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Help! Being Charged For Things I Haven't had in 10+ Years!

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Hi everyone, the situation is this. Phones4U sold me a phone when I was a teenager of about 16 that came with phone insurance. I am now 29, and they went bust long ago. With that phone came an insurance policy, that i cancelled YEARS AGO when I was with HSBC. Some years later (still early 20s at this point) I discovered they were charging me "Policy Admin Servs" every month without my permission. I cancelled it again, and was angry about it but didnt have the time to deal with it. They have since, been fined £2.8m by the Financial Conduct Authority for just this thing. Now, in 2022, I check my new bank - Halifax - and find out they are charging me here for something i havent used in years and have cancelled twice! What can I do, and how do i get back the now over £1000.00 they have taken from me over the years?

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  • cx6
    cx6 Posts: 1,176 Forumite
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    edited 18 March 2022 at 3:14PM
    Who is 'they' that are charging you? Which insurance company?

    As for stopping the payments, you log onto your new bank (Halifax) and cancel the direct debit. If it is not a DD but a CPA on your debit card then you ask Halifax to cancel the CPA.

    To (try and) get the £1000 back you contact the insurance company and raise a complaint.
  • Brie
    Brie Posts: 14,559 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Cancelled with whom?  The insurance company or your bank?  You should do both.  And do you have proof of having cancelled it?
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  • Cornucopia
    Cornucopia Posts: 16,470 Forumite
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    How did the DD get setup at your new bank?    How long has it been being paid by them without a clear authority?   If there is a possibility of fraud or bank negligence, then the DD guarantee may apply, and you may be able to get a backdated refund.   
  • Brie
    Brie Posts: 14,559 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    How did the DD get setup at your new bank?    How long has it been being paid by them without a clear authority?   If there is a possibility of fraud or bank negligence, then the DD guarantee may apply, and you may be able to get a backdated refund.   
    I suspect if the OP did a bank switch all the DDs would have been moved whether they are right or not rather than it being fraud or bank negligence.  But by calling the bank some money might be recovered.
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on Debt Free Wannabe, Old Style Money Saving and Pensions boards.  If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.

    Click on this link for a Statement of Accounts that can be posted on the DebtFree Wannabe board:  https://lemonfool.co.uk/financecalculators/soa.php

    Check your state pension on: Check your State Pension forecast - GOV.UK

    "Never retract, never explain, never apologise; get things done and let them howl.”  Nellie McClung
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  • Cornucopia
    Cornucopia Posts: 16,470 Forumite
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    Brie said:
    How did the DD get setup at your new bank?    How long has it been being paid by them without a clear authority?   If there is a possibility of fraud or bank negligence, then the DD guarantee may apply, and you may be able to get a backdated refund.   
    I suspect if the OP did a bank switch all the DDs would have been moved whether they are right or not rather than it being fraud or bank negligence.  But by calling the bank some money might be recovered.
    Yes... although if cancelled DDs were reactivated when transferring them to the new bank, that would be negligence, I would have thought.   Ultimately, the OP needs to raise the issue with their bank, and go from there.
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