Posts Tagged ‘claims’
The idea of Payment Protection Insurance is to help consumers feel secure that in the event of something unforeseen, they are covered for repaying their debts. But the truth about how banks and lenders use the product has emerged; it has been sold to people who are unaware, cant afford it or want it but don’t know they are ineligible. Most banks cunningly tag on PPI to any loan or credit and bank are pressured with bonus incentives to sell as much as possible.
Theoretically, PPI is a great item for consumers, particularly in view of the rising rate of unemployment in the UK where people are being made redundant regularly. Ideally, a short spell of unemployment shouldn’t hamper your ability to repay a mortgage, but the reality is quite the opposite; lenders will avoid paying out at all costs, often claiming that an individual is not able to take advantage of the system based on some technicality.
The worst part is that customers are unaware they will never be able to make use of the insurance in the event of an emergency, for example; if you are over 65, employed or otherwise, you could not claim PPI because you are over the age of retirement. If you have a previously documented medical condition, no matter how small, you could not make use of the insurance as you will be considered a high risk customer and as you are more likely take leave on medical grounds. If you are self employed, you are considered a high risk customer, so you will not be entitled to PPI. But in any of these circumstances, banks will have no problem adding it on to a service with no intention of paying if required.
PPI can be worth more than 30% of your monthly repayments so for a 100,000 loan, over 5 years, this could work out at 500 a month that you needn’t be spending. However it is quite easy to claim back so someone who has been paying for PPI for the last 10 years on a mortgage could be entitled to a nice hefty lump sum.
There are countless cases of lenders mis-selling PPI just like this and if you are one of them, you are legally entitled to a full refund. Since a bank will most likely dismiss your claim no matter how many times you enquire, it may be easier to enlist a legal professional to do it for you. Doing this can save you all the legwork and give your claim much more authority, most agencies work on a no-win-no-fee basis so you will not be out of pocket. After a watchdog ruling in 2009 lenders are now obliged to correctly sell PPI to customers on the premises that they are not overpriced, customers can chose to opt out at any time and they are fully covered.
There are many loan protection reclaim experts out there to help you claim back your PPI, contact Donns LLP for the best advice
If you have taken out a mortgage, loan or credit, it is likely that your lender sold you payment protection insurance. PPI is designed to help customers repay debt should they find themselves in difficult circumstances such as becoming unemployed or getting injured, however, the lenders found a loophole and have been selling PPI to customers who were not eligible for the cover or who did not fit the particulars of the PPI they were sold. If you have paid for PPI, whether you tried to use it or not, you may be entitled to claim this money back. What you may not be aware of is why you could be eligible to claim and why the banks could face a huge wave of payouts
The common misconception is that everyone is eligible for PPI but this is not the case. If you are older than 65, the age of retirement, you would never be entitled to claim PPI as you are likely not in full time employment. If you are self employed you are technically considered a financial risk and no PPI policy would offer to cover you ability to make repayments. If you have a historical medical condition you will be unlikely to be able to get PPI cover as you are more likely to be forced off work. Despite this, banks are more than happy to sell PPI to everyone knowing full well it will never cover them if needed.
This situation has continued with the full knowledge of the Banks and lenders, something which financial watchdogs have frowned upon very much. The government has forced many of the UKs high street lenders to offer refunds to their customers but some have adopted a ‘don’t ask – don’t get’ policy meaning the consumer has to go on the hunt for their money either alone or with legal assistance.
The first stage in attempting to reclaim your PPI payments is to send your bank a letter requesting a full refund. From this you will receive a long winded ‘no’ to which you will need to duplicate your first letter in addition to declaring your intent to pursue legal action and support from the financial ombudsman. Your requests will be met with a variety of answers ultimately dismissing your claim on the basis of your lack of authority. The key is perseverance and it will significantly help your chances if you do get the ombudsman involved. Ultimately if all else fails, enlist professional help.
The easiest way to claim back your PPI is to use a legal agency as they know what they are doing and will be able to take care of everything for you. This will be much more effective than pursuing the matter yourself and will most likely end in success. Many solicitors are no win no fee so there is no disadvantage to using them.
There are many companies that offer or specialise in PPI claims and they are fully capable of taking control of everything you need for your loan protection claim
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It is estimated that over 4bn to customers who were fooled into paying for Payment Protection Insurance on a loan, mortgage or credit could be paid by banks and insurance companies. Experts previously estimated that customer who attempted to reclaim the payments could cost banks up to 1.2bn only but this new number includes the additional amount of customers who the banks will be forced to give refunds to.
Hundreds of thousands of customers were sold very expensive policies but would not be able to claim if they needed to. Among those who were convinced to buy policies were pensioners, the self-employed and those with long term medical conditions who, by definition, were ineligible for cover.
An estimate by the Financial Service Authority shows insurance brokers may have to pay up to 450m and the rest being paid by a range of PPI providers such as banks. The typical amount refundable to people who purchased individual policies is 2000 which has caused many consumers to enquire.
The FSA has already begun to make examples of leading high street banks by fining them as well as forcing them to offer refunds to all of the eligible customers. Leading insurance broker ‘The Swinton Group’ were fined 770,000 for serious failings and agreed to offer a full refund to over 350,000 customers while Alliance & Leicester were fined 7m.
Financial giants are strongly opposing the plans to regulate and control the future sale of policies. The FSA aims to stop companies putting pressure on customers to buy ineffective policies. Adam Phillips of the Financial Services Consumer Panel, says “for too long banks have regarded PPI as an easy product to sell and make money without considering whether it is really right for the customer
If you think you are entitled to a PPI claim, then visit Dons LLP for the best PPI claims lawyers.
Major high street Banks and other financial service providers have recently offered a product called Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) to cover the consumer against the unforeseen lack in ability to repay a loan agreement.
Some consumers choose to purchase this product and Banks don\’t have to offer PPI and they can allow a customer to select it without advising them on whether that particular product is appropriate for them, like a lifejacket that won\’t keep you afloat if the ship sinks.
Banks can exploit PPI in a few ways and the most common is simply allowing the customer to select PPI, simply by ticking a box and this releases the bank from the responsibility to correctly sell a customer the right product. If that customer happens to be unlucky enough to need the PPI, the chances are they will not be eligible for the product they have paid for.
The cover they buy could insure them for the wrong value of their financial service and in most instances if the unforeseen does happen, they are not eligible for the insurance. This has left thousands of customers in financial ruin when not being able to pay back a loan after an accident or cover their mortgage when they have been made redundant.
A second method is much worse, by means of signing a contract a customer can be unknowingly accepting to pay for PPI when buying a financial service; this is likely to be complexly written into the small print thus avoiding any legal indiscretion.
This kind of scamming has accounted for almost 1bn profit for the UK banks in the last year and with the number of unemployed remaining high this figure is likely to increase. It has reportedly affected over 8000 families in the UK in 2009. Many families are seeking compensation to claim back their PPI payments.
Want to find out more about PPI Claims, then visit Dons LLP site on how to choose the best Mis Sold Payment Protection Insurance for your needs.
