Do you have -'POLICY ADMIN SERV 1@ £7.99' on your bank statement?

hrhjetta

This is phones4U at there worst. I too noticed the initial payment of 7.99 been taking from my account. I contacted them on 08448710600 my address and name were not registered with them. They suggest I may be a victim of fraud. As someone may of used my details in store to take out mobile phone insurance. They refused to give me the 'customer's' name and telephone number... you know the person that actually used my bank details because they need to protect them(selves)- data protection. They suggested I call the bank and ask for an imdemnity form to claim my money back. They cant cancell the direct debit as they need to speak to the 'customer'. Where I come from the person paying is normally the customer. I rekon someone who works in the sales department has accessed very old customer records and pulled there bank details and set up false accounts. My account number is not on my card - and certainly the card is never out of my possesion and any way, I have all my bank statements so nobody has been going through my bin. I dont have online banking so they aint got me there either. Eight years ago I had a contract with Phones4U and the hassle I had with them taking multiple direct debits and adding in insurances left right and centre was awful. Half the information on the itemised bill was false - they claimed I called myself 100 and something times in one day. This is a personal opinion when I say someone's at it in there - ive had a rotten experience and now with this... given the account details they had then have not changed.... make your own mind up.

nic368

First of all...thanks to all who have posted before more than helpful,, and hopefully i can also help..

Right my situation was i took a phone out in nov 07 for a 12 month period agreed to the insurance with the 3 months free (with o2 through car phone warehouse) and 12 months went by without any problems...i then changed to vodafone who had their own insurance...and forgot that this policy admin thing on my statements was for this old phone insurance.

Last wednesday 25.05.2010 i checked to see what policy admin services was for and stumbled onto this forum, thank god i did...so 18 months have gone by since i ended the contract that their insurance was for, subsequently overpaying 7.99 a month which totals £143.82

i rang their number and had a chat and got through to the customer services a guy called Matt (very helpful) had a short chat explaining my situation, as usual he said it was the customers responsibility to cancel the insurance, i calmly explained i did not know it was for phone insurance and said 'you dont ask you dont get' he went away and came back and offered 9 months goodwill, but this was because he though i had a contract for 18months which was wrong it was only 12. He went away again and came back again and offered 12 months rebate £95.88.

I decided that from potentially not getting anything to being offered £95.88 a good result.

I would strongly recommend everyone at least has a go at this, my circumstance was slightly different from a few here i did not want to chance the mandate thing as a couple of posts mentioned they keep them for up to 6 year, mine had only been 18 months since i cancelled the phone. i also wanted their insurance for the full term of the contract.

if any one has any questions feel free guys.

humph42

nic368 wrote: »

First of all...thanks to all who have posted before more than helpful,, and hopefully i can also help..

Right my situation was i took a phone out in nov 07 for a 12 month period agreed to the insurance with the 3 months free (with o2 through car phone warehouse) and 12 months went by without any problems...i then changed to vodafone who had their own insurance...and forgot that this policy admin thing on my statements was for this old phone insurance.

Last wednesday 25.05.2010 i checked to see what policy admin services was for and stumbled onto this forum, thank god i did...so 18 months have gone by since i ended the contract that their insurance was for, subsequently overpaying 7.99 a month which totals £143.82

i rang their number and had a chat and got through to the customer services a guy called Matt (very helpful) had a short chat explaining my situation, as usual he said it was the customers responsibility to cancel the insurance, i calmly explained i did not know it was for phone insurance and said 'you dont ask you dont get' he went away and came back and offered 9 months goodwill, but this was because he though i had a contract for 18months which was wrong it was only 12. He went away again and came back again and offered 12 months rebate £95.88.

I decided that from potentially not getting anything to being offered £95.88 a good result.

I would strongly recommend everyone at least has a go at this, my circumstance was slightly different from a few here i did not want to chance the mandate thing as a couple of posts mentioned they keep them for up to 6 year, mine had only been 18 months since i cancelled the phone. i also wanted their insurance for the full term of the contract.

if any one has any questions feel free guys.

I had a similar situation. I had a policy set up probably 5 years ago for a Sony Ericsson on T-mobile. About 3 years ago I upgraded to a Nokia n95 on o2 and wanted the policy to continue on my new phone. Anyway, I just noticed now that the payments have been coming out twice every month.

I've just spoken to PAS and they said it was for two policies and I had not cancelled the previous one and signed up for another. I advised them I don't recall signing another contract and was told at the time that this would be a continuation of my old policy, and asked for a copy of the contract. They came back to me and said they do not have a copy of the contract (or DD mandate) as the account is too old, and offered me 3 months (£23.97) back.

I tried to argue my case further saying I should surely be entitled to the full term back as they have no proof of me signing for another policy - but they are saying because I have made a claim on this policy it proves that I had set up another policy with them. Either way I've paid out over £250 over the last 3 years for a phone that I haven't even had, and have spoken to them before when I wanted to reduce what I was paying because I couldn't afford it, and they didn't tell me about the other policy.

I hope someone can offer some advice because I don't think I should have to settle for a measly 3 months refund.

