Pension: was I ripped off?

[Natchessmen]

A few years ago I worked for a company in Dublin (subsidary of very large multinational). I spent about three years with them. The deal, as I remember, is that they would match my pension contributions up to 3% of gross. When I left, I transferred my pension but found that after the 3 years they had contributed something like £8 (eight pounds). when I questioned this I was told that "matching my contributions" meant that should I stay with the company they would make up all their contributions by the time I was 65.

I remember at the time arguing long and hard but they played for time and I suppose they won when I left the company. I remember thinking this was particularly poor as there was no choice in joining in the first place. The amounts aren't staggerng but I would gladly go after them as I'm sure there are loads of us in the same boat. (the image of us all going after them in a boat has just distracted me from the main idea)

ADDED AT TIME OF EDIT: I was talking off-line to someone who reckons this would be OK if it were a defined benefit pension which I think it was.


Any thoughts experiences?

edit note: removed reference to cheque as mentioned by X (there was no actual cheque) and added bit in red as a possible answer to my own post.

 

[X]

X

The details of the employer's contributions should have been set out clearly in your contract of employment and/or the occupational scheme's rule booklet. If this was a verbal agreement then it may be difficult ever getting any recompense if it was merited. I don't understand the bit about the employer writing a cheque since employer contributions on behalf of an employee (often matching the employer's contributions up to some percentage of gross) are normally paid into the fund on a monthly basis.

 

[Natchessmen]

Re: X

No cheque, it was in fact transferred to the next fund.

nat