Case Studies

Claims Experts Win PPI Payout for Clapham Women

A home improvement project turned into a very costly venture for Clapham woman Veronica Wright when Barclays Bank sold her payment protection insurance (PPI) while arranging a £15,000 loan. The policy was added to the agreement automatically and Mrs Wright says she was never told the insurance was optional. But she has since celebrated a payout of more than £8,000 after financial claims specialist BrunelFranklin.com fought her case against Barclays Bank and recovered her hard-earned cash plus the interest she was charged.

Mrs Wright, 50, said the result was a `very nice surprise’ and would recommend BrunelFranklin.com to anyone in a similar situation. “I borrowed the money to decorate my house and to pay some credit card bills but there was never a question of the PPI being optional,” she explained. “I was told I had to have it to get the loan and I just grabbed the opportunity because I needed the money at the time. I didn’t know the cost would be added to the loan or that interest would be charged on the total amount because that wasn’t pointed out.”

In fact Mrs Wright’s monthly bill was around £300 and she was horrified to discover that the interest charged was more than the minimum payment required. “It was a lot of money to be paying and I really didn’t expect to get it back but when I heard about Brunel Franklin’s no win, no fee service, I thought it was worth a try,” she said. “I filled in some forms and although it took quite a while to resolve, the process went very well and I was awarded all the money I’d paid which I wasn’t really expecting.”

With a full time job as a nurse in London, Mrs Wright admits she would not have had chance to pursue the claim herself and is glad she sought expert help. “It was worth consulting a professional company and I’d advise other people with similar problems to do the same,” she added.

The managing director of BrunelFranklin.com, Sally Bowyer, said it was inexcusable for PPI to be added to a financial agreement as if it was compulsory. “Time and time again we see innocent consumers buying an expensive product unnecessarily and it’s vital that things change.

“If people want to purchase PPI that’s a different question but to have them believe it’s a condition of borrowing is disgraceful. These policies are generally more expensive than comparable products on the market and often do little more than add to customers’ financial worries.

”Also, nurses and other public sector workers often have excellent occupation benefits, so it is doubtful whether the policy should ever have been sold. It is the vendor’s responsibility to ensure that the product is the best to fit the individual’s circumstances.

”We have already recovered cash for thousands of people and we are determined to pursue as many claims as possible so that any vendor responsible for mis-selling is brought to account and made to pay up,” she warned. “If you’re spending a fortune on insurance that may have been mis-sold then get in touch without delay and we’ll do all we can to help.”

To find out if you have grounds for a claim, log on to www.brunelfranklin.com and take the simple 60-second test or telephone 0800 0515451 free of charge.

Sussex Women Paid for Worthless PPI Policy

Joya Antao of Haywards Heath, West Sussex, took out a credit card in 2001 but had no idea that payment protection was included in the agreement. Since she was unemployed at the time, the cover was actually worthless but Joya was charged for the insurance every month.

The unexpected fee, coupled with her own spending, meant that the bills soon began to spiral out of control leading to months of worry for Joya. She eventually had to raid her savings and even sell some possessions in order to clear the debt and is now adamant that she will never take out a credit card again.

“I had no idea I was going to be paying for payment protection on top of what I was spending as nobody ever told me about it,” she explained. ”It wasn’t mentioned at any point and I just noticed it on my bills. I feel very strongly about what happened as I struggled with the repayments and the insurance was no use to me anyway. I was very worried about my finances for a long time and eventually got help from the Citizen’s Advice Bureau but it took me two or three years to sort it all out. Thankfully I’m debt free now but I really want to warn other people about my experience so they don’t end up in the same position.”

Joya, 58, is particularly concerned about just how widely credit cards are promoted. “I went into the Alliance and Leicester to set up a savings account and they tried to sell me another credit card even though I was asking about something completely different,” she said. “I was still unemployed and it wasn’t what I’d gone in for. In fact it was the very opposite because I wanted to know about savings not credit.”

Joya was surfing the internet looking for help with her finances when she found claims handling experts BrunelFranklin.com
She took the company’s online 60-second test and discovered that she might be eligible for compensation on the grounds that the PPI policy was mis-sold and Brunel Franklin is now pursuing her case.

Sally Bowyer, managing director of BrunelFranklin.com, said: “Paying for insurance that you’re not aware of is bad enough but paying for a policy you could never claim on in the first place is absolutely appalling. It is ludicrous that people are being sold PPI that won’t offer them any cover at all because of their circumstances. Being unemployed is an immediate bar to this type of product because these customers have no income to protect. …/cont
”It’s the vendor’s responsibility to get the necessary details and ensure the product is suitable but we are seeing more and more cases where this just hasn’t happened and it’s yet another example of an abuse of trust on the part of lenders. Many seem very reluctant to tell people that PPI is optional or that they’re entitled to shop around for a better deal. Instead they keep customers in the dark knowing full well they’ll get a nasty surprise later. Anyone who thinks their PPI policy was mis-sold should get specialist advice straight away,” she added.

