Money Grouse: Problems with protecting plastic

CREDIT card protection schemes can be worth having. At the cost of a few pounds a year and one phone call, the loss or theft of cards will be noted and replacements sent within days.

But what happens if, despite your best efforts, the protection company has an incomplete record of your cards? Are you liable to pay for any fraud committed with one of them?

These and other questions are puzzling Robin Foster, a member of Card Protection Plan since December 1992.

Mr Foster said: 'I registered several types of card. When my Access card number was changed last year, I wrote to let them know.

'In October, I received a letter setting out a list of the cards registered with them. I was puzzled that it only listed my new Access number. However, I assumed it was the only one they were checking.

'When I received an identical letter in November, I phoned CCP and was told my new Access number was the only one they had on my register. The woman at the other end of the phone told me she would look up my original registration and send me a copy.'

Since then, Mr Foster has heard nothing, despite writing to CCP in January.

He added: 'For a company that is supposed to arrange for stolen cards to be replaced, they are taking an awful long time to assure me that they are not a complete waste of time.'

Martin Fielding, a CPP director, admitted that a series of clerical errors had taken place. 'The first problem arose when Mr Foster's application was pulled from our normal processing arrangement because it had an unusual number.'

Further errors occurred when Mr Foster queried CPP's lack of response.

'Despite the errors, his records were complete and any loss would have been dealt with on that basis. We have spoken to Mr Foster and apologised. His contributions for the past year have been waived,' Mr Fielding added.