Vitality are screwing me around

alecchalmers

We were on a health insurance plan that allowed us to cancel whenever we want. So we phone them up and cancel the plan, and the advisor assures us the plan is cancelled and that we will get confirmation through. We were actually even advised that we could cancel the direct debit if we wanted, so we did that too. I'm glad we did.

Then, after the next payment would have been due, we receive a messsge from them that we are now in arrears. We phone up again and are assured it's been cancelled and that we will have a notification immediately to confirm this and that we don't owe anything. The notification doesn't come again so we phone again and they confirm it's been cancelled a third time etc. End of the month arrives and our arrears amount goes up again. This has been going on for months now.

Are we being scammed by this company who seem to be pretending, over the phone, to have cancelled the plan but keep adding our monthly payments to an ever increasing arrears amount? Surely this is not just inept but illegal? They even acknowledge that they can see the date when we cancelled month's ago but the arrears bill just keeps going up regardless.

Their helpline is the opposite of helpful and the amount they say we owe is spiralling. 

Any advice would be very helpful and this is really stressing us out now and seems like they are breaking some sort of law.

dunstonh

Then, after the next payment would have been due, we receive a messsge from them that we are now in arrears. We phone up again and are assured it's been cancelled and that we will have a notification immediately to confirm this and that we don't owe anything. The notification doesn't come again so we phone again and they confirm it's been cancelled a third time etc. End of the month arrives and our arrears amount goes up again. This has been going on for months now.

By cancelling the direct debit, that would have set in place an automated process of warning letters.     These do not appear to be have been suppressed by your phone call.

Are we being scammed by this company who seem to be pretending, over the phone, to have cancelled the plan but keep adding our monthly payments to an ever increasing arrears amount?

How would you be scammed?

 Surely this is not just inept but illegal?

How would it be illegal?     

Any advice would be very helpful and this is really stressing us out now and seems like they are breaking some sort of law.

They are not breaking any law and there is nothing to be stressful about.   Frustrated at their incompetence maybe but that is all.   It will lapse in due course.

marcia_

dunstonh said:

Then, after the next payment would have been due, we receive a messsge from them that we are now in arrears. We phone up again and are assured it's been cancelled and that we will have a notification immediately to confirm this and that we don't owe anything. The notification doesn't come again so we phone again and they confirm it's been cancelled a third time etc. End of the month arrives and our arrears amount goes up again. This has been going on for months now.

By cancelling the direct debit, that would have set in place an automated process of warning letters.     These do not appear to be have been suppressed by your phone call.

Are we being scammed by this company who seem to be pretending, over the phone, to have cancelled the plan but keep adding our monthly payments to an ever increasing arrears amount?

How would you be scammed?

 Surely this is not just inept but illegal?

How would it be illegal?     

Any advice would be very helpful and this is really stressing us out now and seems like they are breaking some sort of law.

They are not breaking any law and there is nothing to be stressful about.   Frustrated at their incompetence maybe but that is all.   It will lapse in due course.

 There might be something to be stressed about if the company are adding missed payments to their credit record.

 OP I suggest you check your credit report to see if that is the case. If they have you need to make a formal complaint. 

user1977

alecchalmers said:

Surely this is not just inept but illegal? 

Being inept is not a criminal offence, if that's what you're asking.

alecchalmers

Thank you Marcia, we will check the credit report.

To the other posters, a bit of empathy goes a long way when someone isn't having a good time.

dunstonh

 There might be something to be stressed about if the company are adding missed payments to their credit record.

Payments for income protection are not under a credit agreement.

To the other posters, a bit of empathy goes a long way when someone isn't having a good time.

It is a minor administration frustration.   No empathy is needed for such a basic issue.

alecchalmers

Sure buddy, you've been the best of help!

DullGreyGuy

marcia_ said:

dunstonh said:

Then, after the next payment would have been due, we receive a messsge from them that we are now in arrears. We phone up again and are assured it's been cancelled and that we will have a notification immediately to confirm this and that we don't owe anything. The notification doesn't come again so we phone again and they confirm it's been cancelled a third time etc. End of the month arrives and our arrears amount goes up again. This has been going on for months now.

By cancelling the direct debit, that would have set in place an automated process of warning letters.     These do not appear to be have been suppressed by your phone call.

Are we being scammed by this company who seem to be pretending, over the phone, to have cancelled the plan but keep adding our monthly payments to an ever increasing arrears amount?

How would you be scammed?

 Surely this is not just inept but illegal?

How would it be illegal?     

Any advice would be very helpful and this is really stressing us out now and seems like they are breaking some sort of law.

They are not breaking any law and there is nothing to be stressful about.   Frustrated at their incompetence maybe but that is all.   It will lapse in due course.

 There might be something to be stressed about if the company are adding missed payments to their credit record.

Sounds like you need to understand the difference between "general insurance" and "protection insurance". 

The former is due to be paid in advance, it typically covers 1 year of cover. If you cannot afford to pay a year in advance the seller may offer payment in instalments where they lend you the money and you pay them back by month. 

