PPI help, am I too late?

Trivial_Pursuits

In 1993 I was in full time work & paying back a bank loan from RBS. In late July I was taken into hospital with a mystery ailment. After 6 months my ssp ran out & I went onto sickness benefit? (sorry, so long ago I can't remember the full details) I then noticed that I had paid PPI on the loan (which I wasn't aware of) so I contacted them to say I was unable to return to work for the forseeable future & needed to claim on the PPI. Unbelievably they said that as I hadn't contacted them within the 6 (or whatever) weeks of becoming ill then they had no obligation to pay the claim. I explained that I had no idea I even had PPI until I looked at the paperwork after my ssp being stopped. They said no chance, you're out of time. I continued to pay the loan until it finished even though this was very hard.
My question is, do you think I have any chance of a claim? I don't have any paperwork & it was nearly 21 years ago, which is why I haven't pursued it already.
BTW the mystery ailment didn't go & I have spent the last 20 years in a wheelchair, unable to work.

dunstonh

My question is, do you think I have any chance of a claim?

A claim may be difficult. You should have complained about the claim handling at the time. You have 3 years from being reasonably aware of an issue to make a complaint or the firm can time bar you. Asking them to review the handling of the claim some 21 years later is going to be tricky. Not necessarily impossible but that would depend on records still existing.

Your complaint is different to the norm as its about the claim and not the sale of the policy.

Trivial_Pursuits

Thanks for the quick reply, I would be claiming on the miss-selling as I wasn't aware I even had PPI until I tried to claim 6 months after I became ill & unable to work.

If the PPI had been sold to me correctly I would've known about it & claimed as soon as I became ill & unable to work.

I read somewhere that these co's don't have to keep records after 6 years have passed so can't they just say they don't have any records any more?

dunstonh

I read somewhere that these co's don't have to keep records after 6 years have passed so can't they just say they don't have any records any more?

The regulator recommend 6 years as the timescale to destroy documents. Some follow it tightly. Some less so.

, I would be claiming on the miss-selling as I wasn't aware I even had PPI until I tried to claim 6 months after I became ill & unable to work.

Complaining about the claim may result in a larger payment. 12 months payouts vs premium paid.

Trivial_Pursuits

I know I'm being pessimistic but I feel defeated before I start.

I did complain at the time, to be told 'you have a certain amount of time in which to claim & you are several months out of time'. At the time I was in & out of hospital, not knowing what was wrong with me, worried as to how I was going to pay the bills without any wages & I'm afraid they just defeated me then.

With no paperwork & the passing of 20 years (don't forget back then the whole miss-selling thing hadn't come to light) I think they will just laugh at me & say we don't have records going back that far (even if they do).

It's true that the 'little' people in this world are the ones who always get trodden on, I'll just crawl back in my hole & forget about it.:( Thanks for all your help, I appreciate you taking the time.