To find out if you might be entitled to compensation for a mis-sold PPI policy, just log on to www.Brunel Franklin.co.uk and take the quick and easy 60-second test. If you have grounds for a claim, it will be pursued on a no-win, no-fee basis by a team of experienced staff dedicated to achieving the maximum payout you are entitled to. You can also telephone Brunel Franklin free of charge on 0800 051 54 51 or email info@Brunel Franklin.com.

Derby Man Shocked by Cost of PPI

£12,000 compensation payout for mis-sold policy....one of the UK's most significant PPI payouts yet

When Matthew Green of Stenson Fields, Derby, took out a secured loan last year he thought some element of payment protection insurance might be useful. What he didn't realise, however, was that he would end up paying more than £10,000 for less than one year of cover. It was only when he attempted to re-mortgage his property that the full costs of the policy, sold by Picture, became apparent and Matthew received a nasty shock.

"My mortgage advisor went over my paperwork for the £47,000 loan and wanted to know why I was paying almost £12,000 for PPI," he explained. "Even worse, the loan was over a 25-year period but the insurance policy only covered the first five years. We asked for a settlement figure from Picture who offered about £1,500 which meant it had cost me almost £10,500 for eight months' cover.

"My loan application was dealt with over the phone and the payment protection part just got swallowed up with all the other details. It wasn't clear that I didn't have to take the insurance out or that the loan wasn't dependent on having it. I definitely didn't realise that if I settled early, the PPI payments would still be taken for the whole term," said Matthew, 41, who works as a CNC programme operator. His mortgage advisor told him about financial experts Brunel Franklin, whopursued his case for compensation, recently securing a massive £12,000 pay-out.

"I am obviously over the moon with the compensation and the help I have received from Brunel Franklin; I couldn’t have done it without them”, said Matthew. “I just wanted to be in a position where I could pay off Picture and draw a line under the whole experience. I am annoyed about what's happened and much more wary about financial products which seem to be sold at massive commissions to customers who don't always realise what's involved. There must be thousands of other people in a similar position to me who don't understand the seriousness of their situation or just how much the cover might cost them," he added.

Brunel Franklin said it was scandalous that PPI policies were so often mis-sold. "Firms who used unscrupulous sales tactics to sell PPI are finally having to pay for the shoddy way in which they mistreated customers. The fines being levied are relatively small when you consider that up to 35 million people may have PPI and many of them don't even know they've got it. Those who do have it didn't necessarily ask for it, or want it.

"We have dealt with no end of cases where the cost has been added automatically to the loan or people have been led to believe it's a compulsory requirement when it is in fact optional," he said.

"In Mr Green's case the interest on the PPI was calculated over the 25 year term of the loan even though he was only insured for the first five years which is clearly unfair. We are delighted with this success and there may be millions more people who are entitled to compensation. Borrowers who do want payment protection may already be covered under some existing insurance or an employer's sickness scheme and, if not, they have every right to shop around for the best product for them. People should be made well aware of these facts at the point of sale but once again financial institutions are happily ripping off customers and should be brought to book," he added. "We would urge anyone who thinks their policy was mis-sold to seek specialist advice without delay."

Brunel Franklin praised for brilliant service.

Marya Harris of Blackheath, London, has heaped praise on financial experts Brunel Franklin after they took the Halifax to task on her behalf – and swiftly secured her a full refund of excessive bank charges.

'I couldn't fault the service I received in any way. Brunel Franklin was absolutely brilliant,' said a delighted Marya. ‘Every person I spoke to was polite, pleasant and professional. I was kept fully informed at all times and would recommend them to others without a shadow of a doubt.'

As a long-standing Halifax customer, Marya had been increasingly annoyed by the bank's 'excruciatingly high' charges and the final straw came earlier this year when she was charged £39 for being a mere 45p overdrawn. ‘It was really getting ridiculous and I was completely fed up with the amounts of money that kept disappearing from my account,' she said. Having read a newspaper article about a man who sent the bailiffs to his local bank, Marya was determined to recover her money but decided to try more conventional methods.

She spotted an advert for Brunel Franklin on the internet and took the company's 60-second online test to see if the experts could get her cash back. Brunel Franklin has vast experience of the financial services industry and offering clients a stress-free service is among its priorities. ‘I downloaded some forms and we exchanged a few emails but Brunel Franklin did absolutely everything for me,' explained Marya. ‘I was told not to deal directly with the Halifax and to leave it all to them which suited me fine. Brunel Franklin rejected the bank's initial offers and then kept fighting my case until they managed to get a refund of all the charges I'd paid for the last six years.'

