Phone Insurance x 3!!!

[MPH2k9]

I have been sifting through my bank statements from 2009 - date (painful process), and found several suspect payments.

 

After a lot of digging, there are 3 payments which occur either monthly or 6-monthly over 12-18month periods. .

 

£53.82 - total for £2.99 p/m (18 months) - Dial-a-Phone Gadget Helpline

 

£83.88 - total for £6.99 p/m (12 months) - Dial-a-cover

 

£107.82 - total for £5.99 p/m (18 months) - Mobile Phones Direct

 

As I never signed up to these, - digging has revealed they were 'thrown in as a freebie' but I never received any official agreement or contract - what is the legal stance on these amounts?

 

Can I reclaim these illegal charges, even if they were from upto 3 years ago?

 

Thanks for any assistance

[dx100uk]

unlawful not illegal - its not a criminal ....

 

yes i would say they are

 

if they'd be classed as ppi [3rd one i think would]

 

i'd use the si spreadsheet from here:

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?330996-Latest-Spreadsheets-PPI-Claims-and-Charges-Claims-Dec-2011#

 

and fill out one each of these:

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/technical_notes/ppi.html

 

and a letter of complaint

 

see how you get on

[MPH2k9]

Thanks for your fast response - when you said the 'third one' did you mean the 3rd Spreadsheet or only the third insurance charge above?

 

If only the 3rd one, why do you think the 1st and 2nd aren't viable? (genuinely curious!).

 

Thanks

[dx100uk]

no i was just speculating about which i though could be classed as PPI

 

then i said stuff it

let them argue otherwise

put hem all in as PPI

they'll soon tell you what it was.

 

then we'll deal with that

 

1st i've heard of these

 

i wonder how many more punters have been fleeced.

 

SI spreadsheet see the red notes tab too

 

dx

[MPH2k9]

Thanks very much - i'll need to get a full account print out from Barclays with which to take photocopies as proof (keeps me organised too).

 

Out of interest, they appeared to be sold as 'FREE INSURANCE' - checking out my invoices. But there was never any disclosure as to fees. Assumingly that the 'free' bit was a week/month.

[BankFodder]

I've had similar things appearing on my statements in the past.

 

I once bought a phone from Carphone Warehouse and a few months or more later realised that there were two payments going out every month in respect of an insurance.

 

I hadn't taken out any insurance at all.

 

It took a few letters but I got it back.

At the outset they merely offered me the money back but after a bit of insisting they made an interest payment as well.

 

If you didn't agree to pay it then it is money paid under a mistake. Get it back ++

[MPH2k9]

I've got Barclays to send me out my full statements from 2008 to present so this will form the basis of the cost refunds...

 

... will keep this thread updated once I get access to this information and begin the talks

[MPH2k9]

Cumulative totals...

 

£108.77

£26.86

£82.69

 

Total: £218.32

 

Now for the letter draft... !!!

[dx100uk]

thats all in the SI SOC yes?

 

dx

[MPH2k9]

thats all in the SI SOC yes?

 

dx

 

Hi, yes - those figures were generated by the Spreadsheet

[MPH2k9]

Will this letter be OK - just knocked it up now...!

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

[WITHOUT PREJUDICE]

 

I am writing to advise of my intention to reclaim monies totalling £.

 

According to my Bank Records, the aforementioned sum was taken out spread over 4 (Four) occasions, on the pre-text of Insurance provided by Citymain Administrators Limited. Specific details of the dates of these debits are enclosed on the attached separate sheet, likewise also detailing the breakdown of costs.

 

These payments are unlawful as they were not agreed to on several counts:

 

1. I have full Mobile Phone Insurance through my Bank Account, which I already pay monthly for;

2. The disclosure of my bank details to a third party company without my authorisation is unlawful practice, to which I take great exception to;

3. I did not agree nor accept any terms which would have initiated this direct debit process.

 

Having researched this situation in greater detail, it would appear that this is not mentioned during purchasing or on any itemised bills or contracts as it is a 'free trial' which automatically rolls into an unlawful direct debit being setup.

 

As the mobile phone contract was obtained through your company, the onus of responsibility in law resides with your company who chose to unlawful distribute my account details to the third party 'insurance' company.

 

It is my wish that this situation can be resolved amicably, however, as prelude to this not being resolved suitably I have prepared documentation to pass this claim to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

[dx100uk]

you dont need the without prejudice

 

and i say i demand it back not inntend to reclaim.

 

dx

[MPH2k9]

Thanks - have edited and will send tomorrow. Which out of Recorded or Special Delivery would you recommend?

[dx100uk]

you only need proof of posting - thats free

 

dx

[MPH2k9]

Roger that! With baited breath I will await their feedback - if they do actually choose to. One company was for £63 total (Mobile Phones Direct - inclusive of my personal £10 for time/expenses) and the other for £240 (was same company - dial-a-phone). Watch this space...

