Have you been burgled & insurance co won't pay? Post Reply

[dizzymum]

Was interested to read about your experience with L&V.
We recently returned after 3 years overseas to a very large damp patch on the kitchen wall, the management company's contractor quoted 2.5k to fix it so we called L&V to see if our insurance would cover it.
We were told to make an appointment with the company they used to assess damage. Over 3 days I spent over 5 hours on hold on a premium rate number and never got past no.6 in the queue. There was an option to instead leave a message to request a call back, which I took several times but each time the message box was full and the call was terminated. I called L&V back to explain what was happening and they told me they would email the contractor to request they call me to arrange an appointment. I have heard nothing. Emails get no response.
I know this is just an attempt to make it hard for me to make a claim, so was determined to keep going, but as blocking techniques go this is rather an effective one!
After reading the original post I think I'm going to just give up and move insurers. We're now pretty sure that it was just a matter of blocked guttering anyway and a contractor who thought he could take advantage of overseas landlords.

[Mum2Alex]

You have my sympathies - I was carjacked violently back in 2002 and Tesco insurers refused to pay out (despite the whole attack being caught on CCTV from multiple angles) because the car was not "locked and secure at the time of the theft". Clearly. Because I was in it.

In the end we got the car back a fortnight later thanks to a tracking device but it put me off Tesco insurance forever. You can imagine the state I was in.

Best of luck
Charlie

[mrsbfrombalham]

As previous posters have recommended, Hiscox are very good. Yes you pay higher premiums, but when we got burgled they were sympathetic and professional and paid what was due without any unreasonable requests. Very impressive.

[clare74]

We weren't burgled but did have valuable bikes stolen from our locked bike shed. The insurer, John Lewis, was fantastic. There was the added complication that the theft was on the night that we changed from one insurance provider to the other and we didn't know if it happened before or after midnight. They told us they'd have to contact the previous company but didn't quibble more than that. They kept us fully informed throughout the process and paid in full. I'd really recommend them.

[Lawyermum]

I also recommend Hiscox. My husband and I have both been mugged (with a 10 year gap in between) and they were amazing. Our boys also flooded the bathroom causing huge damage and again, they didn't quibble!

Good luck

[juliantenniscoach]

Hiscox. We had our side return broken into and an expensive bike stolen, then I crashed another bike destroying it basically. Paid out both times (obviously producing receipts, police report). Couldn't be more helpful.

Yes more expensive but you actually get something for your money as opposed to someone else trying squirm out. The car-jacking story is incredible (in a very bad way).

[Sarahmaisiethea]

So a little update. I emailed Mike Rogers (thanks whoever dug out his contact details for me) and on Wednesday evening one of his senior customer services advisors called to say that they had looked at the circumstances surrounding our claim and weren't surprised that I contacted Mike. Her view was that the T&Cs concerning the alarm was a grey area and LV had changed these from when we initially took our insurance. Great I thought!

So, she was going to recommend to the underwriter that they pay out on the claim. She said a decision had not been finalised but I said to her that if she was calling to raise my expectations this much then there must be a v strong likelihood that the underwriter would pay out. She agreed.

Obviously on Wednesday evening I was partly: surprised (is it really this easy to overturn a decision), dreaming (about a big shopping trip to replace everything), shocked and hopeful.

She said she would call yesterday (Thursday) for a decision.

So, yesterday came and she called me to say the underwriter had still not decided. She sounded much less upbeat than she did on Wednesday so I still don't know whether I am covered from this burglary.

Is this just a further ploy by LV to look like they care and are doing something or is it genuine?

I'll keep you updated. But I recommend that all those on this post who have been passed over by LV email Mike Rogers too because you never know it might result in a U-turn on your original insurance decision.

[MatSnow]

Good luck with this, Sarah. I was the guy who got you Mike Rogers' contact details. My experience in dealing with any corporate trying to slide out of its side of the deal is to hit up the CEO with a tough, lucid email, clearly indicating that you mean business, have contacts and a social media following, and are ready to make life extremely uncomfortable for him and his firm if they do not honour their promises. Far from being tough cookies and entrepreneurial buccaneers, most senior corporate execs have slithered to the top like pond scum and brick it when you get into their faces. Indeed, they usually have 'senior executive urgent response teams' for just these circumstances.

[MatSnow]

PS: assuming you have on an email or otherwise in writing that 'LV had changed these from when we initially took our insurance', that gives you a strong legal claim on the basis that they have unilaterally changed the terms of the contract and, as we all know, contracts to be valid need the agreement of all parties. Without you agreeing to L&V's new T&Cs, the original terms hold.

[Sarahmaisiethea]

So the lovely lady from LV has called to say that LV will be paying out in full on our claim. Apparently the wording on the alarm was different/ ambiguous to what it is now and they've had a few claims like this.

Apparently they are also awarding Compensation for the stress imposed on us!

A good result us but I would have preferred it dealt with correctly at the beginning. I definitely don't have the same level of faith in the Insurance Industry.

I also worry about those individuals who have a genuine claim but are not confident enough, don't have the knowhow or the time to follow up with the big bosses at the Company.

I asked Lady LV about this and she said they do case studies on these sorts of claims for the call centre operators??!!

Anyway, thanks for all your help guys

[juliantenniscoach]

Champion news! Have a great and relaxing weekend.

[Goldhawk]

Great result!

[LuvHandles]

Insurance has a general rule that if your bike is not locked to an immovable object they won't cover. It's a fine print within most home insurances. If you lock it in your shed, you are at risk - so spread the word cause thieves commonly will target this in your back yard!

We suggest the plant locks which we sell (sorry for the self promo) but have helped a lot of people in the local area and they look cool too.

With soil inside of them, they become an immoveable object (weighing 75+ kg) and then home insurance will cover you:)

Another option moving forward is separate cycle insurance, its cheaper than you think...worth a look!

http://www.cycleguard.co.uk/home.asp?promCode=&affid=

Hope that helps,
Luv Handles *