Santander Car Loan set up by Car Sales Person

AnthonyGallagher

Hi all

This is my first post but have read the forum lots and love how everyone shares their knowledge....sooo useful!

I am writing this thread to see if anyone can provide some insight into my PPI situation.

My car loan was paid off at the end of March 2013 over a 4 year term. I only just looked through my documentation whist reorganising my papers and found a Credit Protection Insurance policy document. I was adamant I didn't have any insurance hence not looking into it and stumbling across it a year later. I have made some inquiries with Santander and they responded with a letter which stated the following:

"Having completed a search or our records I can find no details of any Payment Protection policy purchased bu you via ourselves. Unless you can provide more information, I am unable to assist you further."

Reading through the document more carefully the policy document (even though on Santander letterhead) states that it is underwritten by The Prudential Assurance Company Limited and Pinnacle Insurance plc. Under Pinnacle Insurance plc in a box at the top of the policy there is a policy number and policy date.

My question is: Who do I claim back the PPI from? Is it Santander or Pinnacle Insurance? I was genuinely unaware I had paid this and surprised when I looked through my paperwork as I have a permanent full-time job that pays 6 months full pay and 6 months half pay if incapacitated.

Any advice is very much appreciated.

Kind Regards

Anth

Insider101

AnthonyGallagher wrote: »

Hi all

This is my first post but have read the forum lots and love how everyone shares their knowledge....sooo useful!

I am writing this thread to see if anyone can provide some insight into my PPI situation.

My car loan was paid off at the end of March 2013 over a 4 year term. I only just looked through my documentation whist reorganising my papers and found a Credit Protection Insurance policy document. I was adamant I didn't have any insurance hence not looking into it and stumbling across it a year later. I have made some inquiries with Santander and they responded with a letter which stated the following:

"Having completed a search or our records I can find no details of any Payment Protection policy purchased bu you via ourselves. Unless you can provide more information, I am unable to assist you further."

Reading through the document more carefully the policy document (even though on Santander letterhead) states that it is underwritten by The Prudential Assurance Company Limited and Pinnacle Insurance plc. Under Pinnacle Insurance plc in a box at the top of the policy there is a policy number and policy date.

My question is: Who do I claim back the PPI from? Is it Santander or Pinnacle Insurance? I was genuinely unaware I had paid this and surprised when I looked through my paperwork as I have a permanent full-time job that pays 6 months full pay and 6 months half pay if incapacitated.

Any advice is very much appreciated.

Kind Regards

Anth

You can't "claim the PPI back". This is a myth sponsored by third party ambulance chasers. What you can do if you are unhappy with the way it was sold is complain about it. In that case you would do it to the seller which would be the car dealership I assume? Therefore you need to direct your complaint to them. Which is what Santander are saying in a roundabout kind of way.

AnthonyGallagher

Insider101 wrote: »

You can't "claim the PPI back". This is a myth sponsored by third party ambulance chasers. What you can do if you are unhappy with the way it was sold is complain about it. In that case you would do it to the seller which would be the car dealership I assume? Therefore you need to direct your complaint to them. Which is what Santander are saying in a roundabout kind of way.

I do believe it was added to my loan without it being made apparent or discussed with me during the transaction. Maybe this was due to the sales person pulling the wool over my eyes at the time. I have never seen anywhere a claim going directly through a dealership? I thought the organisation that I paid the money to would investigate this with the dealership? Or is it right I will need to speak to the car dealer?

Insider101

AnthonyGallagher wrote: »

I do believe it was added to my loan without it being made apparent or discussed with me during the transaction. Maybe this was due to the sales person pulling the wool over my eyes at the time. I have never seen anywhere a claim going directly through a dealership? I thought the organisation that I paid the money to would investigate this with the dealership? Or is it right I will need to speak to the car dealer?

No. It's right. You are complaining that the policy was missold to you. The dealership sold it. That is not the responsibility of the insurance provider. If you want to make a complaint, you should do it to the dealer.

They will probably try and palm off the blame on someone else as car dealers are generally only undertaking financial services business as an add on and their understanding of compliance requirements is not terribly good. However, they should answer your complaint.

AnthonyGallagher

Insider101 wrote: »

No. It's right. You are complaining that the policy was missold to you. The dealership sold it. That is not the responsibility of the insurance provider. If you want to make a complaint, you should do it to the dealer.

They will probably try and palm off the blame on someone else as car dealers are generally only undertaking financial services business as an add on and their understanding of compliance requirements is not terribly good. However, they should answer your complaint.

Cheers, I'll make some inquiries with the dealership. Not sure how this will turn out mind as it's not a chain, so unlikely to have stringent customer service standards/policy, it's an independent and at the time I remember them being quite pushy and not that professional.

Insider101

AnthonyGallagher wrote: »

Cheers, I'll make some inquiries with the dealership. Not sure how this will turn out mind as it's not a chain, so unlikely to have stringent customer service standards/policy, it's an independent and at the time I remember them being quite pushy and not that professional.

This is precisely why they are likely to try and palm you off at first. But if the deal was post 2005 ( which is the way I read your post) then they ought to have been FSA authorised to sell a general insurance policy, if they weren't its a criminal offence.

I am assuming here that the finance package was actually arranged for you by a representative of the dealer?

McKneff

If you don't want to speak to them, write to them, keep all copies and send recorded delivery.


Im sure there will be a template letter somewhere on there if another member would be kind enough to post one

McKneff

Did you not examine the costings on the invoice/paperwork before you signed accepting the deal.

AnthonyGallagher

Insider101 wrote: »

This is precisely why they are likely to try and palm you off at first. But if the deal was post 2005 ( which is the way I read your post) then they ought to have been FSA authorised to sell a general insurance policy, if they weren't its a criminal offence.

I am assuming here that the finance package was actually arranged for you by a representative of the dealer?

Yes he basically went away made a few calls and came back saying I had passed the credit check so he would set everything up. Sort of rushed through really thinking back. The finance was from 2009 - 2013. Cheers for the advice!

AnthonyGallagher

McKneff wrote: »

If you don't want to speak to them, write to them, keep all copies and send recorded delivery.


Im sure there will be a template letter somewhere on there if another member would be kind enough to post one

Cheers, I will look into the templates, might make it a bit easier and less likely to get fobbed off.

AnthonyGallagher

McKneff wrote: »

Did you not examine the costings on the invoice/paperwork before you signed accepting the deal.

It was a payment I was very stretched making, a lot higher than I anticipated having to repay. Maybe this was due to the additions of the PPI that I wasn't discussed. Looking back I should have asked more questions and queried the repayments but I remember just remember it all being rushed through. It seems I was naive at the time not even knowing anything about PPI.