- Thread starter
- #21
NSC. Never lets you down. Thanks for the collective wisdom. I'll dig out the policy and give them a call.
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[Misc] Claiming on house insurance - should we?
- Thread starter Couldn't Be Hyypia
- Start date
lawros left foot
Glory hunting since 1969
I had a small kitchen fire in the summer, so claimed,2 grand. Insurance was up for renewal in November, and, I couldn’t believe it, it actually went down 20 quid.
No idea why.
No idea why.
Sent you a PM.
This is interesting.
P&C insurers now have to give the same rates to new customers and existing customers. Previously new was much cheaper, hence the comparison websites flourishing.
It looks to me like your insurer was subsidising new business to a large margin by hoping existing customers would just automatically renew, and even with a loading for a claim, moving you down to a new or blended rate has made the policy cheaper.
All the more reason to claim @Couldn't Be Hyypia
For anyone with household damage at the moment some general advice I put in my PM to the OP:
1) This is peak storm / bad weather season. Storm, escape of water and flood claims are huge in number from October to about April. It will take longer to process any of these types of claims at this time of year, particularly if the insurer appoints a loss adjuster, surveyor or their own supplier to fix the issue.
2) If you do claim it will be logged on a central database (CUE) that all insurers check. It's vital that you declare everything relevant every time you take out a new policy or renew. These things are easily checked.
1) This is peak storm / bad weather season. Storm, escape of water and flood claims are huge in number from October to about April. It will take longer to process any of these types of claims at this time of year, particularly if the insurer appoints a loss adjuster, surveyor or their own supplier to fix the issue.
2) If you do claim it will be logged on a central database (CUE) that all insurers check. It's vital that you declare everything relevant every time you take out a new policy or renew. These things are easily checked.
This. Happened to me. Guy came round to inspect the damage and hey presto "Sorry, wear and tear isn't covered". Got a quote for over 3k - that was just to fix the leak, no ceiling fix - from an Albion sponsor. Thought it very high and ended up using another local firm for £400 which included replacing a rotten facia and fixing some dodgy guttering.
Since1982
Well-known member
30 plus years in the industry before I retired and genuinely that is not the way it works. If you pay the premium and you choose to pay your own bills (self insuring) you are paying twice. What you will need to do is ensure that you know the cost of the claim once paid so that you can declare it accurately to a new insurer if you choose to change provider in the future.
If you're claiming for storm damage insurers can now check the weather for your postcode on the day of the event. This can work both ways. If there was weather that counts as a storm event it's harder to repudiate the claim. If you have any recent "before" photos of your house these are also useful and could be online. But, again, could be used to prove the claim isn't valid.
Think I know who you mean.
We had a very high quote too and went elsewhere.
Which is a great get out clause for insurance companies. We had a large storm which is what I suspect caused the damage but the water was retained above the ceiling. The ceiling leak only started a couple of weeks after the storm during a normal rain shower. I guess the ceiling had soaked up as much as it could and gave in.
Nobby Cybergoat
Well-known member
- Jul 19, 2021
- 7,076
I work in the industry. Definitely claim for 5k. If it were 500, it is more in the balance
What is it you do in your kitchen exactly??!
Machiavelli
Well-known member
We're going through a similar experience. Have just had our kitchen extended and re-fitted. A few months later, there's leakage from the bathroom above (or, more precisely, the pipes underneath the bathroom and above the kitchen -- so it transpired).
Our excess is £650, but we've gone ahead and sought an insurance claim. A surveyor came round in a matter of days, and we're just awaiting the report so, in our instance, all is proceeding swiftly.
And on the advice from @Westdene Seagull, having used the Albion sponsor for roofing, I'd avoid like the plague -- their costs are astronomical and, just like that, double when the work starts.
Our excess is £650, but we've gone ahead and sought an insurance claim. A surveyor came round in a matter of days, and we're just awaiting the report so, in our instance, all is proceeding swiftly.
And on the advice from @Westdene Seagull, having used the Albion sponsor for roofing, I'd avoid like the plague -- their costs are astronomical and, just like that, double when the work starts.
Super Steve Earle
Well-known member
Nothing exciting - water leaks through the ceiling
