Currys Whatever Happens

SophieDurrant_2

Hi,

I recently noticed a direct debit on my bank statement for £9.50 per month so I called Currys to find out what it was and they told me it was for Whatever Happens insurance cover for a Macbook which I bought in August 2011.

I do remember being asked when I was buying the Macbook if I wanted this cover and I said no because I have had it on another laptop I bought and I have never needed to claim on it, the sales rep was a bit pushy actually and asked me several times if I was sure I didn't want the cover and I kept telling him "no."

I accept that I should have noticed the DD on my bank statement sooner, I would even go so far as to say that I feel like a bit of an idiot for not seeing it sooner, but I think that this is besides the point since I specifically said several times I didn't want this cover so never thought to check if a DD was being taken from my account.

Now, I wanted to pay for the Macbook upfront but was convinced by the salesman that I should get with Rentsmart Infinity where you pay for it over two years and after that time you can upgrade to a new laptop and they give you 25% cashback on the price of the original laptop. I did sign a rental agreement and a direct debit mandate for this.

So, I sent an email to the "Knowhow" team at Currys who responded saying that they have a signed Support Agreement from the time of purchase. I have asked them for a copy of this because I certainly don't recall signing such an agreement.

I also discovered that the Rentsmart Infinity agreement I signed includes pretty much the exact same cover I supposedly agreed to take out when I bought the Macbook.

Is it just me, or are the "Knowhow" people trying to suggest that I signed up to pay £9.50 a month for cover which is also included in the Rentsmart agreement they talked me into signing up for? Maybe I'm wrong but I think I am a bit more intelligent than that.

What are my rights here? I think that either way Currys must be in the wrong, because if I did agree to get the Whatever Happens cover, they have sold it to me even though I didn't need it. The thing is, I absolutely POSITIVELY did NOT agree to have the Whatever Happens cover (if I say I don't want something I mean it, I won't change my mind), so for them to take the DD they must have ticked a box after I signed the form or something mustn't they?

As you can probably tell I'm quite angry and ranty, so if you have got this far then many thanks for reading on, I would very much appreciate some advice even if it is to tell me I am wrong and to stop harping on about it

Rant over... for now

InsideInsurance

The "problem" is that Currys and the rest of the DSG is that they have gone to a lot of trouble to ensure their Whatever Happens product is not legally considered insurance and therefore is an unregulated product.

Ultimately as an unregulated product it is simply between you and the retailer to resolve the dispute. In the first instance read the policy book to see what the T&Cs are, particularly around cancellation.

Of cause you can inform your bank it is an unauthorised transaction and get the money back under the DD guarantee and then the ball is in DSGs hands to decide if they want to pursue the matter further and take you to court or let it slide.