Lloyds TSB insurance - **WON before I got round to posting!**

[The cobbett slayer]

A few weeks ago, my 2 year old had a horrible accident! He wasn't hurt but he did take a bit of cleaning up!

Mrs Slayer was in the garden staining the decking (this was before the decking disappeared under several feet of water) when the phone rang. She came indoors to answer it, leaving Baby Slayer in the garden. The helpful little chap decided that Mummy needed the decking stain in the house and proceeded to bring it into the living room through the patio doors. Unfortunately, with a rather cumbersome pot of stain in his hands, his little legs didn't quite make it up the step:o

There was woodstain everywhere! All over the carpet, a pure wool rug, the curtains and the sofa (and of course Baby Slayer)

I was at work at the time so Mrs Slayer immediately rang MMA insurance, who underwrite the policies for Lloyds TSB. They said they would send someone straight round - decking stain is water soluble when its wet so it could probably have been cleaned if they were quick enough.

Anyway - half an hour passes and she gets a call back from MMA saying the damage was not covered as we hadn't taken the "extended accidental damage" option on the policy. I wasn't happy!

The following day, I wrote to Lloyds TSB expressing my concern that the policy had been mis sold as it did not meet the standards of our previous insurance. I requested a transcript of the sales conversation between their salesman and my wife. As a former insurance broker and Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute I thought I was backing a winner.

When I got the transcript, it was accompanied by a letter stating that Lloyds TSB accepted no liability as the terms and conditions of the policy were clearly explained to Mrs Slayer during the call. The transcript showed that the salesman had repeatedly used the word "accidental" in the conversation so I rang Lloyds TSB and challenged them on this as repeated use of the word could mislead and result in a policyholder taking inadequate cover believing that all accidental damage was covered, not just TV and audio equipment and fixed glass in furniture.

This has been through several managers and was eventually referred to Lloyds TSB head office for a decision.

This morning, I have had a call from Lloyds TSB informing me that they, not the insurance company, will be crediting my current account with the full amount of the claim.

I have now increased my policy cover to include "extended accidental damage" to avoid any further problems but I do have another issue with the policy. I have a rather expensive glass dining table which consists of a wrought iron frame and a glass top which sits, as you would imagine - on the top. Lloyds TSB have informed me that in spite of it being an integral part of the table, the glass top is not covered because it is not "fixed" ie no screws or bolts holding it to the base. It also weighs nearly quarter of a tonne and it would take some effort to knock it off but they are standing firm on that one.