'Protect me Today'

latalante

Has anyone also suffered from dealings with this company (which is based in Hove)? I took out a policy with them in 2015 to cover three white goods appliances. I thought there was something odd about them when they failed to respond to any emails asking about the policies. Failing to get any response at all over 9 months and wondering whether the whole company was an elaborate scam, I contacted the Financial Ombudsman, but they eventually said that they could not investigate this company. 'Protect me Today' duly took monthly payments by direct debit for a year, and then, when the renewal time came around, without asking me or sending me any renewal form, they took a whole year's payment out of my account. I should have acted sooner but I duly cancelled the policies with my bank, and rang the company to ask for my money back. Each time I spoke to someone different, and they were polite enough, in saying that they would reimburse me by cheque within a week or 10 days.I have now had that conversation weekly with the same promise, but still no cheque has arrived. Today they asked me for my bank account number "to speed up the process" but I refused and continued to ask for a cheque, but am not very sanguine about the chances of ever receiving the money I am owed. Perhaps fortunately I never used their actual breakdown services while insured with them: if the quality of their engineers is as good as their office staff, I would fear for the safety of my white goods! I wonder if anyone else has ever had dealings with this company and whether they are left as frustrated as I am with their non-existent 'services'? I'd be very interested to hear...

Quentin

You can use the direct debit guarantee to get this money back.


Contact your bank and explain this money was incorrectly taken by dd, and you wish to use the guarantee for a refund


You should get your account credited today and your Bank will take it up with the rogue merchant.

takman

Why won't you give them your bank account number? You gave it to them before when you setup the Direct debit so this is no different. The only thing they could do with a bank account number is either pay money into your account or fraudulently setup a new Direct Debit which wouldn't be very clever because the DD guarantee would mean you got any money back they took. So there really is no risk by giving it to them!.

Also they don't need to ask you or send you a "renewal form" if you agreed to automatic renewals when you took out the policy all that would have done is sent you a letter saying it will automatically renew.

So take this experience as a lesson to get on top of your financial affairs and look for other products you are paying for that you don't need.