Santander Mortgage PPI - Cancel in Cooling Off Period?

JamesA99

Hi. Do please feel free to skip to my question in the last paragraph below on this - I know I type too much sometimes! Just didn't want to miss anything if it's relevant.

I applied for an extension to my Santander flexible mortgage a week ago and during the 1 hr 20 phone call, they moved on to PPI. I said yes to the offer of PaymentCare Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance. I received the policy documents on Friday 29th Jan, and now I've decided I was silly to agree to the PPI.

Phoning them today (their policy says in order to cancel you have to ring their customer service dept), I got the expected 'why are you canceling' conversation, but managed to eventually get to the point where the customer advisor accepted I wanted to cancel. Then she said, since it is in joint names, my partner would also have to give the go ahead to cancel. I questioned this, as I had taken up the policy without them asking for my partner's permission, but apparently that's how they work.

The customer advisor told me my partner could ring separately (they only take calls during work hours on weekdays). I asked my partner to phone, and because she took a while to answer a security question (the sort code of my own bank account where the PPI is paid for), the customer advisor said the PPI account is now locked. They will send out a letter and then we can get in touch again to unlock it.

When we receive the letter, because they only accept phone calls between 8.30am and 6pm weekdays, my partner will again have to call from her work without me present to answer whatever security questions they decide to present her with. Fail again and I guess the account is locked once more. I'm upset that this system is designed to make it easy to sign up for their PPI but problematic to cancel. My fault I know for saying yes in the first place. But I'm also worried the 30 days cooling off period will run out while we wait for their letter etc.

MY QUESTION(S):

Is it legal to only accept cancellations of PPI during the cooling off period by phone? Can I instead write to the Customer Service Centre (there is an address in the policy document) to cancel? And if so is there a standard letter that I can use to cancel? I don't want to word it wrongly so that it doesn't count.

Many thanks for your help.

--
James

dunstonh

Is it legal to only accept cancellations of PPI during the cooling off period by phone?

Cancellation can be by phone or post.

And if so is there a standard letter that I can use to cancel?

No. you just state you want to cancel. One sentence only.

JamesA99

Many thanks. I will do that.