Marya, who is 61 and a retired nurse, said she was appalled by the performance of banks in general. ‘They charge customers a fortune but they're none too keen to pay anything back. I did consider trying to get a refund myself but thought I might as well do it properly and use a professional service. I can't thank Brunel Franklin enough for what they did. Aside from reclaiming the money, the courteous way I was treated and their customer service was what impressed me most, a complete contrast to the banks!' she added.

Brunel Franklin, said this latest scandal had further damaged the already tarnished reputation of the financial services sector. ‘It's hardly surprising that people are rapidly losing trust in the institutions when so many are blatantly taking advantage of their customers,' he commented. ‘Everyone accepts that banks provide a service and have a right to make charges, but the average size of these penalties is in no way proportionate to the costs involved, and simply cannot be justified. The more people who decide to challenge the banks, the greater chance there is that they'll learn a valuable lesseon and treat customers more fairly,' he added.

Anyone who thinks they've been unreasonably charged by a bank can contact Brunel Franklin for expert help. Just log on to www.brunelfranklin.com and take the simple 60-second test or telephone 0800 051 54 51 free of charge. The company operates on a no win, no fee basis and will pursue each case every step of the way to achieve the best result possible for clients.

Elgin woman recommends Brunel Franklin to challenge bank charges.

Isobel Williams of Elgin, Morayshire, is delighted that she decided to use Brunel Franklin to reclaim thousands of pounds in excessive charges from the Bank of Scotland.

Having held a personal account with the bank for around 27 years, Mrs Williams became increasingly frustrated by the scale of its penalties many of which were incurred at a time when money was tight after her husband suffered an accident at work.

‘I was charged around £30 for being overdrawn and for returned items such as cheques even though the money to cover them was usually paid in a couple of days later,’ she explained. ‘The charges were imposed very quickly without any breathing space and I thought they were pretty high for what amounted to sending out a standard letter.’

Mrs Williams, 45, initially considered trying to recover the charges herself but was unsure about the procedures involved and, with a full-time job as a technical assistant, she lacked the time to deal with the complex paperwork and legalities involved. So when she spotted an internet advert for financial experts Brunel Franklin, she took the company’s online 60-second test to see if she could get her money back.

Brunel Franklin has vast experience of getting a fair deal for its clients and operates on a no win, no fee basis so they have nothing to lose. ‘I received a telephone call from Brunel Franklin the next day and one or two emails requesting some details and authorisation and they took care of everything. It was much quicker than I expected and I was very happy with the service,’ commented Mrs Williams. ‘I really wasn’t sure about the ins and outs of the small claims court and I was definitely right to get professional help. I may have had to pay for the service but I got money that I wouldn’t otherwise have had’.

The Bank of Scotland initially offered to repay just over £3,000 but Brunel Franklin rejected the figure and insisted on a full refund totaling £4,329 for the last six years. Mrs Williams has now recommended the company to several colleagues because of the swift and successful outcome of her claim. ‘I think that banks should consider giving customers a small amount of time in these situations instead of charging them straightaway and I don’t think they can really justify the size of the fines, ‘she commented. ‘Brunel Franklin only took a few weeks to get my charges refunded and it was a lot easier than trying to do it myself so I’m very pleased with the result.’

Brunel Franklin, said Mrs Williams was amongst tens of thousands of customers who were being penalised by banks at every opportunity. ‘Challenging a financial institution can be a very daunting prospect for anyone not familiar with the law and banks have been getting away with unfair practices for decades. We know all about the tactics they employ to avoid paying up but we have the determination and expertise to make sure they refund the amounts to which people are entitled. I would urge anyone who thinks they’ve been unfairly charged to seek professional help and give themselves every chance of reclaiming money that’s rightfully theirs,’ he added.

People can set the ball rolling right now by getting in touch with Brunel Franklin. After receiving an instruction, experienced staff will pursue every aspect of each claim so clients have no time-consuming calls, complicated paperwork or legal jargon to worry about. Just visit www.Brunel Franklin.com for more details and to take the simple 60-second test or telephone 0800 051 54 51 to speak to a Claims Assessor.

Derby man shocked by cost of PPI.

When Matthew Green of Stenson Fields, Derby, took out a secured loan last year he thought some element of payment protection insurance might be useful. What he didn't realise, however, was that he would end up paying more than £10,000 for less than one year of cover.

