Frustrating PPI Claim with Britannia Building Society

aardvark56

I am just wanting to see whether my experience is typical. I had a mortgage with Britannia and, in having a clear out, discovered an old letter from Britannia stating that my PPI was coming to end. I wasn't aware I had PPI. I emailed Britannia (now Cooperative) and was told to contact HSBC who were handling this. I did so quoting the Policy number. I received a reply from the Halifax requesting that I complete a six page questionnaire. Questions include what I was earning at the time the policy was taken out, what savings I had, who sold me the policy etc. As above I was not aware I had a policy or when it was taken out. The Halifax do have the policy number. Is this response typical? Delaying tactics?
I would welcome advice please before starting a paperwork search.
Thanks in advance,

Nasqueron

You were aware you had the policy, you simply forgot. Sorry to be blunt but it's a myth created by claims companies that you could somehow have had a policy slipped into your mortgage without you knowing - you signed to say you wanted it (you may even have had to have it, some firms did require it / some brokers offering a fee-free model would require it for their commission). You would have had a separate monthly direct debit coming out every month that paid for this in normal MPPI circumstances.

It is basic fact finding from the bank to check if your policy was suitable (such as whether you were eligible to claim) and how it was sold (to determine liability). If you were sold it by a broker pre-2005 then your complaint is over as they were not regulated. If it was sold by a bank staff member then whoever has responsibility for the accounts of that period has to look at it.

[Deleted User]

aardvark56 wrote: »

Delaying tactics?

Only if they want to increase the amount of redress they pay you if you're successful.

That seems unlikely.

aardvark56

Thanks for your reply and information. Just for clarification. I was unaware and no separate DD. Just checked paperwork and it is tucked away in the small print. So I did sign for it but was unaware of extra payment.

Nasqueron

aardvark56 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply and information. Just for clarification. I was unaware and no separate DD. Just checked paperwork and it is tucked away in the small print. So I did sign for it but was unaware of extra payment.

MPPI is a separate insurance policy, it is not hidden in the Ts & Cs of the mortgage. As you say, you signed for it, so you were aware.


Establish who sold it to you - if a broker, forget it


If a bank, try and present better complaint reasons than "I signed for something without reading the paperwork" but do understand that MPPI is generally seen as a good product as it protects your home from a 25 year debt so you'd need some pretty good reasons why you didn't need the cover

aardvark56

Thank you but I have the paperwork in front of me.

Nasqueron

The paperwork for your mortgage, yes?


Not the separate paperwork for your MPPI policy?


You admit that the details are in your Ts & Cs so again, not reading these is not a complaint reason.


As above, arguing semantics is pointless, you need to look at provable and solid complaint reasons to give to the lender, not arguing the toss about this with me

[Deleted User]

aardvark56 wrote: »

Is this response typical?

Understand that the six page questionnaire is not "typical", it's standard procedure.
Your "complaint" that you didn't know you had it (but paid it for years anyhow) is very weak.
While it's possible the PPI was front-loaded onto the mortgage so that you only paid a single monthly premium, this is unusual with mortgages and it's far more likely the insurance was paid separately.
In the absence of a compelling complaint from you, the questionnaire is guiding you to provide other pertinent information that may lead to a successful outcome for you. So , them asking you to provide details of income and savings is not an intrusion into your privacy-it's to establish whether you had any need for the insurance. Clearly. if your mortgage was a large proportion of your income and you didn't have substantial savings then that would suggest the policy was suitable for your needs. So do fill in the form fully and honestly if you want any chance of success.

aardvark56 wrote: »

Delaying tactics?

"Delaying tactics" are not a feature of PPI complaints. Years ago, banks notoriously employed these to hold off refunding bank charges because they had a court case pending (which they subsequently won). With PPI, there is no advantage to delaying the progress of your complaint as interest is paid right up to the day the refund payment or cheque is issued.

aardvark56

Thanks I am only at the beginning of this process so your placing of the Halifax response in context is very helpful.

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

Understand that the six page questionnaire is not "typical", it's standard procedure.
Your "complaint" that you didn't know you had it (but paid it for years anyhow) is very weak.
While it's possible the PPI was front-loaded onto the mortgage so that you only paid a single monthly premium, this is unusual with mortgages and it's far more likely the insurance was paid separately.
In the absence of a compelling complaint from you, the questionnaire is guiding you to provide other pertinent information that may lead to a successful outcome for you. So , them asking you to provide details of income and savings is not an intrusion into your privacy-it's to establish whether you had any need for the insurance. Clearly. if your mortgage was a large proportion of your income and you didn't have substantial savings then that would suggest the policy was suitable for your needs. So do fill in the form fully and honestly if you want any chance of success.

"Delaying tactics" are not a feature of PPI complaints. Years ago, banks notoriously employed these to hold off refunding bank charges because they had a court case pending (which they subsequently won). With PPI, there is no advantage to delaying the progress of your complaint as interest is paid right up to the day the refund payment or cheque is issued.

dunstonh

Is this response typical? Delaying tactics?

You must remember that you are making an allegation of wrongdoing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having MPPI. You can still buy it today. It is one of the two "good" types of PPI that are still available.

So, they want to know what you believe was done wrong. They can then look into that and see if they have any supporting information that backs up your allegations. If there is, then they uphold your complaint. If there isnt then they reject it (unless you can provide evidence).

aardvark56

Thanks to dunstonh and moneyineptitude for their broad information about the PPI process rather than assume they know about my particular case. It prompted me to go up the loft and find the relevant documentation. I did have PPI cover, there was no separate policy or separate DD. What prompted me to look into this was the discovery of a letter saying my PPI policy had come to and end. As stated previously I had no discussion with the mortgage lender re PPI because Britannia gave one year free PPI cover when I took out the mortgage. Hence the absence of a policy and DD. So no claim but no doubt! Thanks.