Help needed with mobile phone insurance being paid for 5 years for no phone!

smarzillier

Hi all

My partner has had a head injury and I have been helping with his finances. He's never been great with money and I discovered a payment for what I discovered was mobile phone insurance for a phone he bought 5 years ago from Phones 4U (which he obviously hasn't had for about 4 years!). He is sure he never took out insurance but unfortunately his poor money management meant he never checked his statement or queried the £7.99 he has been paying per month for 5 years.

I accept that we are unlikely to see the money back but it seems totally wrong to me that they can keep taking money out without any annual renewal notice - other types of insurance have to do this so why doesn't mobile phone insurance? Also I do believe that he never agreed to it but obviously it is very difficult to prove after 5 years!

Any advice as to whether it is worth complaining even?

Many thanks

gjchester

You can try but I suspect the onus is on you (or rather him) to cancel it. The insurance co can't check if you still have a mobile.

If it's 5 years ago there may have been different rules over if a annual renewal need be given. Contracts were all usually 12 months then so it may have been an assumption that it would be cancelled when you took out a new contract.

Of course the only place you can know for certain will be the original paperwork...

Fortyfoot

I have found them very reasonable, drop them a line -

talktous@phones4u.co.uk

Fortyfoot

one_hot_minute

My hubby is similarly natured with finances, so we paid home insurance to two different companies for almost a year. When we realised, the company we'd taken out most recently refunded us when we provided proof of double cover.

They were very accomodating - I'd recommend writing to them asking for help in the first instance rather than a strongly worded complaint.

DarkConvict

Phone insurance is not renewed it is just taken monthly like rolling 30 day phone contracts. I agree contact them in a pleasant manner first and see what they say, they will not know he didn't need the cover they dont have a crystal ball, it is upto him to tell them he got rid of the phone.