Protection insurance is different. It covers potentially 50 years or longer and so you aren't obliged to pay it up front but instead commit to a frequency of payment which may be index linked. It therefore takes a very different form upon non-payment. You haven't breached a credit agreement to be reported to a CRA because many will die before the policy is up

marcia_

DullGreyGuy said:

marcia_ said:

dunstonh said:

Then, after the next payment would have been due, we receive a messsge from them that we are now in arrears. We phone up again and are assured it's been cancelled and that we will have a notification immediately to confirm this and that we don't owe anything. The notification doesn't come again so we phone again and they confirm it's been cancelled a third time etc. End of the month arrives and our arrears amount goes up again. This has been going on for months now.

By cancelling the direct debit, that would have set in place an automated process of warning letters.     These do not appear to be have been suppressed by your phone call.

Are we being scammed by this company who seem to be pretending, over the phone, to have cancelled the plan but keep adding our monthly payments to an ever increasing arrears amount?

How would you be scammed?

 Surely this is not just inept but illegal?

How would it be illegal?     

Any advice would be very helpful and this is really stressing us out now and seems like they are breaking some sort of law.

They are not breaking any law and there is nothing to be stressful about.   Frustrated at their incompetence maybe but that is all.   It will lapse in due course.

 There might be something to be stressed about if the company are adding missed payments to their credit record.

Sounds like you need to understand the difference between "general insurance" and "protection insurance". 

The former is due to be paid in advance, it typically covers 1 year of cover. If you cannot afford to pay a year in advance the seller may offer payment in instalments where they lend you the money and you pay them back by month. 

Protection insurance is different. It covers potentially 50 years or longer and so you aren't obliged to pay it up front but instead commit to a frequency of payment which may be index linked. It therefore takes a very different form upon non-payment. You haven't breached a credit agreement to be reported to a CRA because many will die before the policy is up

 Actually I don't need lessons from you teacher. 

dunstonh

marcia_ said:

DullGreyGuy said:

marcia_ said:

dunstonh said:

Then, after the next payment would have been due, we receive a messsge from them that we are now in arrears. We phone up again and are assured it's been cancelled and that we will have a notification immediately to confirm this and that we don't owe anything. The notification doesn't come again so we phone again and they confirm it's been cancelled a third time etc. End of the month arrives and our arrears amount goes up again. This has been going on for months now.

By cancelling the direct debit, that would have set in place an automated process of warning letters.     These do not appear to be have been suppressed by your phone call.

Are we being scammed by this company who seem to be pretending, over the phone, to have cancelled the plan but keep adding our monthly payments to an ever increasing arrears amount?

How would you be scammed?

 Surely this is not just inept but illegal?

How would it be illegal?     

Any advice would be very helpful and this is really stressing us out now and seems like they are breaking some sort of law.

They are not breaking any law and there is nothing to be stressful about.   Frustrated at their incompetence maybe but that is all.   It will lapse in due course.

 There might be something to be stressed about if the company are adding missed payments to their credit record.

Sounds like you need to understand the difference between "general insurance" and "protection insurance". 

The former is due to be paid in advance, it typically covers 1 year of cover. If you cannot afford to pay a year in advance the seller may offer payment in instalments where they lend you the money and you pay them back by month. 

Protection insurance is different. It covers potentially 50 years or longer and so you aren't obliged to pay it up front but instead commit to a frequency of payment which may be index linked. It therefore takes a very different form upon non-payment. You haven't breached a credit agreement to be reported to a CRA because many will die before the policy is up

 Actually I don't need lessons from you teacher. 

Well, you did give the OP duff information.

marcia_

dunstonh said:

marcia_ said:

DullGreyGuy said:

marcia_ said:

dunstonh said:

Then, after the next payment would have been due, we receive a messsge from them that we are now in arrears. We phone up again and are assured it's been cancelled and that we will have a notification immediately to confirm this and that we don't owe anything. The notification doesn't come again so we phone again and they confirm it's been cancelled a third time etc. End of the month arrives and our arrears amount goes up again. This has been going on for months now.

By cancelling the direct debit, that would have set in place an automated process of warning letters.     These do not appear to be have been suppressed by your phone call.

Are we being scammed by this company who seem to be pretending, over the phone, to have cancelled the plan but keep adding our monthly payments to an ever increasing arrears amount?

How would you be scammed?

 Surely this is not just inept but illegal?

How would it be illegal?     

Any advice would be very helpful and this is really stressing us out now and seems like they are breaking some sort of law.

They are not breaking any law and there is nothing to be stressful about.   Frustrated at their incompetence maybe but that is all.   It will lapse in due course.

 There might be something to be stressed about if the company are adding missed payments to their credit record.

Sounds like you need to understand the difference between "general insurance" and "protection insurance". 

The former is due to be paid in advance, it typically covers 1 year of cover. If you cannot afford to pay a year in advance the seller may offer payment in instalments where they lend you the money and you pay them back by month. 

Protection insurance is different. It covers potentially 50 years or longer and so you aren't obliged to pay it up front but instead commit to a frequency of payment which may be index linked. It therefore takes a very different form upon non-payment. You haven't breached a credit agreement to be reported to a CRA because many will die before the policy is up

 Actually I don't need lessons from you teacher. 

Well, you did give the OP duff information.

 And? It will not cause them hardship. Who made you two forum police 🙄