Many sales staff at banks and other financial companies were under heavy pressure to meet certain targets each day in the 1990s. Encouraged to sell PPI wherever possible – due to its strong profitability – many of them sold PPI incorrectly, going against the industry regulations in order to reach their targets.
PPI was mis-sold in many different ways, with some of the most common being:
The bank telling you that it was compulsory.
Customers were sometimes told by the banks and lenders that PPI cover was necessary in order to receive the loan they were applying for. Sellers would either not mention it was an optional extra, or imply that those in charge of deciding whether you would receive your loan would be more likely to accept your application if you took out PPI cover.
You received it without asking for it, or without knowing you were having it. You might not have discussed PPI properly with the seller, yet they subtly added it to the loan documents without you asking to have it.
It was sold to you for an expensive price
If PPI was sold to you at a high price, then you may have barely gained any money if you ever ended up claiming on it, even if you were eligible for the maximum payout. Because the policy would not actually benefit you properly, it can count as being mis-sold.
It was unsuitable for you to have it
Some people had no need for PPI cover. They were either fully covered anyway by another policy, or their personal situation made it impossible for them to ever claim on it, such as having a pre-existing medical condition, for example. You may have reached retirement age during the policy’s timeframe, for example, making the PPI mis-sold.