08 February 2010
Brunel Franklin secures PPI justice for Croydon man
A Surrey man has celebrated a payout of almost £10,000 after financial claims specialist BrunelFranklin.com challenged the Halifax for mis-selling payment protection insurance (PPI). Max Tagoe, already a customer of the bank, said he was led to believe the insurance was a condition of the £15,000 loan he had requested to pay some credit card bills. But the policy cost him nearly £200 a month on top of his loan repayments leaving a big gap in the family finances.
“I was given the impression that my chances of borrowing the money were very low if I didn’t agree to the PPI. I was desperate to get the loan at the time so felt I had no option,” he explained. But Mr Tagoe, a health worker who lives in Croydon, said details of the overall cost were not made clear and the high premiums came as a big shock.
“It wasn’t properly explained at all and was packaged in such a way that I seemed to have no choice,” he continued. “Banks can be very cunning in how they present things and customers who don’t have financial expertise don’t always understand the implications.”
By chance, Mr Tagoe, 48, received some information about Brunel Franklin’s services and success rates but was initially hesitant about proceeding. “I was a bit sceptical at first but a colleague advised me to go ahead and I’ve since recommended the company to others. Their service was very good from the start and I don’t think I could have reclaimed the money without them. As well as a cheque for more than £9,000, my outgoings have been reduced by a big sum each month so it was very good news,” he added.
BrunelFranklin.com’s managing director Sally Bowyer said the case was a typical example of poor sales practices. “It is hardly surprising that people are getting sick and tired of handing over thousands of pounds to vendors who fail to abide by the Financial Services Authority guidelines,” she commented. “Wanting to look after yourself and your family in case of unforeseen circumstances can be a wise decision but payment protection should never be a condition of a loan agreement. Customers deserve to be in full possession of the facts before they are asked to sign on the dotted line to avoid financial heartache in the future.
“Brunel Franklin is committed to getting redress for as many customers as possible and to send out the message that shoddy sales tactics won’t be tolerated,” she added.
Staff at Brunel Franklin are highly experienced in the legal complexities of financial mis-selling and dedicated to securing the maximum payout possible. All cases are pursued on a no win, no fee basis so if you think you have grounds for a claim then it’s well worth consulting the experts. A simple 60-second online test will reveal if you have grounds to make a claim so log on to www.brunelfranklin.com to find out. Alternatively, telephone 0800 0515451 free of charge to speak to an advisor.
