Tesco Phone Insurance???

james72

My partners parents [who are getting on a bit] got a 'free upgrade' phone [a Samsung one] around 2 years ago.

Both phones and the tariff / etc is through Tesco's. 

Recently the phone stopped working. They thought they were covered on the insurance. 

Tesco informed them today, that when they upgraded [two years ago] - they had been left to pay the insurance on their old phone [an LG one] that clearly they haven't used for the last two years.

The insurance was suggested/organised through Tesco. I believe it's actually a third party that does the insurance - but this was all facilitated through Tesco [as an upsale I guess].

When they upgraded, where Tesco meant to inform them that the insurance they were paying was now for a phone they no longer had? As they weren't told anything, weren't told they needed insurance, they presumed that it was for the new Samsung one.

Anyway. Tesco have said it's their fault [my partners parents]. They have in effect paid for two years of insurance on a phone they were not using, and didn't have the insurance on the phone they were using. Which must show that they thought the insurance was carried over to the new phone.

Right. So are Tesco correct? Have they let my partners parents down? 

I don't mind hearing that Tesco are 100% right, I just want to know if there is any recourse? As - if they are entitled to the two years of insurance payments back that might pay for the new phone to be fixed. And I wonder if Tesco has any obligations [on upgrades] to let the customer know that the insurance they already have, is no longer valid for the new phone. 

I guess they get a commission - but that would suggest that if they didn't have any insurance, then Tesco would surly have piped up to try and sell them some. So does that mean they knowingly allowed them to have the incorrect insurance to keep collecting their 'cut'? 

Any help or advice would be most welcome... 

Thanks x

[Deleted User]

What does the insurance policy say? Does it only cover the initial phone?  At the end if the day, that's what matters.

Whether Tesco could or should have tried to sell them an additional policy doesn't really matter.

y3sitsm3

If the insurance was via a third party it's very unlikely Tesco would know they were still paying for it, so I don't see how they'd know the customer even had it to tell them to cancel it or change it.

james72

I'm sure you are right.

It was an upsell from Tesco - so i would have thought the commission was on their screen?

And if they didn't have insurance - then I am sure Tesco would have tried to upsell them when they upgraded.

But I am sure you are both correct. It's just upsetting that an elderly couple - thought they had insurance but instead have been paying for nothing for two years.

Thanks for your help