It was only when he attempted to re-mortgage his property that the full costs of the policy, sold by Picture, became apparent and Matthew received a nasty shock.

'My mortgage advisor went over my paperwork for the £47,000 loan and wanted to know why I was paying almost £12,000 for PPI,' he explained. 'Even worse, the loan was over a 25-year period but the insurance policy only covered the first five years. We asked for a settlement figure from Picture who offered about £1,500 which meant it had cost me almost £10,500 for eight months' cover.

'My loan application was dealt with over the phone and the payment protection part just got swallowed up with all the other details. It wasn't clear that I didn't have to take the insurance out or that the loan wasn't dependent on having it. I definitely didn't realise that if I settled early, the PPI payments would still be taken for the whole term,' said Matthew, 41, who works as a CNC programme operator. His mortgage advisor told him about financial experts Brunel Franklin, and the company is now pursuing his case for compensation.

'I just want to be in a position where I can pay off Picture and draw a line under the whole experience but re-mortgaging will probably be a lot harder now,' commented Matthew. 'I am annoyed about what's happened and much more wary about financial products which seem to be sold at massive commissions to customers who don't always realise what's involved. There must be thousands of other people in a similar position to me who don't understand the seriousness of their situation or just how much the cover might cost them,' he added.

Brunel Franklin, said it was scandalous that PPI policies were so often mis-sold. 'Firms who used unscrupulous sales tactics to sell PPI are finally having to pay for the shoddy way in which they mistreated customers. The fines being levied are relatively small when you consider that up to 35 million people may have PPI and many of them don't even know they've got it. Those who do have it didn't necessarily ask for it, or want it.'

'We have dealt with no end of cases where the cost has been added automatically to the loan or people have been led to believe it's a compulsory requirement when it is in fact optional,' he said. 'In Mr Green's case the interest on the PPI was calculated over the 25 year term of the loan even though he was only insured for the first five years which is clearly unfair.

Borrowers who do want payment protection may already be covered under some existing insurance or an employer's sickness scheme and, if not, they have every right to shop around for the best product for them. People should be made well aware of these facts at the point of sale but once again financial institutions are happily ripping off customers and should be brought to book,' he added. 'We would urge anyone who thinks their policy was mis-sold to seek specialist help without delay.'

To find out if you might be entitled to compensation for a mis-sold PPI policy, just logon www.brunelfranklin.com and take the quick and easy 60-second test. If you have grounds for a claim, it will be pursued on a no win, no fee basis by a team of experienced staff dedicated to achieving the maximum payout possible. You can also telephone Brunel Franklin free of charge on 0800 051 54 51 or email info@brunelfranklin.com

Hampshire couple get Bond payout, thanks to experts

When Sue Evans of Fleet in Hampshire received a voluntary redundancy payment in 2000, she simply planned to put it in her regular savings account. But Abbey National, where she was a long-standing customer, was quick to suggest 'a better use' of the cash.

Sue was urged to invest the money in a bond for five years by an advisor who claimed that members of his own family were signing up for the 'high growth' product.

A year later, Sue and her husband Adam were horrified to learn that their original investment had shrunk by a massive £4,000. 'There was absolutely no mention of any risks at the time. It was just hype, hype, hype,' said Sue, 37. 'We were told to expect steady growth and a good return and couldn't believe it when we received our statement. We thought we were doing the right thing and were really worried about losing so much money.'

Determined not to give up on their hard-earned cash, the couple approached Brunel Franklin to see if they had grounds for making a claim. Within just four weeks, the company secured a compensation payout of more than £8,000.

'It meant that we got all our money back as well as peace of mind and we couldn't have asked for more,' said Sue. 'We were very impressed with the service which was quick, friendly and efficient. The staff explained everything really well and it took just a couple of telephone conversations to sort it all out. Money worries are not something that people tend to talk about but I'd recommend Brunel Franklin to anyone in a similar situation,' she said.

Now understandably wary of the financial services industry, Sue has reverted to her original plan to safeguard her family's finances. 'The money is now in a savings account which is where it's going to stay,' she added.

Brunel Franklin, said the Evans's case was a typical example of blatant mis-selling. 'People trust the financial institutions to act in their best interests but sadly that isn't always the case. I'm delighted that we were able to turn things round for Mr and Mrs Evans who, like many other innocent victims, did not deserve to be given poor advice and have their money gambled away.'

'In our experience, it's all too common for people to be told about the advantages of a particular bond while advisors gloss over the question of risk and don't properly explain the terms, conditions and possible pitfalls,' he warned.

Anyone who thinks they may have invested in a mis-sold bond should get help straightway and Brunel Franklin will do everything possible to make sure they receive the maximum payout to which they're entitled.