GE Cap Bank

[di30]

This is another oldie, from the late 90's, protection was found on statements as from 1999.

Due to an item purchased at Curry's, then by finance, statements arrived every month, and later on it was noted that Payment Protection Plan was added, the payments varied from month to month, from as little as £3 to £14 on top of the item payment.

We called into Currys to ask where it appeared from, they said GE adds this automatically and we should receive written details from them soon.
We did not receive anything, but made direct contact with them to be told it was compulsory as every customer had to have it!!

Yes right!!! I obviously know now this is a complete lie and have today found the statements, but never received any agreement to sign.

This was paid off some years ago when we moved to the address I'm at now, but slipped my mind because of the move, mislaid paperwork.

I know I will have problems, as they were not regulated, but does anyone know if they were GISC registered please?

Thank you.

[di30]

Re: GE Cap Bank

Found every single statement, apart from the most recent, maybe a SAR will help, if they still hold them, buy at least I do have the earlier ones.

Although I can recall going direct debit in the recent ones (was still sent statements though).

[di30]

Re: GE Cap Bank

And of course GE Capital Bank were fined for the mis selling of PPI.


http://www.fsa.gov.uk/library/commun...2007/015.shtml


FSA/PN/015/2007
30 Jan 2007

The Financial Services Authority has today fined GE Capital Bank Ltd (GECB) £610,000 for failing to have adequate systems and controls for selling insurance which includes Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) and for failing to treat its customers fairly.

GECB's main business is providing credit finance through store cards, credit cards and sales finance. The store cards are usually branded in the name of the retailers (who are appointed representatives of GECB) and the insurance is usually offered to customers at the till when they are applying for a store card. If not bought at the till, customers are contacted later by GECB's telesales staff.

At any one time, approximately 300,000 retail assistants employed by the stores are permitted to sell insurance on behalf of GECB. In 2005 alone, over 850,000 policies which included PPI were sold on its behalf.
FSA Director of Enforcement Margaret Cole said:
"Millions of people take out store cards every year. They need to know that PPI is almost always optional and should consider whether they need it before signing up.

"Our focus on Payment Protection Insurance will remain very high this year. We are determined to see significantly better practice in PPI sales and will crack down where firms fail to treat their customers fairly."
This fine follows two phases of FSA work looking into PPI and the way it is sold. By the end of June 2007, the FSA will have visited over 200 PPI firms in two years. To help consumers make informed decisions, the FSA's consumer website www.moneymadeclear.org.uk includes questions that people should ask themselves before taking out PPI.
The FSA found that GECB failed to review and amend its procedures for selling insurance in light of its own evidence, emerging from Q2 2005, of widespread non-compliant selling practices. The breaches arose in the following areas:

• Sales: the firm failed where appropriate to review, amend and then operate its sale procedures to ensure that all customers received adequate information about the policy before they made a decision on whether to take insurance.
• Training: in light of evidence that sales staff were not complying consistently with its sales procedures, the firm failed to amend its training procedures.
• Monitoring and management information: the firm failed where appropriate to ensure its monitoring procedures were effective and failed to act in response to management information which was collected and available.
• Customers: the firm failed to implement any procedure to contact customers to remedy the non-compliant sales identified by its monitoring procedures.
• Compliance: the firm failed to resource the compliance function adequately.

GECB is continuing to carry out a remedial action programme to review and improve its systems and controls. To reduce the risk that customers may have lost out GECB is carrying out a comprehensive customer contact exercise and will pay compensation where appropriate. In this particular case the financial impact on most customers was likely to have been modest. The FSA took these factors into account in determining the level of the financial penalty.
By agreeing to settle at an early stage of the FSA investigation GECB qualified for a 30% discount under the FSA's executive settlement procedures – without the discount the fine would have been £870,000. Without the commitment to remedial action and appropriate redress the financial penalty would have been substantially higher.

[di30]

Re: GE Cap Bank

This is going to be VERY tough.

Been researching others who have had dealings with them, and it will be one of those where I will be pushed from pillar to post.

GE Capital One were not regulated at the time this policy was taken out. (90's)

I could jump hoops and write to the Underwriter/Insurer on this one, or see if the FLA will help.
I cannot see the FLA helping, and yet before I do this, it will be a matter of still writing to the arranger first, as stated on the FLA website.
The insurer/underwriter normally say no, but if they were regulated, the FOS will possibly take it on, then it will be a matter of patiently waiting for a few years lol.

