I know times are hard and institutions need to keep customers...

[Itsjustafleshwound]

But I have just spent a good 5 minutes on the phone justifying to a bank clerk why I want to cancel my card protection policy ...

I am old and ugly enough to be given a rather substantial line of credit from the said bank - surely I can be trusted to make sure that I have policies and insurance on place to protect myself should my card be stolen or lost ..

And breathe .....

Rant over

Perhaps I should have been a bit more assertive ..

Yep, just say 'I don't want to discuss it with you, please cancel the policy'. And repeat if they keep asking questions. It feels rude, but gets you off the phone faster.

They've got a script they're supposed to go through with you to try to convince you otherwise. You have to make it very clear immediately that there is nothing they can say to change your mind.