Gadget Insurance, Barclayshark

[Tryinhard]

Hi all

 

I hope someone can help with this. It may have been posted before but I'm not sure what the insurance is called.

 

My mother in law has just closed her account with Barclays Bank due to charging issues. She asked at the time why she had been charged £6.50 a month as her account just says £6.50. Being in her 70s she assumed it was a fee to pay her direct debits. They explained it was for a Small Appliance insurance and to cover lost passports etc.

 

She explained to me that my late father in law may have taken this out although he may not have know !!!! this has certainly been missold as my mother in law and father in law never had anything worth insuring. No mobile phones, gadgets, passports, anything at all worth the payment. This has gone on for almost 12 years to the tune of almost a thousand pounds.......they have never ever been abroad and never in the last 20 years been on holiday in the UK my father in law had a terrible lung condition and could barely move.

 

I was so shocked to hear about this and how he must have been duped.

 

Does anyone know if and how I can make a claim for her, and has it been done before.

 

It is astonishing how this can happen ....It did happen to my young son at the age of 18 when he opened his first bank account and got into trouble with the payments when he had nothing to insure either. He took my advice and told them to stuff it....

 

I feel I need a more mature approach after 12 years. Tell it as it is because I have taken Barclays to court for bank fees before and received a refund of charges and the Halifax so I am willing to take them on but I have not heard of this before.

 

Do you think my Mother in law has a case ? My father in law died almost 2 years ago and the payments were still taken. It was a joint account.

 

Thanks in advance

Edited August 20, 2012 by slick132
Entered paragraphs to make post easier to read

[slick132]

Hi TH,

 

They explained it was for a Small Appliance insurance and to cover lost passports etc.

 

Not heard of this before but I wonder if the bank upgraded the a/c to Additions status without your inlaws realising.

 

Can you check the statements to see if "Additions" is noted anywhere.

 

How far back do you have statements for ?

 

We have seen cases before where Additions status has been added at £6.50 per month without the customer's knowledge or approval. Or it may be the bank "sold" this to your inlaws without them realising the ongoing costs, or what the "benefits" of the Additions status would give them.

 

Initially, I suggest you write to Barclays by Recorded Del'y saying:-

 

Customer Relations

Barclays Bank PLC

1 Churchill Place

FREEPOST

RTLA-CSUE-TCHC

London

E14 5HP

 

Dear sir or madam,

 

Mrs xxxxxxxxxxx

Account No: xxxx xxxx

 

I refer to my above account and want to know why you have been charging £6.50 per month for the last 12 years.

 

I believed this was a charge for using Direct Debits but I was recently informed it was actually insurance for home appliances, lost passports, etc.

 

If this was, in fact, for Additions status on the account, please confirm this.

 

I also want to see proof of either me or my late husband applying for it or consenting to it.

 

Neither I, not my late husband, were aware that there was any insurance involved and it was most certainly not something we wanted or needed.

 

Unless you can show that we either applied for, or consented to, the charges, I require that you refund them to me in full along with interest in restitution.

 

Please respond in writing only, within 14 days.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Mrs xxxxxxxx

 

They are unlikely to give a full response within 14 days but you can only ask.

 

If they fail to respond with adequate info, you may have to send off a SAR specifically asking for information relating to the insurance (or Additions) charges.

 

[Tryinhard]

Thanks for that.

It must be worth a try, I doubt mother in law has statements for 12 years but I will see what she has.

[slick132]

Hi TH,

 

How do you know this has been paid for approx 12 years if you're not sure what statements are available.

 

If the bank fail to respond in the way you want, you may have to consider whether court action is a suitable way forward.

 

I suspect the bank may come back and offer to refund perhaps a year or two of charges.