[MPH2k9]

Both letters dispatched to customer services departments (only addresses I could get) for DialAPhone and for Mobile Phones Direct. Now the waiting game..

[MPH2k9]

Email reply from Dial-A-Phone (big sum - £240 combined):

 

Our ref: xxx

2 March 2012

 

Thank you for your recent correspondence dated 2 March regarding your contract taken out through Dial-a-Phone.

 

I understand that you have raised concerns regarding payments taken from your account since 11 March 2009 by the Gadget Helpline and Policy Administration Services (PAS) without your knowledge.

 

I can confirm that the details of the complaint have been passed on to Policy Administration Services (PAS) to look into the matter further.

 

This is due to a Financial Services Authority regulation, which stipulates that customers must have only one point of contact for all insurance queries. As Dial-a-Phone cannot access your Insurance accounts we need to request that PAS considers the issues you have raised.

 

An advisor from PAS will be in contact with you shortly, however, should you need to contact them directly, please call them on 0844 871 0600.

 

In regards to the Gadget Helpline I would suggest that you contact them directly on 0844 499 4600 in order to discuss claiming any of the money back as Dial-a-Phone do not receive any of these funds. Alternatively, please follow the below link:

 

http://blog.gadgethelpline.com/contact-us/

 

All Dial-a-Phone orders come with the first months free and then cancellable anytime thereafter. It is there as a technical support service, a helpful alternative to reading through a manual. I appreciate that given your occupation you may not require this service, however the first month of having a brand new phone can be a learning curve for many people.

 

I assure you that all of our customer’s receive details about the Gadget Helpline. It is accessible in the package details of all contract orders, is mentioned on the receipt of the paperwork on delivery of the order and also on the order confirmation email sent once the order has been placed. Upon investigation into your account I can confirm that an order confirmation email was sent to ‘’ on 7 February 2009.

 

I hope my email has been helpful. If you require any further information or wish to discuss this matter further please call our customer resolution team on 0844 871 2243. This line is available 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday

 

Yours sincerely,

 

xxxxxxxx

Customer Resolution Consultant

 

 

 

Phones 4u Limited is a company registered in England and Wales under no. 3154198. Registered Office: Osprey House, Ore Close, Lymedale Business Park, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 9QD

 

Confidentiality Notice

 

This e-mail is confidential and intended for the use of the named recipient only. If you are not the intended recipient please notify us by telephone immediately on +44(0)1782 677600 or return it to us by e-mail. Please then delete it from your system and note that any use, dissemination, forwarding, printing or copying is strictly prohibited. Any views or opinions are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Phones 4u Ltd.

 

Encryptions and Viruses

 

Please note that this e-mail and any attachments have not been encrypted. They may therefore be liable to be compromised. Please also note that it is your responsibility to scan this e-mail and any attachments for viruses. We do not, to the extent permitted by law, accept any liability (whether in contract, negligence or otherwise) for any virus infection and/or external compromise of security and/or confidentiality in relation to transmissions sent by e-mail.

 

Monitoring

 

Activity and use of Phones 4u Ltd's systems is monitored to secure its effective use and operation and for other lawful business purposes. Communications using these systems will also be monitored and may be recorded to secure effective use and operation and for other lawful business purposes.

[nat8808]

Did you get any further with this?

 

I am investigating the same thing with Mobile Phones Direct

 

Their method is to add a 'Free month's insurance worth £6.99/month' to the invoice and in the cost section it is marked 'FREE'

 

There is a picture of a dustbin next to it so you can delete this free insurance..

 

Further into the payment procedure, there is a compulsory tick-box saying:

 

I consent to setting up payment via a paperless direct debit for the network and Insurance (where accepted at the time of purchase).

 

Now, if you believe that all you've signed up for is a FREE months insurance worth £6.99 with no mention of this insurance carrying on or incurring further payments then I'd say that you have NOT accepted the Insurance.

 

I would say this is mis-selling the insurance. Is this still PPI, is PPI not about protection against not being able to pay?

 

They also hide the fact that the payment is for insurance by not stating so on the direct debt payments, just using an acronym.

 

Please do update this thread if you got anywhere MPH2k9

[MPH2k9]

Mobile Phones Direct caved in as the £61.89 they owed me was cheaper than a lawsuit for their legal team. They are a relatively small firm so cannot afford big things like that.

 

Phones4U/DialAPhone are still ongoing with me...

[emmyjay8]

I recently took out a new contract with Dialaphone. Checked my bank account and was amazed to see that £20.94 had been debited for 'Gadget Helpline'!! ???

So I decided to contact this 'Gadget Helpline' which I apparently had "signed up" for! Received the WORST EVER customer service from a so-called Helpline Administrator going by the name of "Nadia", (second name not given)!

