Household Insurance Claim - Help Please

[BernieAllen]

On 27 May this year we had a fire in the house. We were very fortunate in that no one was hurt and it was mainly smoke damage. The fire was a plastic fire and therefore the smoke and residue of soot was toxic.

A Loss Adjuster was sent out as well as a cleaning company pretty much immediately. We had to move out for 10 days due to the toxic air.

We need a replacement kitchen, redecoration, new flooring, replacement carpets, replacement electrical items in kitchen etc.

We agreed to go ahead with the builders suggested by the insurance company as we thought the claim would go alot smoother and quicker. We soon found out to our cost that it hasn't.

After a discussion with the loss adjuster she said we could get our own quotes - we did our quote was approximately £1500 more than the original quote but the original quote did not allow for a new hob and extractor, installation or disposal of the old ones and also it only allowed £24 per square metre for wall tiles when the replacement tiles cost £38 per square metre and that particular company said we could only have £10 per square metre. So all in all the quote was pretty even. The loss adjuster has come back and said that the insurance company will let us have the cost of the original quote and we will have to put the rest towards it. I have objected to the loss adjusted and also written and complained to my broker and insurance company.

Has anyone any advice about dealing with large claims. Apart from replacing a damaged window nothing further has happened and now the Loss Adjuster appears to be arguing about everything. The whole incident has really got me down. What can I do?

Thanks

[patdavies]

The function of a loss adjuster is to minimise the insurance company's liability, so she is only doing her job.

You need to get the itemised quotes form each builder and go through them line by line. You need to point out, in writing, that the original builder's quote did not include supply and fit of hob and extractor or disposal - they (and she) may have thought these recoverable/repairable.

Get a written quotation for the identical kitchen tiles from the tile company that proves the cost to be £38 sq yd.

Lastly, do you have sufficient cover? If you are under-insured by say 10%, then the insurance company will reduce their payout by 10%

[BernieAllen]

Thanks for that.

I am definitely well insured and will take your advice and see how it goes.

thank you

If anyone has any more thoughts please let me have them.

[BernieAllen]

After having a converstion witht he broker (who has not been much use - just told me to go through the Insurance Ombudsman - which is a good idea but will not help my claim to be sorted any quicker) and a conversation direct with the claims handler (at the broker's suggestion) it appears as though I am coming up against a brick wall.

I have also since discovered that items that have been discussed with the Loss Adjuster hse has conveniently forgotton about and denying all knowledge to the insurance company and the broker and also items where an agreement has been reached she is now back tracking and changing her course of direction.

I have therefore decided to only communicate with her in writing. I have therefore set everything out in a 27 page letter. I have faxed copies to the broker and the claims handler so hopefully if I keep on top of this and keep bombarding them with written communication (especially when the Loss Adjuster's Office is at home!) I may get somewhere - obviously not for the right reasons but just to get rid of me.

I am however extremely disappointed that I have paid my insurance never had a claim and then the insurance company make it so hard for you that I think they try and force you into a position where you will just accept the minimum or just go away with nothing.

Any further advice would be gratefully received.

[miss muppet]

Sadly most insurance companies do behave like this, we had a prob with roof blowing off in 70m an hour winds, they got away without paying bcause we didn't get a builder's estimate first and we eventually ended up paying for a new roof - so - next time we got a prob with two leaking bathrooms,sorry to say it took a year to do as when they did the first one it leaked immediately and builder told us the insurance co wouldn't let them retile it, so we wrote to the insurance co quoting this and threatening the Insurance Ombudsman, it worked and the bathroom was sorted out quick smart. One of the workmen (the loss adjustor's people) told us always to threatent the I.O. - Good luck, know how frustrating all this can be, we were told we shouldn't have showers as we had the wrong type of bath!Just keep writing and phoning!