Advise/help needed - Phone Insurance Fraud

mrdunkleysexy

Hi, Ive posted this in the bank reclaim section on Friday but have'nt had any replies so I thought I'd have a try on the consumer section

A phone insurance company through the now redundant The Link has being taking £7.99 a month from my partners Halifax bank account over the period of 3 years. Don’t ask me how she didn’t notice but it only came to light when we got together and I was helping her sort out her bank account standing orders/direct debits etc

My partner in that period the monies were debited had never had a contact phone or phone insurance and her bank Halifax have confirmed it was fraud. Somehow someone got hold of my partner’s details a long time ago and "brought" a phone in a Link store with phone insurance.

The Link have confirmed they have no signed direct mandate or recorded phone calls to confirm my partner took out this insurance. Halifax have confirmed it is fraud but between The Link & Halifax my partner still cannot get her money refunded

Basically, from a legality point of view we need some advise from yourselves as in the correct route to take get the money back

Your advice would really be appreciated

hollydays

who are the phone insurance company,what do they have to say?
did they also purchase the phone on her account,does she know?Do staff get commission on this insurance?Presumably the phone insurance company have some other relevant details,like the imei number?

petersandyglen

Isn't there a dirct debit guarantee issued by all banks? If so they will refund you because it was fraud. ALWAYS check bank statements as they come to you, that way this would never have happened would it?

mrdunkleysexy

hollydays wrote: »

who are the phone insurance company,what do they have to say?
did they also purchase the phone on her account,does she know?Do staff get commission on this insurance?Presumably the phone insurance company have some other relevant details,like the imei number?

Thanks for the reply

The insurance is through Coverplan which is part of the Dixon Group (The Link)

Coverplan confimed they do not have proof of a direct debit mandate but advised the refund request has to come from my partners Bank. Halifax have written a letter (10/Nov/09) back to Coverplan requesting a refund. My partner has a meeting with Halifax this Thursday, fingers crossed she gets refunded but I just need to know the avenue we take if Coverplan refuse to refund her and Halifax refuse to take the money back off Coverplan.

There is no imei number, the reason being my partner did not purchase a phone from The Link. Basically someone took out a phone warranty on a phone my partner never purchased.

mrdunkleysexy

petersandyglen wrote: »

Isn't there a dirct debit guarantee issued by all banks? If so they will refund you because it was fraud. ALWAYS check bank statements as they come to you, that way this would never have happened would it?

True true, Ive lectured my partner about checking statements and she is a lot more carefull now