I shall rattle off a SAR, although I do have the statements from when it was first started, I do not have the most recent, think this ended 2002/03, so the chances of them even having these will be slim.
No harm in trying though.

I will at the same time get a letter off to reclaim/questionnaire to save time later on.

[di30]

Re: GE Cap Bank

SAR prepared, and cheque, post by recorded delivery on Monday morning.

[di30]

Re: GE Cap Bank

SAR should have been received today to Santander, although it's not confirmed on Track and Trace as yet.

[di30]

Re: GE Cap Bank

Complaint done on this one too.

[di30]

Re: GE Cap Bank

No acknowledgement letter yet, so have emailed them and said that I am aware they received the letter last week and its now 9 days gone by and 7 working days, where they should according to their website acknowledge in writing the complaint has been received.

Not expecting them to get back so quickly though, going by others who have had dealings with them.

[di30]

Re: GE Cap Bank

Received acknowledgement letter from Santander/GE/First National.

They have provided a Reference number.


Thank you for your letter received 24 July 2012.

We will always try to provide the very best level of service possible, and I am sorry you are unhappy with the service provided on this occasion.

The concerns you raised are currently being investigated and a response will be issued as quickly as possible. If we are not in the position to issue you with a response within 4 weeks of the date we received your complaint, we will contact you with an update.

Should you require any further information in the interim, please contact a member of my team on the number below.
Any correspondence relating to your complaint can be sent to Santander Cards, PO Box 700, Leeds, LS99 2BD.

A copy of our complaints handing procedure is enclosed for your information.

Yours sincerely

Complaint Resolution Team.

[vossy]

Re: GE Cap Bank

You have the patience and experience to wear 'em out Di, good on you.

[di30]

Re: GE Cap Bank

Thank you Vossy. I will do whatever it takes Lol, cheers x

[di30]

Re: GE Cap Bank

Update, letter arrived from Santander in today's post, via GE Cap Bank/First National.


Dear

Account Number XXXXXXXXXX

I write further to our letter dated 30 July 2012. Thank you for your patience whilst we have been reviewing your complaint. I understand your complaint is regarding the mis selling of Payment Protection Insurance.

I appreciate the information you've send us regarding your complaint.
However, having checked our records, I can confirm that due to the length of time that has elapsed since you used the account, all data relating to this has been removed from our records. In turn, we are therefore unable to investigate matters further.

This is our final response. We have not reached the end of our internal complaint handling procedures. We are members of the Financial & Leasing Association and they may also be able to consider your complaint. Please refer to their website, details below for further information.

FLA
Imperial House
15-19 Kingsway
London
WC2B 6UN

www.lendingcode.org.uk

Yours sincerely

Complaint Resolution Team

.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ...........
Right ok, not giving up quite yet lol...........

[di30]

Re: GE Cap Bank

Sent a SAR a month ago and questioned Santander because I know the data dept received it but they not debited the payment yet (well the CEO) by email because Customer Service were not getting back to my emails.

Despite the letter received as posted above before this one arrived today from Santander Complaints, stating they were unable to track anything because of time lapse, this is the letter received from the the Complaint referral team passed from the CEO, yet they have the account as Dixons now .

The account was originally First National/Cap One bank under Currys, and this is shown as Dixons. Maybe that was why they could not find anything, but the account number is still the same throughout, so goodness knows.


Dear

Dixons Account Number *************
Our ref: ****

Thank you for your email dated 11 August 2012. This has been passed to me from our Executive Office.

Further to your comments, I understand that you sent a Data Subject Access Request, however, you have noted that the £10.00 cheque you enclosed to pay for the required fee has not been cashed. Therefore, you would like us to confirm if this has been received.

I have today contacted the relevant department who has been able to confirm that we have received your request and a response will be issued in due course.

In relation to your cheque not being casjed, they have advised that there is currently a backlog in processing cheque payment: however, this wil be done within the next 10 - 14 days.

I hope this letter helps clarify matters, should you have any further questions you can contact the relevant department directly on 0871 522 5085. Calls cost 10p per minute, plus network extras & calls may be monitored for the training and security purposes.

Yours sincerely

Complaint Referral Team.

[di30]

Re: GE Cap Bank

Well the £10 has been debited a few days ago for the SAR, so in my opinion they must still have data related to the account, unlike what the letter says above from complaints.

Surely they would not have cashed it otherwise!

[lookingforward]

Re: GE Cap Bank

Well the £10 has been debited a few days ago for the SAR, so in my opinion they must still have data related to the account, unlike what the letter says above from complaints.

Surely they would not have cashed it otherwise!

Who knows with banks