CPP (Credit Card Protection Plan) - Don't want it, but they won't refund me.

MrBasset

Hi fellow Money Savers,

I recently got around to catching up with reconciling a my last two month's worth of barclaycard statements (I'd been on a longer than normal holiday, I hadn't been around to process them as I normally would), and I discovered on my credit card bill an £85 card from CPP dated the 17th July on my August statement.

It seems that this company offer a credit card protection plan (not PPI) which involves being a one stop shop to cancelling all my cards if they are lost or stolen.

This is not a service I want or need and more importantly even knew that I'd ever signed up for, so I phoned to tell them that and get a refund. Having battled through their automated phone system (I don't have a policy number, and this seemed pretty mandatory to get anywhere fast). I finally managed to talk to someone.

It seems that this is something that I was signed up to back in '05 when I first took the card out (it was a Morgan Stanley Platinum card back then). I wasn't aware that I'd signed up, as evidenced by the fact that the address registered on the account was grossly out of date (I have moved a few times since then) and there has never been any more cards or details assigned to the account than the initial Morgan Stanley card (though the card number seems to have been kept up to date by Barclays).

The CPP guy on the phone seemed to agree that that appeared to be the case that I can't have known about the product (due to the lack of activity on the account and my never having kept it up to date). However, he stated that a) they wouldn't cancel the policy's automatic renewal (it renews every 3 years and I should be contacted 14 days before the renewal with an opportunity to opt out) and b) they wouldn't give me a refund; it has been more than 14 days since I was billed and therefore the cooling off period is past. He wouldn't budge from this position and seemed more intent on trying to sell me more products than actually addressing my complaint.

I also tried phoning Barclay's to see if they could do anything (twice). Both times the guy on the phone was pretty unhelpful and just said I had to phone CPP, even though I was telling him that I wanted to dispute the transaction.

Other than writing a strongly worded letter to CPP, I'm not sure where to take this next. Barclays appear to be a dead end as I can't seem to progress beyond the first line support who seem to think that there is no problem with the transaction.

What are my options at this point, any suggestions would be really helpful?

Thanks in advance.
~Dan

wealdroam

Firstly, you don't mention it but have you managed to cancel the arrangement so that you don't get another charge in three years time?

MrBasset

Hi,

Thanks for your response. I hadn't realised what a wall of text I'd written until I just logged in on my phone ... ouch.

It definately wasn't clear but I'd said:

MrBasset wrote: »

he stated that a) they wouldn't cancel the policy's automatic renewal (it renews every 3 years and I should be contacted 14 days before the renewal with an opportunity to opt out)

So no, right now they are refusing to cancel the automatic renewal. That in itself makes me quite mad. Why should I have to remember that I need to cancel, and as I currently rent it's quite unlikely that I'll be at the same address in 3 years time, so I may well be stung again as the first I knew of the charge was when my statement arrived, already well after the "cooling off period".

~Dan

somethingcorporate

Unfortunately it would be your responsibility to keep your service providers informed of your current whereabouts.

If you don't provide them with your up to date details how do you expect them to contact you?

That is beside the point, I would see if you can get hold of a copy of your 3 years ago statements to see if you were originally charged for this. If you were then chances are you agreed to the auto-renewal at point of sale.

Spangles78

I'm having a very similar experience although with Virgin Credit Cards (MBNA) & CPP - I closed my V ccard in 2009 & am finding it tremendously difficult to get rid of the problem even though I've got out of my way to try & sort it. Feel like I'm being treated like a criminal, even though I notified everyone of changes of address etc. CPP continue to take payments even though I cancelled & MBNA giving me information that CPP dispute. V.frustrating!!

MrBasset

I just thought that I'd post an update.

My previous call to CPP I was told nothing could be done and that they would send out some policy documents.

Since I hadn't got anything in the post, I figured that I'd contact them again and update this forum with what was going on and maybe add some more information.

Interestingly, I'd been contacted by private message with an email address at CPP to contact, but feeling a little uncomfortable about doing that I telephoned again.

Spoke to a guy named Tom and the difference couldn't be night and day. He downgraded my policy to a 1 year which refunded me £50, cancelled the auto-renewal so that at the very least I won't be billed again and raised the issue to the complaints department so that they'll look into it.

So, I'm feeling much better. Spangles78, it sounds like your having a much harder time that I am. Hope you get it resolved soon.

~Dan