A few simple steps to reclaim your own cash

This column is all about the money you didn't know you were owed that you might be able to claim in a few simple steps. Technically, a lot of it is your own money '“ so there's even more reason to get it back. Here we go.

◆ PPI. Yes, I know, you’re sick of hearing about it. Yet even now, Resolver hears from hundreds of people who didn’t know they had PPI but made an inquiry, found out they’d been mis-sold and won – sometimes into the thousands. Don’t worry if you’ve not got documents, Resolver works with the banks to track down your case based on addresses – something no other organisation does. But if you want to try by yourself, just give the bank the details you have and what you remember – as long as you don’t pay anyone to make the claim.

◆ Flight delays and cancellations. Many readers of this column will know that you are entitled to compensation if your flight is delayed over three hours. But did you know you can go back six years to claim? Oh, and it’s not just your ticket cost, it could be up to €600.

◆ Double insurance. Did you know that millions of us are paying for insurance policies that we don’t need? Check your regular payments and debits from your bank account. You may be surprised to spot a mobile phone insurance policy for a phone you’ve upgraded years ago that’s still debiting. Or you might find an expensive gadget insurance policy is much cheaper if you update your home insurance. You could be able to claim back hundreds if you’ve been overcharged.

◆ Packaged bank accounts. When the new millennium hit, the banks went in to overdrive trying to flog us things. In the decade that followed, you couldn’t walk into a branch or speak to a call centre without stressed staff desperately trying to meet unrealistic sales targets. And the sale of packaged accounts – a bank account with a monthly fee for a few extra perks – were the most oversold. Check your statements. If you didn’t want or need an account but they shoved you on it anyway, you might be able to reclaim the fees.

◆ Premium phone charges. If you’ve entered a competition by texting an answer or signed up to receive text updates from a business, there’s a chance that you’re actually being charged for those annoying texts cluttering up your phone. Some firms charge more than £2 for each one of those texts. If you didn’t know about this, you can make a complaint and demand your cash back – and the Phone Paid Services Authority can help if you aren’t happy with the response. We’ll talk you through it on the Resolver site. Remember to regularly check your mobile phone bill – a lot of sneaky charges managed to make it on to your account without you realising. So fight back.

It only takes a moment to make a claim, so make September go smoother with a bit of extra cash. Claim your cash back for free today with Resolver – www.resolver.co.uk – and let me know your stories at [email protected].

James Walker is the founder of online complaint-resolution service Resolver.co.uk