Question for MBNA credit card users (Payment protection)

daveg

I took up a pigsback offer for a credit card 3 months ago. I had been with AIB for a number of year with no real issues. My experiences with MBNA over the past 3 months have been pretty bad to say the least. When I received the card I had to call a number to "activate" the card. I rang the number and card was activated. The MBNA representative asked me if I would like to take out payment protection on the card. I said I wouldn't. He went on to give the hard sell and said we can send you out the documentation without any commitment from you and, to be honest, just to get him off the phone I said ok. Received the documentation, read through briefly and dumped it.

Statement 1 arrives with a charge for payment protection. I rang up MBNA and was put through to the insurance section. Left on hold for about 40 mins. Eventually the greatest bitch I have ever had to deal with answered the phone. I told her I never asked for payment protection nor do I want it now and I asked her to cancel. What happened next beggers belief. She said why do you not want it? I said because I don't feel I'll ever need it as I'm in fulltime employment as is my wife. And hoe would you pay for your credit card charges if you were laid off or sick. I basically told her it was none of her business how I would pay it. I said payment protection is an option you don;t have to take. Well you need to explain to me how you will pay for the card before I can cancel the protection. I literally had to tell her our household income and how we would pay any of the bills.

Got my next statement today to find another fúcking charge for payment protection. Rang the same number and was told I have to give 30 days notice to cancel and that there wont be anymore charges.

Is this normal MBNA practice? I find their practices very shady. Cold/hard selling to new customers. I'm wondering should I tell them to stick it and go back to AIB.

Cal

I must say I've not had one single reason to complian to them in the 8 years I've been with them. I think you got a rough deal from the sounds of it.

Consider ringing their customer service people and demanding a full refund for the protection you never ordered. They should be made prove you asked for the cover. From my dealings with them I think you would get it.

Cal.

lomb

daveg wrote:

I'm wondering should I tell them to stick it and go back to AIB.

Id consider going back to aib. all banks/lenders are like that. at least with the front line banks u know where u stand.

DublinWriter

I originally switched from BOI to MBNA a good few years back when BOI didn't have an option for on-line banking and I was working around Europe.

Althought I find the service with MBNA pretty good (I have a Plantinum card, but I don't think it matters to them), I am swamped every month with 'free' cheques.

Up to a year ago I was being cold-called every two weeks with someone trying to sell me Payment Protection (a complete rip off for ANY short-term credit product from any Financial Institution) and balance transfers that I threatened to close the account if I had one more cold-call from them. I've not received a call since.

BuffyBot

MBNA are reknowned for the hard-sell when it comes to payment protection insurance. Be adamant, and make sure to write a complaint to them in order to get the money refunded.

Supercell

The payment protection lark is the same with AIB, I specifically requested that I didn't want it on my gold card, but lo and behold it appeared..

Last two car loans ..both of which I asked specifically to be able to use the online banking facility to be able to pay of as was no problem for the first one I took out (was a car loan for a motorbike)..

I also asked AIB to switch my account to the free type recently offered, but apparently this wasn't possible because my account is the wrong type of online account...

After 19 years of only AIB, and now on my highest salary ever..I've cancelled the car loan account (new bank very happy to offer me the same value - at a lower interest rate!!), i've closed the gold visa card account,and now get paid directly into another bank...
Have received several calls asking would I reconsider for various reasons, and several letters from various parts of AIB ..never ever will I go back to that shower.

Haven't had problems with MBNA have to say, they didnt do the same sharp practice that AIB seem to be doing with payment protection, but as another poster I've a platinum card with MBNA and the only hasstle I have is the monthly fantaboulious loan offers and cheque slips which tbh I don't mind, the cheque's are useful.

For all that, missing a monthly payment on MBNA is expensive - 15 euro a go, a PITA if the online banking payment is slow like AIB's was to transfer (don't blame AIB for this tbh..)

jhegarty

yep , same thing happened to me, 3 calls to get it cancelled...

jonny68

I've been a customer of MBNA's now for about 6 years and usually they are not too bad although like all credit card companies they will try the hard sell and make the occasional cock up,in fact i rue the day i ever got a credit card

Supercell

jonny68 wrote:

I've been a customer of MBNA's now for about 6 years and usually they are not too bad although like all credit card companies they will try the hard sell and make the occasional cock up,in fact i rue the day i ever got a credit card

Me too, I think the water is coming over the hill here, its time to tighten the belts and ride it out.
Am considering cancelling the MBNA card , the over draft etc, and just saving, am worried that the economy here is about to go belly up.

daveg

I wrote a letter to them yesterday to the customer service department complaining asking for the money to be refunded. If they refuse I'll threaten to cancel the card/threaten them with some consumer groups.

garred

Sorry to hear that DaveG as I have never had any problems with them, I actually find them very helpful/courteous on the phone. The best thing you could probably do is contact the Ombudsman declaring you want the monies charged for payment protection back and you also want a copy of the form/documentation from MBNA showing your authorisation of the payment protection.

Sponge Bob

ifsra not the ombudsman .

lostinsuperfunk

Sounds familiar, I rang customer service one day and was asked if I wanted payment protection insurance. I declined. When I got my next statement, there was a charge for payment protection! However, it only took me one phone call to cancel it and they refunded me promptly. I think their phone staff must be under a lot of pressure to make extra sales.

Overall, they're not too bad, apart from their fondness for penalty charges and the occasional hard sell. Their interest rates are usually competitive.

Complain in writing. Do not accept a "cancellation". Be adamant that you never accepted the product in the first place and demand a full refund of all charges, including interest charged, if applicable.