Privacy Guard - LLoyds TSB scam

[rafael]

If you bank with Lloyds TSB watch that they do not nobble you with Privacy Guard - it pretends to be a service to protect your private data but it really gives you sod all! My wife found a demand for 7 quid a month and realised that when she signed up for her Lloyds TSB credit card she had forgotten to uncheck a little box. I sorted it for her and now she does not owe them a penny.

 

Anyway - watch out!

[Conniff]

It is totally unfair to make someone 'opt out' instead of 'opt in'.

 

You have to watch this with a myriad of companies - as you say, a big con.

[buzby]

It's all about customer 'protection', there IS a box, but the customer should never assume, but read and understand what they are letting themselves in for, so only then can they weigh up the need and any requirement for this service is is basically an insurance bolt-on. (And pays for the extra work if a claim is made). either way, it's still an expensive service and I agree it is not worth the cost. As for it being an opt in and not an opt out, this is playing into their hands, as if you can;t be bothered to read the application, then that could well by the type of person who would be careless with their card and NEED the protection!

[2Grumpy]

My son has just discovered that he has had this since around January / February. He has no recollection of asking for it. He doesn't have a credit card from them (I hope:eek:) and has discovered that his £160 of charges this month (yes £160) is from multiple attempts at collection and over limit charges because of this alone.

 

Thieving *******s

 

I'm going to try to help him recover the money tomorrow. Any suggestions welcome.

 

Grumpy

[2Grumpy]

It's all about customer 'protection', there IS a box, but the customer should never assume, but read and understand what they are letting themselves in for, so only then can they weigh up the need and any requirement for this service is is basically an insurance bolt-on. (And pays for the extra work if a claim is made). either way, it's still an expensive service and I agree it is not worth the cost. As for it being an opt in and not an opt out, this is playing into their hands, as if you can;t be bothered to read the application, then that could well by the type of person who would be careless with their card and NEED the protection!

 

Maybe so but you should ask for it if you want it.

 

This looks like an unsolicited service.

 

grumpy Grumpy

[buzby]

'Unsolicited service'? When that that ever been (a) illegal and (b) contract law covers this nicely, if it is stipulated either by direct request of a tick, or an omission of a tick in the relevant box, the meaning implies is held to be true. Therefore, it HAS been solicited, and the the customer agreed to it by signing for it.

 

Now, I accept this sucks, but we have to remember to trust nobody, and just because you didn't really want it, doesn't excuse the customer from actually ordering it, even if they were in error.

[2Grumpy]

It seems like an unfair business practice to me

 

Despite whatever else is said about the banks, one expects them to be above reproach, not putting opt outs for other services into contracts.

[buzby]

Offering customer protection is unfair? Or offering it in a way that makes it an opt-out is unfair? If the latter, then since the customer is allowed to opt out it is hardly unfair. If you're really saying the customer is disadvantaged because they're too fickle to read what their obligations are, then surely there is only one person to blame here?

 

As for banks if you expect them to be 'above reproach', then why do they insist in squealing to the CRAs about you being naughty? There is no honour in the financial sector any more, and I'd lump them in with double glazing and timeshare sellers... just see the list of complaints on CAG about them.

[2Grumpy]

Well I went to Lloyds today to try & sort it out. LTSB said nothing to do with them, contact PrivacyGuard. I got the reference no off the direct debit & a phone number.

I phoned PrivacyGuard. Apparently Lloyds telemarketting sold it to my son on 6/12/07, started 26/12/07. No record of him accessing the account afterwards or getting his credit reference. Son says he didn't receive the call or receive anything in the post afterwards.

 

They will get the phone call listened to by their customer services. Apparently Lloyds will have a copy & will send it to PG.

 

Interestingly the PrivacyGuard people answer the phone as LloydsTSB, but they aren't.

 

On the Affinion International website (they are the ones who own it) they say that id theft costs the uk the equivalent of £35 per person per annum - but they charge £84 pa for this. That's a tidy profit!

[2Grumpy]

Thinking about this, my son might have a chance under the sale of goods act - the service sold by the bank has not been supplied.

 

My son didn't receive anything, not even details of how to look at his credit report. They should have sent something - or were they hoping that he would forget all about this and just take his money?

 

Has anyone got Privacy Guard and know how it works, what you get etc?

[abhigreen]

Unfortunately, I ended up losing about £50 due to lousy Lloyds TSB practices. Theirs entire operations are geared towards cheating their customers. Here is my official compliant.

*****************************************************

Dear Sir/Madam

 

I am furious at the way I have been literally duped by Lloyds TSB with my credit card account. I have faced recurring problems with Privacy Guard and then again with Payment protection and have lost almost £50 which I have been surreptitiously and incorrectly charged.

 

Privacy Guard - I took up the Privacy Guard facility based on a cross-sell that it was going to cost me £1 for the first month and that I would get my credit report from Privacy Guard. I was unable to get my credit report in spite of trying thrice. Subsequently I called up before the 1 month period to cancel my account. However, due to appalling processes, the cancellation was not registered in their systems. I was subsequently charged for the next month and had to call up again to cancel the service (not surprisingly, they didn't have any records of my previous call).

 

Payment Protection - I signed up to this when I visited York branch (Pavement) for some other banking needs. I clearly remember being rushed into this, and more importantly not being told anything about any monthly charge (my wife, who is an Accountant, was with me at the time and for a change, agrees with me on this one). I was not explained at all that this is actually an insurance for which I need to pay a monthly premium.

 

When I called up Lloyds TSB, it was made as my fault that I did not read the documentation that was sent later. That may be the case, but the advisor in the bank should have explained the main terms and conditions clearly to me, which he didn’t. The documentation is written obviously not to be read; else it would be simple, summarized and intelligibly show the charges with examples. It may be my fault that I did not read the documentation, but I have no doubt in my mind that I was misguided when I was sold the scheme and that the cost implications were not explained at all.

 

I think on both cases Lloyds TSB has used unscrupulous means to sell new schemes to an unsuspecting and gullible customer like me. I am hugely disappointed and angry at having being cheated by your bank.

 

I will be moving my credit card account soon to somewhere else and subsequently do the same with all my accounts with Lloyds TSB – current as well as online saver

******************************************************

[gyzmo]

I have been offered this by my bank.

 

My mother works in a "special" school - basically one for those with learning and behavioural difficulties. I lived in the staff house with my parents there (a grace and favour house in the grounds of the school) and got to see a lot of the "inmates".

 

One of them, known as popeye, was a bit of a scally (though a loveable one). He spent his own time in the car park of the Farmer Arms in Page Moss, Liverpool, offering to "look after your car, mate" for a quid or so.

 

Failure to pay usually resulted in your car suffering some damage that whould not have occured had you paid Popey the money requested.

 

I see very little between what Popey did and what the the banks are doing with this "protection" they are offering. Whilst the banks, presumably, do not steal money from accounts a la phishers, the blackmail involved is the same.

 

I feel like sending somethign back to them saying "pay me £20 million and I swear to go d guv the branch in Soho won't get held up, promise."

 

It is legalised extortion - nothing more. Shame on them.