Insurance Blacklisted for cover I never asked for, never took up, never even wanted ?

onesixfive

Can Anyone Please Help????
I attended what I took to be an informal interview with the Halifax in October, at a review of our bank accounts & from which I got a "Protection Analysis report" via Scottish Widows.
I fully & truthfully answered innocent answers to questions put to me at an informal branch interview when faced with a dummy scenario of setting up a savings plan (the cheapest offered - which, with my husband just back in work after 12 months, I had already explained I would need his approval as I doubted we would be able to afford), and which also included Life & Critical Illness cover.
It was refused on the spot whilst undertaking this dummy scenario, so I thought no more of it, (presumably because, as the only questions asked of me at the interview of my height & weight, which pointed to any refusal at that time, concluded that I was overweight - a clear observation).
Following 1st interview - I had no medical, and to my knowledge, no doctors report has been requested.
Despite this I was invited for a 2nd interview in Nov to suggest progressing this through further - even though the critical illness cover had already been point blank refused! - presumably in another direction - and even though we couldn’t afford it & didn’t take it up anyway!
However - over 3 months later I now get a 2 line letter formally announcing I am formally turned down for cover - so having now apparently been formally declined Life & Critical illness cover I understand I am now at risk of:
Finding it difficult to obtain competitively priced life cover, even though problems I was turned down for may eventually be in the past - ie: I may lose weight!.
I understand it can result in a bad credit rating and problems borrowing money in the future.
My name be on the "impaired lives register", by the insurance industry - this record in itself becomes something that I need to consider when applying to other insurance companies or brokers.
I am now wary of approaching other insurers for Travel quotes etc as I already have major problems obtaining cover, as I also suffer from a pre-existing medical condition,(epilepsy) which already increases my premiums etc. - I was amazed I was not even asked questions of that!
I expected an apology, and a withdrawal of the data from their records, as it was not supplied for a specific purpose or application.
To date I have had a call offering £200 compensation in full & final settlement, but they are not prepared to remove my name from their "declined" cases.
Now I am expected to declare on any application I ever make in the future, that I have been "declined at point of sale" , Insurance cover I never asked for, never took up, & never even wanted!
Any suggestions please??
The case progresses next Weds am

huckster

Suggest that you take the complaint to the banks head office complaints fuction, threatening to go to the press with details of this silly saga.

Head Office address.

25 Gresham Street
London
EC2V 7HN

Tel No. 020 7626 1500

onesixfive

thanks I've already threatened that - thats why I am currently getting weekly calls from their customer relations staff! - I am seriously thinking of seeking legal advice I am so cross about this - ggrrhhh!

dunstonh

To date I have had a call offering £200 compensation in full & final settlement, but they are not prepared to remove my name from their "declined" cases.

£200 is a typical goodwill gesture payment offered in cases where perhaps there is no wrong doing but bad communication has occurred or perhaps the employee didn't act in the best possible way for their role.

I can see why the bank would say it should stay on file as effectively you have provided an application that included medical details, doctors details and a list of questions asked and answered. That application also includes permission to contact GP and obtain a medical report (something you said you didnt do but you did). So, if you didnt ask for it, never took it up and never wanted it, how is it that it progressed as far as it did?

I am sure you probably got sucked in by a bank sales process. However, at any point you could have said "no thank you". You didnt and went along with it. You also signed the documents.

So, looking at the complaint you have made (based on your post here) there are inconsistencies in what you are saying and what happened. There is no evidence to suggest you were not applying for cover but plenty of evidence to confirm you did. So, if I was a complaints handler, I would have to consider the evidence and make a balance of probability decision and I'm afraid I would have to go with the bank decision.
1 - you said you didnt apply. yet there is documentary evidence that you did.
2 - you said no GP request was made but it was (and that requires your signature. It also requires GP details which only you can give).
3 - Lloyds issue a report explaining what you have taken out and why. So, why did you not act on that report if you didnt take something out?

So, you have no evidence to support your claims but there is a fair bit of evidence to show your claims are wrong. So, on a balance of probability, you have to go with the bank. Sorry.

