Another PPI claim bites the dust

At one point earlier this year I had three PPI claims in hand: two of my own, and one as executrix for my Dad. I abandoned Dad's quite quickly, because it was clear I could get nowhere with the bank (Santander, in succession to Girobank) without more documentary evidence than I had.

That left my own two PPI claims, one to RBS (for NatWest) and one to Santander (for Girobank). Both were about a protection policy forced on me when getting a mortgage. After several months, I pushed both claims, still unresolved, into the Financial Ombudsman's hands. That was in July.

Now, in the last couple of days, the FO has been in touch about the NatWest claim. It's not good news. Basically I fall foul of a time-limit technicality - not complaining soon enough after first feeling aggrieved - and even if there were exceptional circumstances applying which would let the FO ignore that hurdle, there isn't enough documentary evidence to make a judgement one way or the other. Assertions and unsupported arguments don't count; and they don't give anyone the benefit of the doubt by default.

I have until 18th November - a week from now - to produce new evidence or make fresh representations. But you know what? I think this is the moment when I free myself from this unproductive, dispiriting process and get on with my life. So I'm going to file that claim away and forget I ever made it. The FO's email says I can bow out by merely not responding further. That's what I'll do.

My claim to Santander (for Girobank) remains in contention. But as there is no important difference between this claim and the NatWest one, the FO's view should be the same. In which case I must now expect an email from the FO about the Santander claim, explaining matters in much the same words, and with the same conclusion - that I am tripped up by a technicality, and by lack of evidence. And I shall let that one go too.

Perhaps I should have decided at the very start, back in January, that unless the banks' mis-selling was recent, blatant and well-documented, I wouldn't be able to press my case effectively and secure compensation. Historic misdeeds - as with anything that happened years ago - are notoriously difficult to get redress for. My claims related to the 1980s and 1990s, some thirty years ago.

So all the hours spent on writing letters and emails were a big waste of time. I can't get those hours back. And despite all the effort put in, there is going to be no worthwhile result. No windfall is coming my way. Although I never relied on having a decent payback, the possibility of one was always a nice comforting thought when forced to spend lots of money on the car or the caravan. Well, it's not to be.

Let's be cheerful. I'm no worse off. And I have extra self-respect for trying. And for doing it by myself - thank goodness I scorned using those awful claims management companies. They made it sound like picking up money in the street. As if the banks were not going to fight tooth and nail...

Well, a lesson learned. Next time I will think long and hard before setting anything like this in motion.