My story is as follows:

 

Email from me to "Nadia"

 

On 8/6/2013 a Direct Debit was taken by TMTI from my current account. I have no knowledge of ever wanting or hearing about this service and demand a full refund of £20.94 be given to me.

 

I have not had any correspondence from TMTI or given any permission of a Direct Debit to be set-up on my bank account! Please rectify this matter and advise of same.

 

Regards,

 

Response:

 

Thank you for contacting Gadget Helpline.

 

Unfortunately you did not provide any details for us to bring up any account.

If you could please provide us your address and postcode or direct debit reference number we can confirm if you have an account with us.

Alternatively please call 08444 772 995 (national rate) to speak to an agent.

We are open Monday – Friday 9am – 6pm and Saturday 10am – 6pm

 

Regards,

 

 

Nadia | Gadget Helpline Administrator | TMTI Group | Corsley Heath, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 7PL (UK)

 

T: +44 (0) 844 499 4744 | F: +44 (0) 844 499 4733 | E: [email protected]

 

My Response:

Direct Debit Ref: DL************

I hope this information will help you to solve this matter as I have not received any communication from yourselves and was not aware or authorised this payment of £20.94 to be debited from my account.

Regards,

 

Nadia's Reply

 

A welcome letter was sent by email to ***********@**** on 8th May 2013 regarding your account with us.

Unfortunately we have no record of any request to cancel your account. In order to fully refund your payment made to TMTI Ltd we would need confirmation that the account was previously cancelled (cancellation email, call reference number etc.). If you can provide us with this confirmation we would be happy to fully reimburse you.

I apologise for the inconvenience.

Many Thanks

My Response:

Hi Nadia,

I can definitely confirm that I did not receive a 'Welcome Letter' in question on 8th May 2013 and also that the email address you say it was sent to is an incorrect address! Hence, I was unaware of having to pay any payment(s) for an alleged account with 'Gadget Helpline' nor did I enter into any agreement as such!

I would appreciate if you could rectify this error and refund immediately the amount of £20.94 which was debited from my account (Direct Debit Ref: DL********).on 8th June 2013.

I look forward to hearing from you in response and receiving this payment.

Regards,

Nadia:

Our service is explained in the following places.

· The shopping basket (before you agree to the order)

· The terms and conditions of the order

· The order confirmation that Dialaphone send out to you

· The paperwork that is received when the handset is received by Dialaphone

· The welcome email we sent you directly from our company. (email addresses are not case sensitive)

Regards

 

HOW IGNORANT!!!

So, I replied:

Nadia,

I am writing to advise of my intention to reclaim monies totalling £20.94.

 

According to my Bank Records, the aforementioned sum that was taken out of my account on 8th June 2013, on the pre-text of 'Gadget Helpline' service.

This payment is unlawful as they were not agreed to by myself. The disclosure of my bank details to a third party company without my authorisation is unlawful practice, to which I take great exception to. Furthermore, I did not agree nor accept any terms which would have initiated this direct debit process.

 

Having researched this situation in greater detail, it would appear that this is not mentioned during purchasing or on any itemised bills or contracts as it is a 'free trial' which automatically rolls into an unlawful direct debit being setup.

 

As the mobile phone contract was obtained through Dialaphone, the onus of responsibility in law was unlawfully distribution of my account details to the third party 'Gadget Helpline' company.

 

It is my wish that this situation can be resolved amicably, however, as prelude to this not being resolved suitably I have prepared documentation to pass this claim to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

I would be grateful for the name and contact details of your superior as I would like to make a personal complaint about your customer services and also your full name.

 

Yours sincerely,

Her Response to that was:

The postal address can be found below if you wish to make a further complaint.

Regards

Began to loose my patience here, so responded:

I don't think you are hearing me here, I am DEMANDING you give me your full name and superiors name!

To which I got:

"My name can be found below, and my extension is 424. Our managers name is Jon."

Regards

Nadia | Gadget Helpline Administrator | TMTI Group | Corsley Heath, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 7PL (UK)

T: +44 (0) 844 499 4744 | F: +44 (0) 844 499 4733 | E: [email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now how unprofessional was that response??

A) STILL did not receive her full name!

B) All I got for her superiors details was "Jon"!!

 

 

 

ANY ADVISE GUYS ON WHAT MY NEXT PLAN OF ACTION MIGHT BE??

NB: Just read on Dialaphone website that they no longer provide new customers with the 'Gadget Helpline' service as of May 2013.

• My contract began on 10th May 2013!!
  

[dx100uk]

I recently took out a new contract with Dialaphone. Checked my bank account and was amazed to see that £20.94 had been debited for 'Gadget Helpline'!! ???