As I said, I do suspect you are suckered in to it as that is what sales reps do. However, you lack the evidence to support your claims and they can show your claims as being wrong. The rest of it is largely irrelevant.

That said, having a decline on CI for being overweight and epilepsy is not going to have any impact on other insurers. Its a declarable point but they are issues they would all be taking into account already if genuinely disclosed. So, I would say that £200 isnt a bad result really.

I am seriously thinking of seeking legal advice

And what evidence do you have that you could present to court to support your case that you have not presented to Lloyds?

onesixfive

I agree, it was a sales pitch - but, with respect, you were not there - I signed nothing - I did say "no thank you", I simply came away with a presentation, I gave no GP details so nobody was able to approach my doctor, and it was an immediate print off stating "unfortunately we are not able to provide you with any protection at this time following a medical underwriting with Scottish Widows" based solely on the info. I had given the salesman - ie; height & weight.
I simply attended what I expected to be a review of my bank accounts.
I reiterate: I have been "declined at point of sale" , Insurance cover I never asked for, never took up, & never even wanted!

Mr_K

Complain, you've been 'diddled' by a salesman.

In future make sure you're opted of of any marketing (they hate this) and refuse to attend any 'reviews' with the bank. See an independent financial adviser if you need any advice.

dunstonh

I agree, it was a sales pitch - but, with respect, you were not there - I signed nothing -

No. I was not there. Nor was the person who is looking at your complaint or anyone else who will look at your complaint. We only have what you tell us. You say you signed nothing and gave no GP details. Yet if you signed nothing, how were they able to proceed with with an application that required GP details. The signature would be required for the GP.

So, if you believe that there was nothing then counter them by asking them to prove you made an application. If they cant prove it then it puts them on shaky ground. If they can prove it then it blows you out of the water.

It is possible to make electronic applications for life assurance. However, that process involves the insurer writing to you directly informing you that an application has been made and the details that have been input to the system. So, if they did use that method (and I dont know if the banks do or not) then you would have known about it.

jamesd

dunstonh, there was no need for a signature for a report from a GP because no GP's report was requested. If a sales person is cheating a customer they might also forge the customer's signature and hope that the GP's office doesn't notice.

Remember the recent case of a mortgage introducer who falsified income details, including P60s, from his clients to hit sales targets without even telling his clients he was doing it.

dunstonh

It certainly happens James. However, if it was electronic then information is sent direct in the post to the applicant asking them to verify the details of the application. If its not electronic, then it still requires signatures.

So, if the OP is adamant that nothing was signed then she should ask them to prove it. If she goes to the FOS with the complaint, they are going to look at that. You can bet your life the bank complaints handler have looked at it. So, the OP should get to look at it as well. If it is signed and its a forged signature then she should say so.

onesixfive

everybody is getting in a tizz about a GP report - there was no GP report - my GP wouldnt even know WHAT I weigh! its so long since I went there to be weighed! (I dont even know myself) - it is the reason (I can guess), I was turned down on the day because that is the only medical fact we discussed in the room which gave apparent cause for concern.

My gripe is - I was turned down for insurance, and have ended up with a "record", from a product I was "asked to buy into", that I didnt want, I never took up, and I never even enquired about in the first place - the said product came up in conversation by a salesman at the Halifax, who were meant to be reviewing my investments and accounts at the time!

dunstonh

everybody is getting in a tizz about a GP report - there was no GP report -

So, what were the insurer doing in that that three month period between the being referred to underwriters?

Look, you have some good grounds for complaint based on what you say. However, we don't know the other side. We are just asking questions about what the other side have that has led them to the decision not to fully uphold your complaint but offer you just a goodwill gesture payment. If you take your complaint to the FOS, then they are going to find this information out.

So, if you vehemently deny signing anything and providing no medical information and no GP details then you should adjust your complaint to make the accusation of fraud. If their sales rep has submitted an insurance application without any of that being supplied by you then it is fraud and you should not be penalised for it. At the moment, they don't appear to fully believe you and just reckon you are not happy with the rejection.