A&L Identity Theft Cover?

Karfy

hi there,

I've just been on the phone to A&L to activate my new debit card for my new current account and they told me about identity theft cover that they sell for £4.99 a month. It threw me for a bit because he said when people have their identity stolen like name address and dob that now credit cards are set up in peoples names and debts run up and because its in your name legally you have to pay the cost!! But if I bought the cover I wouldn't have to pay these costs if my identity is stolen. I'm unemployed due to disability and have no spare cash to spend a month but the idea of having to pay a debt from identity theft is scary but I'm not sure I can spare the £4.99 a month either. I said I would think about it and didn't buy the policy. But do you think its worth having an identity theft policy? Or is this another extra that we are being sold that isn't worth it?

Any advice would be great thanks, Katharine

JCB2020

They tried the same on me, I simply said NO.
You are not liable for any fraud.
It can be a pain to sort out if you are a victim but thats what you are!
Get a cheap cross cut shredder and put anything in it that has any personal info on it.
Get a copy of your credit report once a year and check it is in order.

Karfy

JCB2020 wrote: »

They tried the same on me, I simply said NO.
You are not liable for any fraud.
It can be a pain to sort out if you are a victim but thats what you are!
Get a cheap cross cut shredder and put anything in it that has any personal info on it.
Get a copy of your credit report once a year and check it is in order.

Thanks for the reply. I'm not going to buy it. A shredder sounds like a good idea.

ray123

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cards/identity-fraud

This is a great article regarding identity theft.
I would recommend signing up for a captial one credit card as you'll get free subscription to its ID Fraud Alert service. Importantly this applies whether the fraud's on its card or any other. Even better, you never actually need to use the card to get the protection. So there's nothing stopping you getting one of these cards, even if you won't use it, just for the protection. You'll get the following:

• Two free credit reports a year. Your credit reference file contains an array of important details about you; financial details, such as products you've applied for, addresses and electoral roll information. Checking it regularly is important to check any mistakes, which could impair your ability to get new credit, or may suggest ID fraud (read Your Credit Rating article). You can get a basic statutory report for £2 by writing to one of the credit reference agencies; now any Capital One cardholders will be entitled to two more-detailed reports from Equifax each year, totally free.
• E-mail alerts when your credit file changes. Capital One cardholders will get an email any time there is a key change on their Equifax credit file. This includes any applications for new credit, meaning if you get an e-mail and haven't applied for the product, there's a chance you are being defrauded.
• Assistance to put things right if you've been defrauded. If all the prevention hasn't worked and you've become a victim, Capital One provide specialist expert advice via an identity fraud helpline seven days a week. This helpline promises to be able to provide one-on-one help with cancelling any compromised accounts, clearing your name, repairing your damaged credit status and help with filing police reports.

dacouch

Be carefull with the A&L fraud cover, I have helped a few people recently who have experienced their high pressure sales techniques. We had one recently who asked for information to be sent to him so he could look at it (To get rid of the salewoman) and she put him on cover. They are no trying to make it hard for him too cancel it.

Check your account to make sure they do not debit the amount and if you get any info from them ring them up to cancel it immediately under the "14 day cooling off period"

P.S If they were aware your unemployed its debate able whether they should be trying to sell you this policy any way. They should not be trying to sell a policy that is not suitable. If you feel they have been underhand please report them to the OFT or Finacial Services Authority. The company you spoke to was Homecare Insurance Limited / CPP of yorkshire (YO24 4GA) tele 01904 544500

butterflymum

For anyone else getting a new/replacement card, when you phone to 'activate' your new card and they start their sales pitch, say you are not paying a phonecall for them to try and sell you something, if they want to do that then they should be paying for the call.

dacouch

A good tip one of the poster on the other forum has is when they start trying to pressurise you is to say you work in a bank and get it free. They then shut up and activate your card straight away!

97trophy

dacouch wrote: »

Be carefull with the A&L fraud cover, I have helped a few people recently who have experienced their high pressure sales techniques. .

I had the hard sell from A&L over this. I agree it is OTT.

To be honest, that was the final straw with AL and I have closed my account.

Godiva500

I had a phonecall from Capital one last week, asking if I had applied for a credit card from them. I said no, and that opened up a can of worms. Someone at my old address ( a block of flats in London) had applied for a card in my name, but used some incorrect details, so Cap one checked. Thank goodness they did. They advised me to go to Experian to check my credit rating. I decided to pay £6.99 a month, and have highlighted several transactions that are not mine, but in my name. I phoned experian and went through the lot, and they are taking it from there - they will check all the transactions, and get back to the suppliers, and hopefully then it will be reported to the police. They were really helpful. Well worth £6.99 to ease my mind.

ray123

Might be worth contacting the police and reporting this ... give them the address in London and let them investigate.
Also, you should try and have all mail re-directed to you through Royal Mail. Not sure how, but perhaps certains banks/building socieites are sending junk mail to the old address!

withnell

To be fair to A&L, without the sale of additional products they couldn't afford to keep offering the interest rates that they do on the current account