opened your account.I have enclosed a copy for your information. (Yes it was signed where the lady put the X on, but was not explained to me at all I didn't notice one of the signatures was for insurance)

I have considered the points set out in your letter and I have detailed below our response to each of the points that you raised:

I appreciate that due to recent press regarding insurance regulations and GE Money being fined by the FSA you feel that you may have been mis-sold Account Cover Insurance. The FSA fine, and the asociated media coverage, however relates to policies purchase after the 14th January 2005 when the FSA's ICOB regulations came into force. As set out above, I note that your policy was set up on xxxxx 2001. As this was prior to January 2005, the FSA's decision is not relevant, but all complaints alleging that insurance may have been mis-sold are taken very seriously and I have therefore fully investigated all aspects of your complaint. (Surely it they were fined was because this practises have been going on for long)

I note that you say that you were not told that the policy was optional when it was taken out on xxxxxxx 2001 but also note that the process that we had in place was to make clear that it was not compulsory. I can confirm that on the agreement you signed it asked you to sign if you required the Account Cover, which you did. There fore it appears that it was made clear that the policy was optional and that you elected to take out the insurance. Once a customer has decided to take the product, a policy summary and policy document is mailed to the customer for their review. We also offer a 30-day no-quibble guarantee where the product may be cancelled, and any premiums refunded (subject to no claim being made). This allows time to compare the policy to that of any other insurance companies. (I don't remember receiving paperwork for the insurance bit only for the card, if I knew what I have that insurance I have used when I was made redundant)

In relation to your reference to the sale process, there was no requirement upon us to record the sales process and so we have no way of knowing what took place on xxxxxxx 2001. However, if any matters that you suggest took place, you would have been able to call at any time in the first 30 days and we would have removed the insurance from your account. (Well if I have noticed the insurance I may have phoned it)

Since you opened your account, the insurance has been clearly shown on your statements, when a balance has been outstanding, and could have cancelled or a claim made at any time. in addition the policy was upgraded on XXXX 2003, when new policy documents would have been sent to you. (As I said I thought it was part of the account, not something that was optional, also never received the PPI documents yet again)

I can find no evidence of mis-selling the insurance; therefore I am unable to refund the premiums applied to your account.

In your letter you do not request to cancel the insurance, however, in light of your concerns the insurance cover has now been cancelled. As such, you will no longer be able to make any claim on this insurance and will lose the payment, price and product protection that this insurance afforded you. If you want to preserve the ability to make a claim, please call 0870 124 2412 abd we will reinstante the insurance. (Like if I am going to do that)

I trust that I have addressed all the concerns you raised. If you remain dissatified with our response you may refer the complaint to the Finance Leasing Association. Their contact details are:

FLA
Imperial House
15-19 Kingsway
London
WC2B 6UN
02074209661

(So they don't take any responsability and wash their hands sending me to other place to deal with it)

Should you require any further information, please contact me on my number below (Like if I am going to phone them to a premium rate number)

0870 125 25 45

What should I do next?

Funny enough I have not yet received the same letter for my other account with them....

[msowing]

Hi Zara Goza

I had the same letter from GE Money for my Evans Card. They did add bit at the end of my etter it was up to me to provide evidence I wasnt working

Just replied back to them saying like you 'just told to sign, never received any paperwork regarding the insurance and that you could cancel, basically didnt know it was insurance just part of account', and it is not up to me to provide evidence I wasnt working it was up to them to prove it was not mis sold.

Dont give up (im not) keep at them till the very end.

Caz