yes it is a scam...they will charge you to do something that you could do yourself for free. i contacted barclays with a template letter from the money saving website (i think) and they initially denied they had charged us ppi and we no longer had the paperwork. but, after a few more letters back and forth, managing to get proof of the loan by bank statements online and the threat of the financial ombudsman getting involved, they coughed up nearly £4k. if you look at the money saving website, it gives you all the info to do it yourself and maximise your return. you do, however, have to reasonably prove they mis-sold the ppi to you and for a few different reasons. it was easy in our case as my hubby had a pre-existing health problem that would have rendered any claim useless and had proof from his medical team to support the claim. it is hard work, frustrating and long-winded...but definitely worth a go! good luck x