The Anonymous Widower

Payment Protection Insurance and Credit Cards

I got a letter yesterday from Aviva saying that the terms of my payment protection insurance were being changed. It indicated that the insurance was with HSBC.  Now HSBC may be a reputable bank, but I’ve never dealt with them.  It then turned out that the insurance related to a credit card that I have that is managed by the bank.

When C died, I had a problem with household expenses and needed a second card to keep them separate from my business expenses, so I got one quickly.  It would appear that in the form, you needed to check the box to say you didn’t want the insurance, rather than say you wanted it.  So I was fooled and have been paying for something I didn’t want for three years.

I wonder how many others have unnecessary insurance they don’t want.

I hadn’t spotted it, as every month I just paid off the value at the bottom of the account.  Others may even do this by a direct debit to save money.

I wonder if C was paying this form of insurance on any of her cards!  I shall be finding out, as her method of paying cards was to write a cheque for the full amount and then put the bill through the shredder.

You may think that I can’t claim as she died three years ago. Oh! Yes I can!  Sometimes the bereaved get very angry.  You may have a target out there, who will give you enough money for a small celebration.

It’s not difficult to claim.  Just go to this page in Money Saving Expert. It might be a profitable way to spend a wet Sunday afternoon, and as Martin Lewis says it’ll only cost you some paper and a couple of stamps.

August 23, 2011 - Posted by AnonW | Finance, World | Banks, Credit Cards