Trying to reclaim subs on closed account, worth a go?

The_pc_tech

I had some success claiming back PPI on a former Egg loan at the end of last year.

I've just been reading the section regarding reclaiming subscription charges on bank accounts.

From August 2004 until March 2009 I banked with Smile which as you know is the coop bank's Internet banking brand (I was cheesed off with Natwest who would only at the time give me a solo card on the current account despite my going into the branch with a letter indicating my contract had been made permanent and as I was a shift worker at the time taking up my time off with trekking up to a bank didn't appeal that much as they didn't do a lot of stuff by post or online back then)

Anyway one day I was at home I applied for a smilemore current account primarily because it came with a fee free £500 OD, breakdown cover and phone insurance but did carry a sub of about £10 a month at the time.

I requested that the overdraft be upgraded to £1000 and a few minutes later I was approved.

I switched banks and all went well for the next few years although I did go through a stage of living on the overdraft which was somtimes over 500 quid but I never went anywhere near the 1000 or incurred unauthorised borrowing fees.

At the end of 2008 I injured my shoulder so was off work for a couple of months.

During the time I was off I decided to sort out my finances, I decided to pay off the OD with the money I'd not spent on travel to and from work and then switch to First Direct.

I set two accounts up with FD, one to act as a bill account and the other my main one and switched my salary.

I still owed money on a smile credit card so obviously left that open but closed the current account.

Now my question is, can I reclaim the subs paid over the 4.5 or so years on the basis I did not use the breakdown cover or phone insurance at all?

I did recently switch the remaining smile card balance to a cheaper card but I also have a coop clear visa and recently opened a platinum visa with them too as they have very low interest rates.

If I 'shake the tree' now are they likely to jack up the rates in retalliation? (the clear visa has been open about 7 years and I've never missed a payment when money has been owing on it)

Am I being a little too cheeky here?

bengal-stripe

The_pc_tech wrote: »

Now my question is, can I reclaim the subs paid over the 4.5 or so years on the basis I did not use the breakdown cover or phone insurance at all?

Can you claim your household insurance back if you haven’t been burgled? Can you claim your travel insurance back, if you return from your holiday without lost luggage, illness, accidents, cancelled flights?

You applied for the ‘bells and whistles’ account and even you did not use the ‘whistles’ (telephone insurance, breakdown cover), you did use the ‘bells’ (overdraft up to £ 500, maybe even up to £ 1000 was free.) Do you have any reason to presume the telephone or breakdown insurance would not have paid, presuming you would have needed to claim?

That’s the way insurance works, not everybody has a claim, but you are covered for the eventuality.

The_pc_tech

I did say that I did think I was probably being a little cheeky so was canvassing opinion.