Sentinel card protection

A question about : Sentinel card protection

I've had a Lloyds TSB Asset Gold card for 3-4 years now. I never spend on it and never use it because with it comes free Sentinel card protection for my Wife and I.

I've been stoozing over the last few months, and currently am maxed out on MBNA, Barclaycard I'm getting there with Sainsbury's.

Clearly I don't want too many cards to my name for the sake of future applications.

Is the Lloyds TSB card worth keeping for Sentinel?

What is the cheapest way of obtaining a Sentinel-type service?

Thanks

Steve

Best answers:

• The DIY version is the cheapest.
  Write down all your card numbers on a piece of paper with contact numbers for the companies.
  Keep it safe.
  Job done.
• LOL!
  What do others think - is this type of protection really not worth having?
  What about if you're abroad or something?
  Thanks
  Steve
• I have approx 8 cards but only ever take 2 out with me (plus a stack of loyalty cards, but that's another matter!! - you can't register these with Sentinel anyway).
  If you also only ever carry a couple of credit cards, then write down the contact numbers for these 2 cards in a notebook / diary / scrap of paper and carry that along with you.
• I've had credit cards for over 30 years and I've never had such cover (unless it was free) and have never had need of it. Make a note of the details yourself and save several hundred ЈЈs over your lifetime.
• My Sentinel comes up for renewal in January and they want to charge me Ј50 for three years' cover.
  I'm debating whether to renew it.
  Has anyone got any ideas of how to get it cheaper?
• That sounds quite steep to me.
  I renewed earlier this year for 3 years (and it worked out you got the 3rd year virtually free).
• I've got to be honest I've never used this type of service or seen the need for this type of service.
  In the UK I have the details on my PC (encrypted of couse - call me paranoid). !When I'm abroad I keep the contact details with my passport (as you always need to keep these safe. !What I also do is put the CC company contact number in my mobile so the numbers are there also (they will be able to identify the card(s) and card numbers once you give them address details, etc.
  cloud_dog
• If I remember rightly, sentinel also provide Ј200 cover for personal money lost or stolen ouside of your home country and cash advances should you need emergency travel tickets etc. I got it free with a corporate barclaycard so can't complain
• hello
  can anyone help me here..
  i signed up for sentinel gold maybe 12 months or more ago, forgot about it really then was offered to go with CPP by barclaycard for protection (im pretty sure they offered me sentinel too!)
  anyway dont both do the same thing and as such i dont need to renew sentinel gold (29 quid a year)
  can you guys help me before i give away 30 quid i'd rather spend elsewhere
• They are similar - one is on the individual, the other on everyone at the same address...
• These companies (CPP & Sentinel) don't offer any additional fraud protection over that of the card issuers/banks, so in my view anyway, it's a waste of money.
• Keep your money in your pocket and keep a note of all your details yourself.
• About 2 years ago when I was applying for the NatWest Student Mastercard, the introducer introduced me to NW's 'Sentinel'. Back then, I asked him, I thought if my card is stolen and I report it, I will not have any liability whatsoever if someone were to take my card and use it? He said no, I still have to pay for it (I believe this is false info). I signed up as a result.
  But I dont think I will ever sign up to it again - no real point really, I guess. Those overseas lost cover could be better covered by travel insurance, in my opinion.
• I have had Sentinal for years now. Peace of mind. Does'nt just cover cards, Covers importan docs, I.E driving license, birth certs, marriage certs, keys, you get a post it back key fob.
  If something changes just send in update on their sheet and it is all done.
• I recently discovered that Sentinel doesn't cover cards if you're living in another country.
  I was living abroad for most of the time I had the policy so I wrote to them to ask for my payments back.
  They replied to say that the policy conditions changed in 2005, when I returned to the UK. As this seems rather convenient I am trying to find out if this is true. Does anyone know if then conditions changed then or if they're not telling the truth?
• My handbag was stolen the other week and I have to say that I was very glad to have the Sentinel Gold protection. It meant that it only took one phone call to cancel the important cards rather than having to trawl around finding numbers for all the different banks etc. They also sent a locksmith out that same evening to have our locks changed at no additional charge.
  I appreciate doing your bit as well by keeping notes of numbers etc but they do offer additional peace of mind. Having been rather frantically running around like a headless chicken on the day my bag was taken it was good to know that a lot of the urgent work was done with one phone call.
• Sentinel Gold is one of the best card protection companies on the market. The majority of high street banks use it as it covers a wide variety of things for members. It covers everyone in the household for cards, keys (inc. work keys if you have responsibilty for them and also vehicle keys again inc motorcycle keys) and covers you for "emergency service abroad up to the value of Ј11,750. All of this for Ј30 a year or Ј70 for 3 years. If you lose your cards or if they are stolen, when you report it to Sentinel they will tell your bank(s), and can also reissue you the cards for you. It also covers a lot more. My dad pays a lot more than that for his card protection and it only covers him, he is now looking into changing his policy to Sentinel for all of the reasons mentioned! It is all very well making a note of card numbers and bank tel numbers and carrying it around with you but if you lose any of those details what will you do?
• They're a bunch of sharks, they've been charging me every year for about 5 years for cover I don't want on cards I don't even have.
  Just tried to cancel it & they wouldn't refund me for this years cover because its outside their 14 day period.
  Man! I'm so angry