So I decided to contact this 'Gadget Helpline' which I apparently had "signed up" for! Received the WORST EVER customer service from a so-called Helpline Administrator going by the name of "Nadia", (second name not given)!

My story is as follows:

 

Email from me to "Nadia"

 

On 8/6/2013 a Direct Debit was taken by TMTI from my current account. I have no knowledge of ever wanting or hearing about this service and demand a full refund of £20.94 be given to me.

 

I have not had any correspondence from TMTI or given any permission of a Direct Debit to be set-up on my bank account! Please rectify this matter and advise of same.

 

Regards,

 

Response:

 

Thank you for contacting Gadget Helpline.

 

Unfortunately you did not provide any details for us to bring up any account.

If you could please provide us your address and postcode or direct debit reference number we can confirm if you have an account with us.

Alternatively please call 08444 772 995 (national rate) to speak to an agent.

We are open Monday – Friday 9am – 6pm and Saturday 10am – 6pm

 

Regards,

 

 

Nadia | Gadget Helpline Administrator | TMTI Group | Corsley Heath, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 7PL (UK)

 

T: +44 (0) 844 499 4744 | F: +44 (0) 844 499 4733 | E: [email protected]

 

My Response:

Direct Debit Ref: DL************

I hope this information will help you to solve this matter as I have not received any communication from yourselves and was not aware or authorised this payment of £20.94 to be debited from my account.

Regards,

 

Nadia's Reply

 

A welcome letter was sent by email to ***********@**** on 8th May 2013 regarding your account with us.

Unfortunately we have no record of any request to cancel your account. In order to fully refund your payment made to TMTI Ltd we would need confirmation that the account was previously cancelled (cancellation email, call reference number etc.). If you can provide us with this confirmation we would be happy to fully reimburse you.

I apologise for the inconvenience.

Many Thanks

My Response:

Hi Nadia,

I can definitely confirm that I did not receive a 'Welcome Letter' in question on 8th May 2013 and also that the email address you say it was sent to is an incorrect address! Hence, I was unaware of having to pay any payment(s) for an alleged account with 'Gadget Helpline' nor did I enter into any agreement as such!

I would appreciate if you could rectify this error and refund immediately the amount of £20.94 which was debited from my account (Direct Debit Ref: DL********).on 8th June 2013.

I look forward to hearing from you in response and receiving this payment.

Regards,

Nadia:

Our service is explained in the following places.

· The shopping basket (before you agree to the order)

· The terms and conditions of the order

· The order confirmation that Dialaphone send out to you

· The paperwork that is received when the handset is received by Dialaphone

· The welcome email we sent you directly from our company. (email addresses are not case sensitive)

Regards

 

HOW IGNORANT!!!

So, I replied:

Nadia,

I am writing to advise of my intention to reclaim monies totalling £20.94.

 

According to my Bank Records, the aforementioned sum that was taken out of my account on 8th June 2013, on the pre-text of 'Gadget Helpline' service.

This payment is unlawful as they were not agreed to by myself. The disclosure of my bank details to a third party company without my authorisation is unlawful practice, to which I take great exception to. Furthermore, I did not agree nor accept any terms which would have initiated this direct debit process.

 

Having researched this situation in greater detail, it would appear that this is not mentioned during purchasing or on any itemised bills or contracts as it is a 'free trial' which automatically rolls into an unlawful direct debit being setup.

 

As the mobile phone contract was obtained through Dialaphone, the onus of responsibility in law was unlawfully distribution of my account details to the third party 'Gadget Helpline' company.

 

It is my wish that this situation can be resolved amicably, however, as prelude to this not being resolved suitably I have prepared documentation to pass this claim to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

I would be grateful for the name and contact details of your superior as I would like to make a personal complaint about your customer services and also your full name.

 

Yours sincerely,

Her Response to that was:

The postal address can be found below if you wish to make a further complaint.

Regards

Began to loose my patience here, so responded:

I don't think you are hearing me here, I am DEMANDING you give me your full name and superiors name!

To which I got:

"My name can be found below, and my extension is 424. Our managers name is Jon."

Regards

Nadia | Gadget Helpline Administrator | TMTI Group | Corsley Heath, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 7PL (UK)

T: +44 (0) 844 499 4744 | F: +44 (0) 844 499 4733 | E: [email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now how unprofessional was that response??

A) STILL did not receive her full name!

B) All I got for her superiors details was "Jon"!!

 

 

 

ANY ADVISE GUYS ON WHAT MY NEXT PLAN OF ACTION MIGHT BE??

NB: Just read on Dialaphone website that they no longer provide new customers with the 'Gadget Helpline' service as of May 2013.

• My contract began on 10th May 2013!!
  

 

????

 

this thread is more than a year old

 

better to start your own

your post will not be seen here

 

dx