MBNA / CPP Holdings Ltd card protection fraud

tomato_2

Hello everyone -

Wondering if anyone has any advice about solving a problem I'm having with MBNA and their card protection partners CPP Holdings Ltd.

I cancelled the card protection cover (provided by CPP Holdings Ltd) on my MBNA card in July 2006, and cancelled the MBNA card itself in August 2006. In both cases, I have a record of when I called and who I spoke to. MBNA have confirmed that my account with them is indeed closed.

Unfortunately, I received a statement from MBNA recently saying that I have been charged £29 for a further year's card protection, despite the fact that the card had been cancelled! This amount is now accruing interest and even a late payment charge!

Predictably, MBNA are refusing to accept any responsibility for this fraudulent charge (even though they seemingly authorised a transaction on a closed account!), and have referred me across to CPP Holdings Ltd. MBNA say that they will expect me to pay the charge unless CPP relent.

I have sent a letter by recorded delivery to CPP Holdings Ltd complaining about the charge and requesting a resolution, but, incredibly, they have refused to sign for it, so it hasn't been delivered! No-one I can speak to on the phone will deal with the problem. (Interestingly, in my experience the only times in the past I've heard of companies rejecting post that needs to be signed for is when they've got constant streams of County Court threats or demands coming through, or when they're just about to go bust.)

If anyone has any advice on the best and fastest way to resolve this problem as quickly as possible (aside from just paying the charge, of course!), I would be very grateful to hear it!

Edit: It appears CPP Holdings Ltd are now CPP Group Plc.

tomato_2

Hi Albertross -

Thanks for your reply and the info.

albertross wrote: »

Why cant they deal with it on the phone?

Well, indeed! The answer is that they just won't - they are insistent that you need to write in.

It appears, though, that if you write in through a method that requires someone signing for the letter (ie recorded delivery), they just refuse to sign, and the letter remains undelivered. Of course, there shouldn't be the need to send the letter by recorded delivery, but I have a sneaking suspicion that we'd end up on the "we never received your letter" merry-go-round if I couldn't prove delivery. (This is through the Holgate Park, York address, which would also be the point of contact for the Group Chief Executive you mentioned. I'll have a look at the Companies House WebCHeck service when it's online again and see if they have a different address for service.)

The result of all this is that they are, presumably deliberately, making themselves as uncooperative and difficult to contact as possible.

I know a scam when I see one. To my eyes, this appears to be nothing other than a legalised scam.

jojo1978_3

I would call the credit card company up again, see if you can remember the date you originally cancelled the policy and get mbna to dispute the transaction. They do normally ask for confirmation that you cancelled it, but i believe that cpp are supposed to send you a letter to advise that they are charging it again unless you contact them to say no. So i would argue it on those grounds.