PP vs SIPP

SallyG

£120k ish [fiddler's elbow]
I may have managed to uncouple from the annual review and "adviser fee" - but I can't quite believe it.
I came to drawdown by the direct sales route from a stakeholder [same provider] - but after RDR some sort of transformation overcame the direct salesperson? - I was told about the £300 annual review by what I still regarded as a salesperson employed by the pension provider and it was presented as mandatory/dealbreaker.
I looked on the provider's website for the rules for this annual review - no sign - so I rang the provider who said it's not mandatory - we won't pay your adviser if you tell us not to - I said I have no IFA - I'm a direct sales orphan - no diff they said - no pay unless you say. So I said don't pay.
Confirming letter received.
So an erstwhile pension provider direct sales employee is now an independent restricted adviser charging fees on his own account - someone I can sack?
I can't believe something presented as so unavoidable could be actually my choice.

SallyG

I've found this in COBS and wonder if 1b is the basis?
"Ongoing payment of adviser charges
COBS 6.1A.22
31/12/2012
FCA
A firm must not use an adviser charge which is structured to be payable by the retail client over a period of time unless (1) or (2) applies:
(1) the adviser charge is in respect of an ongoing service for the provision of personal recommendations or related services and:
(a) the firm has disclosed that service along with the adviser charge; and
(b) the retail client is provided with a right to cancel the ongoing service, which must be reasonable in all the circumstances, without penalty and without requiring the retail client to give any reason; or
(2) the adviser charge relates to a retail investment product for which an instruction from the retail client for regular payments is in place and the firm has disclosed that no ongoing personal recommendations or service will be provided."
[ Hope I'm not signed up to (2) ]

Nothing about cancellation of adviser charges in the sign-up docs.

SallyG

Or - yet again does none of the protection - COBS etc - apply to direct sales customers?
What regulatory protection does apply to people who buy their pension direct from the pension company?