Thanks
Alex

SouthernBellE*

Had lots of PM's for address to send letter to so easier to leave details here.

You can try calling Policy Admin, I had to put complaint in writing as policy was not held in my name & they refused to deal with me but I was given a contact number.

Tel: 0800 197 3015 extention number 12622 Mark Morris (Customer Relation)

Letter Sent to: Policy Admin Customer Services Dept. Emerald Buildings, Westmere Drive, Crewe Business Park, Crewe, Cheshire. CW1 6UV

Basic outline of letter:

No recollection of a policy for mobile phone and no record of any policy document so DD had been cancelled. Requested copy of AUTHORISED DD MANDATE from date of sale and would expect a full refund if they were unable to produce a copy. If authorisation was obtaine through mis selling, we also expected a refund of all overpaid amounts taken from our bank. Failing this all copies of letters would be forwarded to FOS with our complaint. As we cancelled the DD payments, we'd asked for a summary from our bank of all payments made to them but considered the policy cancelled, the complaint however was ongoing.

Replied within a few days, under terms & conditions of policy, no payments had to be paid back that were made prior to cancellation of policy but because the policy was so old, they were unable to produce a copy of the authourised mandate, as a sign of goodwill and without prejudice, refund offer made. (all amounts paid - 3 months) Dealt with quickly and happy to accept the amount offered. Policy start date was from 1993 & would have been on a very cheap phone. (DS first mobile!) Age of policy went in our favour I guess!

Good luck anyone trying, definately worth a go!

yeswotever

I have just started internet banking & noticed a DD payment going out for the £7.99 with the name Policy Admin Services & hadnt a clue what it was so I googled the name, saw it was for phone insurance & rang them. They told me I took the policy out from Phones 4 U in 2001!!! my mouth gaped open & I calculated I have paid them around £800+, I told them I intended on claiming as much back as I could, they offered me 3 months, £24, on the spot which I have turned down, they have passed it onto their customer care dept who have said will conatct me on Monday.
I cant believe I have been so blind to this, it goes to show that you do need to check the bank statements more closely, but I also belive the policy was mis-sold beacause it has happened to so many people & I would think there is probably alot more people that still have no idea that they are paying this.

Chris

sporedude

yeswotever wrote: »

I have just started internet banking & noticed a DD payment going out for the £7.99 with the name Policy Admin Services & hadnt a clue what it was so I googled the name, saw it was for phone insurance & rang them. They told me I took the policy out from Phones 4 U in 2001!!! my mouth gaped open & I calculated I have paid them around £800+, I told them I intended on claiming as much back as I could, they offered me 3 months, £24, on the spot which I have turned down, they have passed it onto their customer care dept who have said will conatct me on Monday.
I cant believe I have been so blind to this, it goes to show that you do need to check the bank statements more closely, but I also belive the policy was mis-sold beacause it has happened to so many people & I would think there is probably alot more people that still have no idea that they are paying this.

Chris

How was it mis-sold? It was you who didnt check your statements....

Hazel3107

I found out a couple of months ago that I was paying out to policy admin 3 times a month because everytime my contract was renewed Phones 4 U set up a new account with Policy admin. I've been trying to get this money back since but had no luck so far. Rung them up again today and was told if I wanted to make a complaint I had to write to:

Phones 4 U
Emerald P.O.Box 235
Westmere Drive
Crewe Business Park
Crewe
CW1 6UN

This is where I am at so far. Anyone else got any tips on how I can get this money back? Its so frustrating. I don't know how they can get away with this.

lanavdt

I was caught by the lovely folk at p4u last April. They offered me £30 cash in hand to walk away with if I signed up for the insurance and the guy said I could cancel it there and then. I did the deal and called the policy admin folk to cancel within 20 minutes of leaving the shop. It was first month free but I wasn't taking any chances. Also went into the bank to tell them I wanted no direct debit to them authorised.

Forgot all about it til a couple months later when I spotted the 9.99 charge on my account. Was absolutely furious and they had the cheek to say they'd never had a phone call to cancel. Went to the bank and they'd reinstated the d.d about a week after I'd cancelled. Proved to them through my mobile bill that I'd called and they got stroppy telling me they didn't want my custom anyway :rotfl:

viv1969

So, here's a slightly different take on the Policy Admin people.
I don't have a policy with them. I don't have a direct debit taking any money from my account every month. What I DO have is Policy Admin sending me text messages and calling me EVERY DAY! They apparently have a policy on my telephone number, however my name doesn't match thier records..the bank details don't match (I didn't give them mine but rather asked them to give me the last 4 digits of the account they had on file and I then confirmed it's not mine. I gave them the first line of my address, which again is different to thier records. So how the hell do I stop them bombarding me with telephone calls and texts??? They tell me every time that they will take the number off thier records, but low and behold the very next day it starts again! I know it may seem petty, but it's driving me nuts!

amus

I must admit when I worked in a bank there were countless people who came in querying this. Phones 4 U know what theyre doing by taking out the DD under such an obscure name and most of the people I spoke to wernt even aware they had agreed to take out insurance - they were responsible for a lot of charges on bank accounts!! Sharp practice Phones 4 U!!