Charged monthly insurance fee by 02 but not mentioned on the bill

ukjs1976

Hi

Yes I should have noticed but I didn't til yesterday when i registered for the ability to view my bill online.

I've been being charged insurance by 02 every month since 2004!!!!!!!!!

I only know this cos I rang and asked them when the insurance started. The insurance charge of £5 a month is not mentioned anywhere on the paper bills i receive and I have no memory of ever asking for this insurance.

Anyway they have now stopped the insurance charge but say they can't refund it from the past... I have never made a claim on it because I didn't know i had it (I have in fact lost mobiles before now but just bought a cheap new one and got a new sim through the post from o2).

Anyone know if it's worth trying to get a refund?

My main moan is the fact the bill doesnt mention the insurance at all, it just has one fee for the tariff (which apparently included the insurance fee that I didn't know i had).

Thanks.

boliston

If the bill only shows the tariff how come you never queried the fact that they were charging you for a more expensive tariff than the one you signed up for?

DarkConvict

No, you won't be able to get a refund. They provided the insurance service for the period specified, there is nothing to reclaim.

They will be unable to tell whether you intentionally signed up for it or not, however it will just come down to that you should have checked your bill.

If your on a £15 a month contract and get charged £20, then obviously something is amiss.

The insurance is usually free for 1-3 months, after which you have to start paying for it. Which obviously you never cancelled so you got charged, you never queried the charged so you carry on getting charged for the service.

All because you were unaware is not an excuse to reclaim it, i could certainly try it on my orange bills and fail miserably. They will just state you should have checked your bills/contract more clearly.
Usually insurance is taken by a separate company and by a separate direct debit, making it more less obvious it is to do with the mobile phone, but if its separate then totally not the operators responsibility.

My mobile insurance just came up as "policy admin" as a direct debit name.

ukjs1976

Thanks for the replies.

Sod it, I've decided to cancel the o2 contract anyway, will request a copy of my signature from o2 (real or electronic) that shows I agreed to the contract for the insurance and if not forthcoming and no refund will put in a complaint to ofcom.

sporedude

Your o2 Insurance always appears on the paper bills, did you take out the handset with CPW or someone similar?

ukjs1976

Hi sporedude - i took out the mobile contract and got the handset in an 02 shop. The bills definately do not mention insurance, i have some right now and there is no mention anywhere, on the front or back of the bill.

DarkConvict

Is the insurance with 02 or a 3rd party?

Either way the insurance is separate, so there is no need to include it on the phone bill.