Mis-sold credit card protection customers to receive claim forms

Customers who were mis-sold credit card protection policies by Affinion International are to be sent claim forms shortly, the regulator has announced.

Customers who are in line for compensation for credit card protection mis-sold by Affinion International Limited are to receive claim forms over the next few weeks.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has confirmed the forms will go out to around two million people who took out the policies, which cost around £25 a year.

The protection products were sold under the following names:

• Card Protection;
• Sentinel;
• Sentinel Gold;
• Sentinel Protection;
• Sentinel Excel;
• Safe and Secure Plus.

Affinion and 11 banks and credit card issuers agreed to offer compensation for the ‘unnecessary’ insurance policies which covered the loss or theft of cards.

[Related story: How a simple trick with foil can prevent contactless card fraud]

What do I do next?

Once you've received your claim form it must be returned no later than 18th March 2006 in order for you to be considered for a compensation payout.

The FCA emphasised that you do not need to use a claims management firm or law firm in order to complete the claim form, and that if you do make a claim, your existing product will be cancelled.

If you think you hold one of the products covered by the redress scheme, but don’t receive a form, you should contact the AI Scheme helpline on 0800 678 1930 (or +44 208 475 3103 if you are outside the UK).

Linda Woodall, director of supervision – retail & authorisations at the FCA, said: “If affected product holders have concerns about the way their card security product was sold to them, they should complete and return the original 'AI Scheme' compensation claim form received in the post to claim their money back. Anyone who receives a compensation claim form and wishes to claim compensation should do so straight away and not wait until the end of the seven-month claim period."

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