Great Universal Handbag Cover & Account Cover

[apn8keh]

Hi Guys,

Bit of advice wanted please following conversation with my mum. She was sold Handbag Cover by someone calling from Great Universal on the day she came out of hospital following an eye operation. She doesn't know what the cover is for & said she pleaded with them to stop calling her to sell her things. Anyhow, next statement came through £29.99 charged. When she called to cancel it saying she hadn't signed they said she made a verbal agreement & only had 10 days to cancel.

Also, they have recently added account cover back onto her account under a different guise. A few months a go I realised she was paying PPI & told her to cancel which she did. She said they called again to say that they had an account cover that suited her. She would have been paying PPI for over 10 years and she was definately unemployed during some of this period. When she was employed she only works 5 hours per week, I wouldn't have thought she would be covered by PPI for this? Was thinking of clearing the balance in full, closing the acount & then writing to request a refund. Is this the right order to do things? Do I need to get proof she was unemployed? Any help much appreciated.

[Sparklez30]

Theres nothing to stop you making a claim whilst money is still owed on the account.

What on earth is Handbag cover?? ALso am I right in thinking she cancelled the PPI then they phoned her and sold her the same insurance under a different name soon after? That would be very devious if so!

I'm affraid I don't know enough to offer much advise but I'm sure someone wiser will be along soon

[apn8keh]

Thanks for the reply Sparklez30

The handbag cover is provided by 08000 HelpMe which must be linked to Great Universal as they charged it to her statement. I spoke to someone to complain that they pressured her & sold her something she doesn't need. They cancel your mobile, credit cards & sort your passport. She has old pay as you go phone, no credit or debit cards & has never been abroad ever! I'm just writing a letter asking them to refund the fee. If they don't I want a copy of the phone transcript as it will be incriminating that they were overly forceful. If they say they don't have it I can suggest they have no proof that she entered the agreement so will threaten the FS Ombudsman.

Regarding the PPI they are slippery buggers. I told her to cancel it which she did as she only works 5 hours a week. If you look up the terms of there current policy it says if you don't work 16 hours we will pay one third your monthly bill if you spend 5 nights in hospital! Wow so generous! I'm sure this is how they get round selling it to people who don't work. Con is the premium isn't a fraction of the full price considering they only provide a fraction of cover. Have cleared the balance but not closed the account & am going to send S.A.R.

[Sparklez30]

Sounds like a good idea to me. The handbag cover sounds horrendously expensive for what it offers! Sounds even worse than PPI!

Let us know how you get on

[apn8keh]

Hi Guys,

Just a quick update. I think Mum got the £29.95 refunded in to her catalogue account for the Handbag Cover within a week of me sending the letter. I say I think as I haven't seen a statement & the letter seemed a bit confused saying they wouldn't take the premium & they had refunded it!

Anyhow, regarding the Great Universal PPI the letter was sent early May. We have received no acknowledgement that they had received the letter & they cashed the £10 cheque 27th May. To date I still have received nothing. Do you think I should kick up a bit of a stink to them that to add insult to injury when querying unjust payments that they have taken £10 & provided me with nothing. Should I remind them that I am within my rights to report them to the Information Commisioner? As regards sending them a Letter Before Action, the amount in dispute is only £50ish. Surely, it will cost more than that to go to the small claims court. Am I not able to write to the Financial Services Ombudsman & ask them to resolve this case?

Thanks

[alanalana]

hello apn8keh,

Anyhow, regarding the Great Universal PPI the letter was sent early May. We have received no acknowledgement that they had received the letter & they cashed the £10 cheque 27th May. To date I still have received nothing. Do you think I should kick up a bit of a stink to them that to add insult to injury when querying unjust payments that they have taken £10 & provided me with nothing. Should I remind them that I am within my rights to report them to the Information Commisioner? As regards sending them a Letter Before Action, the amount in dispute is only £50ish. Surely, it will cost more than that to go to the small claims court. Am I not able to write to the Financial Services Ombudsman & ask them to resolve this case?

They have legally 40 days to supply the data requested under the terms of the S.A.R - (Subject Access Request), check on the date of your letter or use the date of the Cheque date work out the 40 days and then either submit a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (Ombudsman) or issue a Letter Before Action and go down the Court route. If you go FOS first and the complaint is upheld then bingo If the complaint is not upheld then you can proceed down the Court route (you cannot do it the other way round) If you go to Court and lose it is most unlikely the FOS would look at your case.


Hope this helps

aa