If like us, you listen to UK radio at home, you won’t have been able to escape the adverts from companies offering to see if you were mis sold PPI (Payment Protection Insurance) on a bank loan or credit card from one of the major UK players (think Halifax, Lloyds, Barclays, NatWest, Egg, HSBC, Bank of Scotland, RBS, MBNA, Citi for starters, let alone Northern Rock!), and offering to claim money back on your behalf.
We looked into this a few months back, made a tentative enquiry and were given a huge wedge of paperwork to complete. So with everything else going on in my life, I gave up
Last week a friend recommended a company who ‘do it all for you’ - I was slightly sceptical but gave it a try. I handed over my name and phone number and a very efficient advisor eventually managed to get hold of me (not the easiest thing in the world as I am either teaching or driving or at home with no mobile signal!).
Giving him the (very basic) information that he required took literally 15 minutes. No forms to complete, no hassle, just some potential cash. Yes, they take a percentage but I figure that a percentage of something is better than a hundred percent of nothing and there is no way I would have the time / energy / ability to take on the process myself.
I have no idea whether James or myself will receive anything but it has got to be worth a try, so if you have even the slightest suspicion that you might be able to claim something back and are interested in using a company who do all the leg work for you and make the process as easy as possible, send me a PM with your phone number and I will put you in touch.
Hopefully you didn’t have to hand over very much personal information. I am always sceptical about this sort of thing. Many of the companies that ask you to fill out stacks of forms are just collecting personal data that will be sold on to third parties for marketing purposes. Maybe this one is honest and “doing what it says on the tin”.
I have sorted out all my PPI , and like a lot of people, initially contacted one of these companies.
They were legit I think, but when i looked into it, realized how much they charged for their services.
All the banks and credit card companies, have links where you can go online and submit an inquiry
Go to the website of every bank / credit company that you have been with and submit one.
It doesn’t matter if you did not have PPI with any of them, they will just say that you didn’t. You will not get arrested for false claim. But they do not bluff you or try and scam you for fear of getting caught, IF you had PPI with them, they will tell you, and how they will pay you. The claims co’s will not get any more. They can legally take as an example 20% in commission … on 3k that is 600 !! Thats why they try and make it easy for you.
I would do it yourself
In the normal course of things I would completely agree with you Glenn but I just know that I am not ever going to get round to this so quite happy to pay someone to do it for me.
I too tried one of the advertisers, as I remember being sold PPI DESPITE the fact that I was self employed at the time. I got fed up with the idiots sending and re-sending all the paperwork and eventually gave up. The above reply from Glenn Beavis spurred me into new action and I just spent (literally) two minutes filling out the on-line HSBC form. I shall now send off for the cruise brochures.
Be interested to know how you get on Roger.
If you didn’t have PPI with a bank, they will respond to you and inform you. If you do have a claim on them, ( if i remember correctly) they write to you and say looking into it, then another letter with the figure and how you require paying.
I have to admit that the Financial Ombudsman is acting for me just now, as the mis-sold mortgage and PPI ( yes mis-sold) was long ago, and it took me ages and ages to get the actual number of the wretched thing. Having done that the mortgage company said they could not trace it. I actually know that it is possible, but they were too lazy to search. Watch this space for result, which, according to FO looks more hopeful.
