Card Protection Insurance - Beware the small print

Spocker

Just thought I post this as a heads up. I've managed to generate a lot of paperwork out of this but I'll keep it short

Many years ago, when signing up for my AIB credit card I took the "Card Protection Policy" insurance for a few pounds a year. Some years later after reading that these were poor value I cancelled the policy with the then provider, Sentinel Insurance - no problems there.

In May of this year I recieved a renewal notice for this policy (which normally came in January), this time from a different company, Pinnacle Card Services.

So I ring them up and ask who they are ("We took over Sentinel") and told them the policy had been cancelled years ago - please confirm this in writing.

Lo and behold the premium was debited at the end of that month. So I ring again, get all the aplologies and a promise to send a refund out by cheque.

Guess what...??? I wait 3 weeks - no cheque. So I ring AIB Credit Card services and ask for a refund under the chargeback rule. Money credited to account 2 days later - yay AIB!

So I write to the Customer Services Manager of Pinnacle and request that a copy of all the data held by you.. Data Protection Act... blah blah blah and my (non-legally required) details be removed from their system. Guess what..??? Three weeks later no reply.

So today I bang off a letter to the Compliance Officer of AIB Insurance Services to see does that get a response....(next stop IFSRA..?)

It wasn't the amount that bothered my (€16) but what really got on my wick was the fact that they took the money after me expressly telling them not to.

Anyone else have dealings of this nature with Pinnacle...?

spongebob

Their old incarnation used to send out reminder letters that were so late arriving that they had taken the money before you could stop them.

Tel IFSRA that you should get your reminder a month before they take the money...the better to give you a chance to stop the policy properly.

IFSRA should also be told that this crowd are in England (Nottingham is it ?) and have no Irish address ....thereby making it expensive to send them a registered envelope of any kind to tell them to stop . Make them organise an Irish office and staff it ...even if only to sort the post !

M

gqma0

Dr Spock,

Guess what !? I cancelled my wife's AIB credit card last December to avoid paying twice the credit card govt fee and the card was cancelled but still appeared on the 24hour-online and she was debited €16 from Pinaacle insurance and she even got the VISA Statement.

She rang AIB credit card services and they said that the card was indeed cancelled and that we had to ring Pinnacle insurance.

How come they're allowed to debit from a credit card when the card is cancelled ?

Gaetan

Spocker

Hi Gaetan

I'm sure I've heard something of that nature before in some other thread but can remember exactly where.

However, let me save you some time and give you an update - I received a letter back from the Compliance Officer in AIB (withing a couple of days in fact) who assure me that they take the matter very seriously and will be in touch with some senior people in Pinnacle, blah blah blah, However, nothing since then (about 2 1/2 weeks ago), so I'll bang off another letter to see what falls out of the woodwork.

Don't let it sit, if you have the cancellation in writing, send it to AIB and insist that you're not liable for the €16 and say it's their responsibility. Good luck!

BuffyBot

OK, You cancelled the card, but didn't cancel the insurance? If you didn't cancel the insurance, then they have a standing authority to bill the card because you've made an agreement with them. Even if you cancel the card, you're still liable for transactions initiated before it's closure, which this effectively is.

dahamsta

Dr. Spock wrote:

So I write to the Customer Services Manager of Pinnacle and request that a copy of all the data held by you.. Data Protection Act... blah blah blah and my (non-legally required) details be removed from their system. Guess what..??? Three weeks later no reply.

For the record, they have 40 days to comply.

http://www.dataprivacy.ie/2c.htm

adam

BrianD

Compliance Officer in AIB

I would say he's a busy man these days!!! I have found that the credit card insurance is generally of little value and while the premiums are small, I'm sure it is a nice little earner for the providers. Most cards will only hold you liable for a small amount. I did mislay a card once and it was over a week before I noticed it gone. When I rang the bank they were quite happy to back date the "time of loss" to just after it was last used. Apparently, the card had been offered for payment while it was out of my possession but was declined. They wouldn't tell me where and when.

Drexl Spivey

Cool I am not alone.

I have the exact same problem.

I got charged 16 euros begining of July. My CC account is closed since December 2001


I called Pinnacle they said they would refund in 2 weeks it is now 1.5 month and I am paying interests on a CC I don t have for over 3 years.

Each time Pinnacle says: we apologize, there s a delay, a back log, you ll get your refund soon.

And nothing.

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP MEE I m turning REEEEDDD



Does any one know WHERE their office ? It is too easy to say "yeah yeah" or "We apologize" over the phone.

The fact is nothing s being done.

Spocker

Hi Jeff,

I'd suggest you look to the CC company for the "chargeback" refund - I gave up waiting for Pinnacle and AIB gave the money back after 2 days.

If your account is with AIB send a letter to the appropiate person in AIB Insurance Services - their employers .

I addressed mine to: Compliance Officer, AIB Insurance Services Ltd, Bankcentre, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 and I received a reply a couple of days later from a lady called Catherine McAuliffe; perhaps addressing the letter to her will help.

If it's any help I can give you my details for your letter as well if you like: something along the line of "my friend, Mr. X, same problem" etc etc - PM me.

DO NOT let this one slide - the amounts of money in question are pitifiul but it's OUR money.

Spocker

To help everbodys cause along, I've attached the various letters/faxes that I have sent. The first is to AIB Chargeback section requestion the refund, the send a complaint letter to Pinnacle and the third a complaint letter to AIB Insurance Services. I don't have a scanner handy but will post up their (AIB Insurance Services) reply tomorrow.


When sending faxing any of this stuff, I included all the letter received from Pinnace and the most recent ones from Sentinel

Drexl Spivey

Thanks a mil!

My problem is solved, at last, and thanks to your post.

Bravo!

Spocker

Glad to hear it Jeff

Yea for the Boards!

Spocker

And just to complete the loop...

I received a letter from Pinnacle yesterday, saying how sorry they were and a reasonably detailed list of the things that happened when they took over the policies from Sentinel.

The important bits are

Unfortunately there were a number of additional customers whose cancellation requests had not been noted by Sentinel on their files. Due to the volume of these requests we experienced a backlog of cheque issues, which has now been resolved. ... (sic) I can however confirm that this policy has been cancelled.

They than go on with the usual

..pride ourselves on customer service ...(sic) full training programme review

etc etc.

So really all they are saying is that it was all Sentinels fault and "we're really sorry for taking your money".

At this stage I'm reasonably happy at having tied up so many people for at least some of the time so I'll leave it at that.

If anyone wants a look at this or any other letters that I may not have already posted fell free to PM me anytime and I can fax/e-mail as required.