I asked for a block on my granddaughter’s phone — but was billed for £212

I TOOK out a phone contract for my granddaughter in December at Carphone Warehouse in Falkirk. It was set up with Vodafone at £18.50 a month for two years.

To make sure my granddaughter didn’t exceed the cost of the contract, I asked the salesperson to put a block on the phone above this spending.

So, I was flabbergasted when £212.50 was then taken from my account. This left me no money to pay for my groceries.

When I went to Carphone Warehouse and said the salesman had promised to sort out the block, his supervisor told me the salesman should not have said this and I should contact Vodafone.

I am a pensioner on a limited income and do not know how long it will take me to get back on my feet.

Mrs H. S., Falkirk. one of the biggest problems with mobile phone shops is their staff appear to speak a different version of the english language to that used by anyone aged over 40. not only that, they are not attuned to the needs and demands of older customers.

I spoke to Vodafone which, quite rightly, says it is not to blame for the confusion because it did not sell you the contract.

However, it did agree to refund a quarter of the excess charges as a gesture of goodwill. It has also been in touch with you to discuss a price plan that might suit your granddaughter better and has outlined some ways she can monitor her spending.

So what does Carphone Warehouse have to say? Well, it says its salesman was aware Vodafone does not offer a price cap.

It claims a cap was not discussed at the point of sale and has suggested there may have been confusion involving another offer giving three months’ unlimited data. However, Carphone Warehouse does say customer satisfaction is its priority.

So as a goodwill gesture it has refunded all the bills and bank charges you have incurred.

However, there is also an issue of responsibility, which lies with your granddaughter. And I must add some of the initial blame for your predicament does rest with her.

You and her parents need to explain to her — and you may already have done this — that you have a limited income and so can’t afford for her to spend hours on the phone talking to friends and downloading videos.

You have been kind in buying her this phone and she in turn should respect you by behaving within sensible guidelines, otherwise you may need to take away the phone.

I would warn anyone who is thinking of buying a mobile phone for their grandchildren to be very wary of potential consequences. Yours is not the first letter I have received from a distraught grandparent.

A Carphone Warehouse spokesman says: ‘All our staff are trained to take customers through our Pin Point [guide] to find a phone and tariff that best fits their specific needs.

‘We have looked into the matter and are sorry for any confusion caused about the tariff.’ I HAVE had a card protection policy with Sentinel for 15 years and have received correspondence about compensation.

I have never made a claim so should get most of the premiums refunded, up to about £200.

I am struggling to find a replacement policy and wondered if you could advise me where to look.

If I don’t complete the claim form when it arrives, but most other people do, does that mean the company will fold anyway? Or do I stick with the devil I know even though all the things I thought were protected, such as car keys, passports as well as credit/debit cards, were not covered?

I don’t have a complaint against Sentinel as such, but just want to know where to go from here.

J. M., Essex. Let’S start by correcting a few misunderstandings because I suspect you may be confusing your policies with those from CPP, which also had an issue with card protection policies.

Sentinel is run by Affinion International. It has not gone bust nor is it in any financial difficulty. the things you thought were covered still are and your policy is valid.

the big problem was that the policies contained a fraudulent use element, which was highlighted when banks sold them and which is virtually worthless.

If you are a victim of fraud, your bank must refund you immediately unless it can show that you have behaved negligently or fraudulently.

the most a bank could technically leave you liable for is £50.

Around two million people were flogged this insurance when taking out credit cards.

Compensation will be paid by Affinion International and 11 High Street banks including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Santander, RBS and Co-operative Bank.

Customers have already given the green light to the compensation scheme — which covers only policies sold via credit cards. It was approved by the High Court on July 9 and letters — including instructions on how to claim — are being sent to customers.

You can still claim the compensation even if you did not vote.

If you claim compensation your policy will be cancelled — but you can then take out another one.

For compensation, you’ll get back the cost of the insurance plus 8 pc simple interest.

this means it is 8 pc for each year on the original amount. there is no compounding, so you don’t get interest on the interest.

Sentinel Gold policies can still be bought separately online. they cost £39.95 a year and offer 24-hour card blocking and replacement with one call, plus cover for lock and key, replacement ID documents, £200 for certain personal bags such as a wallet or handbag and £300 of cash. You also get security key and luggage tags as well as communications costs.

the fraud element has been removed from the new policies.

Personally, I’ve never bothered with this insurance because most of the supposed benefits can be found elsewhere.