I Thought I Was Paying for Misspelling Insurance

The local video store that closed always tried to sell me "play guard insurance" in case I messed up the tape or DVD. They could make it sound really scary, like I was going to owe them zillions for messing up their already scratched up merchandise that wouldn't half play on my DVD player anyway. But I'm vulnerable to these kinds of sales tactics because I'm a clumsy person -- I managed to break my foot once while standing on flat ground watering a plant. Insurance is probably a good idea for me whenever it's offered. But then I thought about it: I've never botched up a DVD or video. So no, I don't need insurance. Thanks for asking. But not everyone does ask before they mis-sell you insurance you neither want nor need.

When I heard about Payment Protection Insurance Misselling, I'd never seen the word "misselling" before so I read it as "misspelling." Now that would be some insurance I could use. Also insurance covering when I mix up "effect" and "affect." I have the section from the NY Times stylebook about those nasty little words taped to my computer and it's still best to figure out another way around them, though the only choice seems to be "impact" and that's getting into something even worse. Bad writing, and there's no insurance for that.

But back to the subject. Apparently in the fine print and gobbledygook of loans, mortgages, credit cards and other financial tools some of us are being sold -- without our knowledge or permission -- Payment Protection Insurance (PPI). You know, where if something happens to you, your loan, credit card, whatever, will be paid. They can afford to pay your claim because this insurance is costly. While in theory this PPI might be something you want if it were priced right (and I don't want it either way), you or your survivors will have a very difficult time collecting on this "insurance." If you want to know more, go to PPI Claims. There you'll find out more about this costly unfair practice. If you've been taken in, you may even be able to get the money you've already paid on this insurance back.
 

Comments

[Molly]

Do you know Grammer Girl? I download her podcast each week and always enjoy learning something new. http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/affect-versus-effect.aspx

I can use all the help I can get.

[Transylvanianhorseman]

Once I found a travel insurance prospect that splendidly mis-spelled "winter sports" as "writer sports".

Out here in Eastern Europe there is no mortgage protection insurance (except in case of death), and the banks will reposess a property after two missed payments irrespective of the reason. There needs to be a middle way that offers the customer a fair deal.

[Jackie]

Misspelling insurance, now there's a good one. I hate to admit this in public, but I actually like reading stylebooks. And I realize that's really, really, really weird.

I had a high school English teacher who insisted that there was a spelling "gene." She always told us that if we didn't have it, to marry somebody who did. Fortunatley, I've got that one covered for my little family.