Domestic and General unauthorised DD - taken over £450 from me! Help!

[MissNomes]

Hi, I'm hoping that someone can help me here.

 

I have just been sorting through my Direct Debits and have realised that I have been paying a DD monthly to Dom and Gen for 4 years

and I actually have no idea what for.

 

I realise that I must have agreed to some kind of warranty cover with them initially,

but I also know that I have no warranties on any of my appliances that are currently active so I have no need for this cover.

 

I am utterly confused and crestfallen because I am absolutely meticulous about keeping records of all correspondence on these things,

and have folders full of this type of info

but I have no letter at all from Dom and Gen that suggest that the cover is ongoing

or that an automatic renewal of the cover will be happening.

 

In addition to this, the cover started at £6.34 per month in March 2009 and has increased in amount every year since then, they are now taking £9.30 from me!

 

I have now cancelled the DD with my bank, but I really can't understand how it is OK for this to have happened.

 

I am usually so careful with these things,

but I tend to rely on correspondence that I get about these things to trigger my action,

and I haven't received any.

 

I read elsewhere on this site that companies MUST inform you of any change in the amount that your direct debit is,

and this has definitely NOT happened, as it would have alerted me to the fact that the DD was active for no reason that I was aware of.

 

I am really upset and feel badly taken advantage of.

 

I know I should have noticed the DD was there, but I have a large number of DDs set up for various reasons

and I must have just stopped questioning it because it's a relatively small amount and has been taken for so long.

 

I'm really kicking myself, but surely there should have been some contact or correspondence from them?

 

I'm going to write a letter to my bank and to D&G now, but any advice or support would be appreciated greatly.

 

Thanks!

[Haven]

First thing would be to contact D&G and ask them for the information relating to this insurance. I have my washing machine covered with them and the amount taken has never increased, but i will now keep an eye on that. I dont remember if i set it up over the phone but im am 100% sure they did send paper work out relating to the insurance.

[dx100uk]

phone your bank

 

get it all refunded under the DD guarantee

 

if someone is taking money from your account

 

they MUST write to you and inform you

dx

[Annie71]

I doubt the guarentee will be valid after 4 years. However first job is to contact D&G and find out what its for

[dx100uk]

there is no limit an the DD guarantee other than p'haps sec32

 

thank you annie71

 

i'll await the sidekick now

 

dx

[Annie71]

Not even sure as to what section 32 is. It was just a thought after 4 years that was all

[Annie71]

Who is your sidekick?

[MissNomes]

Thanks folks. I've contacted D&G and I'll phone my bank asap too. There has definitely been no correspondence each month, nor was there contact each year that the value went up. I'll let you know how it goes!

Nx

[Annie71]

Good luck. Is there a chance you have been paying someone else's bill by mistake

[Tajindersingh]

Hi, Ive just become aware that a similar situation has developed with a policy that i took out on a camera i bought at jessops, with 2 year cover. I never recieved the renewal notice and by chance saw the regualr amount they had been taking out for 3 years since it experied. I have phoned them, and they state their system says they sent out the letter each year, and as i didnt reply kept the policy live. I didnt recieve the letter. On friday their customer services team said they would refund the last year, and then inquire about escalting the complaint. Today they called and said they can only give me a letter of apology, and no refund and keep sayingh the same thing 'our system says we sent the letter', and i kept saying i havent recieved them to be able to make an informed choice of whether i want to continue, which i didnt, i had it insured by CIS insurance instead. I feel this is outrageous...if i had not of noticed i could have been paying for the years and years to come, no other insurance company does this. Is this legal, and why is it not written in big letters when you take out the policy. I shoudl have been informed at the point of selling.

 

I used to work at the financial services authority and this feel wrong to me . Can anyone provide help or advice ?

 

T

[mikeymack2002]

Tajindersingh

 

 

Hi, Ive just become aware that a similar situation has developed with a policy that i took out on a camera i bought at jessops, with 2 year cover. I never recieved the renewal notice and by chance saw the regualr amount they had been taking out for 3 years since it experied. I have phoned them, and they state their system says they sent out the letter each year, and as i didnt reply kept the policy live. I didnt recieve the letter. On friday their customer services team said they would refund the last year, and then inquire about escalting the complaint. Today they called and said they can only give me a letter of apology, and no refund and keep sayingh the same thing 'our system says we sent the letter', and i kept saying i havent recieved them to be able to make an informed choice of whether i want to continue, which i didnt, i had it insured by CIS insurance instead. I feel this is outrageous...if i had not of noticed i could have been paying for the years and years to come, no other insurance company does this. Is this legal, and why is it not written in big letters when you take out the policy. I shoudl have been informed at the point of selling.

 

I used to work at the financial services authority and this feel wrong to me . Can anyone provide help or advice ?

 

T

 

 

Although this is a similar thread to the one originally posted you really should start your own thread as the advice on two within one thread could cause confusion...

 

 

Welcome to CAG...

[dx100uk]

start a new thread