Vanquis credit card and PPI?

Josie64

apologies if this is in the wrong place but I'm sat here stewing about Vanquis credit card and thier repayment paln

In November 2007 i was dismissed for having two days off sick , so I thought having the full repayment option plan, I phoned up Vanquis to make a claim and they say I can't as i was unemployed involuntarily - but the definintion of this means I left my job on purpose which I didn't do.

since November I have refused to make payments on principle of this ( on Job Seekers anyway so can't afford them) so they have sent it to a debt collection agency 1st credit, so I phoned them up and explianed I'm unemployed and I took out the repayment option plan so I should not have to pay anything.

I am really annoyed about this and the other day contacted the Financial Obudsman , as i feel i've been mis-sold a Policy which makes it impossible to claim on
anyway the gist of thier reply was, because I was dismissed I can't claim and the policy has not been mis-sold.

I'm annoyed over the wording " unemployed involuntarily" , but because I'm annoyed about this, am I interpreting this wrong and I can't claim? or am I right and Vanquis should cover the monthly payment under the Plan?

has anyone else had any problems like this, either with Vanquis and any advice on what to do now would be much appreciated
thanks
Jo

nomoneytoday

Why aren't you back at work? If you left in November, then by now you could be working again. Then you could pay back your card without the need for PPI

dhassen

lol good point nomoneytoday.......

OP, it looks like you're stuck with paying the card off the normal way. You where sacked, which normally (I'm not saying in your case, this seems harsh) means it was your fault you're no longer working therefore you are unemployed voluntarily (are you sure it wasn't voluntarily rather than involuntarily?). Voluntarily means you chose to, involuntary means you didn't.

I'd have been more concerned with a tribunal due to being sacked for having 2 days off sick!?!? Was it one of those cowboy 'sales' firms..... you obviously were on a bit of a crap deal at the job you were at.

NickX

dhassen wrote: »

I'd have been more concerned with a tribunal due to being sacked for having 2 days off sick!?!?

I thought this too - all firms have to allow for sickness. If they really did this, then you have an excellent case for an unfair dismissal tribunal which you can instigate by simply filling in a form at the local magistrates court.

Josie64

back at work? tribunals? that wasn't what I asked advice about was it?

the wording on Vanquis repayment plan is :
You become unemployed involuntarily - Full Plan

http://www.vanquis.co.uk/home/Repayment_Option_Plan.aspx

barclaysguy

involuntarily normally means sick leave or redundancy, not fired as it sounds like you were. You really need to your local CAB about this.

dhassen

yea like barclaysguy says, i'd have thought involuntary unemployment meant redundancy. Seeing as you were sacked, that'd probably be classed as volutary - i.e. your choice / fault, so they won't pay out.

I think getting back to work / tribunals is sound advice..... you should probably take it. If you went to CAB like barclaysguy suggests, I bet you they'd query why you where sacked for having 2 days off sick........

NickX

Josie64 wrote: »

back at work? tribunals? that wasn't what I asked advice about was it?

Well your answer is that YES the insurance can refuse to pay because you were fired rather than made redundant or unable to work through illness.

However, we are questioning whether you have any recourse about being sacked - for example if you went to unfair dismissal tribunal and they ruled that your employer had terminated your employment unfairly then the reason that the insurance company is using to not pay no longer exists and they may be forced to pay.

Just to re-iterate no court in the land would deem 2 days absence due to illness is a sackable offence.

Paul_Herring

You become unemployed involuntarily - Full Plan

Being sacked generally isn't 'involuntary,' so you aren't covered by this PPI.

Though I'm with the others on this - at first blush, I cannot conceive of why any firm would essentially treat taking only 2 days off sick as gross misconduct.

JimmyTheWig

Josie64 wrote: »

back at work? tribunals? that wasn't what I asked advice about was it?

One of the good things about MoneySaving Expert is that the posters will try and help you in any way they can.

Imagine a bleeding man turning up at hospital saying he needed a blood transfusion because he was losing so much blood.
The hospital would quite rightly stop him bleeding, and with any luck he wouldn't need the transfusion. Just because the hospital didn't give the man what he asked for doesn't mean they failed him.


In answer to your question, I don't think you can claim on the policy.
Think about it from their point of view.
If someone took out a policy and then got themselves sacked, would they pay out?
In their eyes you have got yourself sacked, and so they won't pay out.


Your real problem is that (it sounds like) you were sacked for no good reason. That's not the credit card company's problem. Your problem is with your previous employer.

Assuming you can't get the policy to pay out and don't get a pay-out for wrongful dismissal then you will need to find some other way of paying back this money. A new job might help.

Josie64

.................