Norwich Home contents insurance issue?!

[lon3star]

Hi there,
Im new to this site but just am a bit confused about a recent problem I have encountered. My house laptop broke down (the keyboard stopped working) and I claimed in on the house insurance! at first I was told it was covered as long as it was accidental which it was. Then I was put through to IVA (company daling with laptops and electronics) who sent a courier to pick up my laptop and have it reviewed. IVA then called me back to tell me my laptop was not repairable but they had a replacement for me, one I felt was a fair deal. I called Norwich back today to ask them to push through the report so IVA could dispatch my new laptop only to be told it was being 'reinvestigated'. I called back numerous times, eventually to be told that because my mother, who called to make the claim, said anything could be the reason, they felt we had changed our story and they basically implied they felt we had purposely watered it to fit the claim. I feel that this is not only disrespectful to my mother (21 years of being with their home insurance under numerous addresses) but also an outrageous claim to make against us! I would like your help to know what my options are as going to court seems the only possible thing right now with their insurance team telling me its 'FINAL'! I appreciate all your help,
Thanks

[LemonTwist]

Do you know how exactly the keyboard stopped working? If, as your mother said "anything could be the reason" then there is no way of knowing for sure that it broke down due to accidental damage. It could be a failure of the electronics, for example, and that isn't covered by a home insurance policy.

When making an insurance claim, the onus is on you, as the policyholder, to prove that an insured event has occurred.

[lon3star]

Well my mother didn't know and she said she isn't sure but when I called today I said to the man that the reason was probably water damage as this was the only reason I had ever found keyboards to stop working! He then said that it was very 'curious' i was saying water damage and went on to say that our story had changed (he had just been told by the electornic company IVA that it was indeed water damage) He was basically saying he thought we threw water on it purposely to make the claim go through! I feel thats outrageous as it isn't my mothers fault she isn't upto date with laptop technology! she really didnt have any idea lol..

Furthermore when talking on the phone to the insurance company I pretended to be my father as they wouldn't talk to anyone else and he is hardly ever in the country. The man picked up on the fact that he believed I wasn't my father, could this play any part or is it as i feel not related?

many thanks again

[LemonTwist]

I'm going to be very honest with you here. Keyboards can stop working for any number of reasons, not necessarily water damage. I think you misunderstand the term "accidental damage" when applied to an insurance context. It means (as defined in the policy wording) "Damage caused suddenly and unexpectedly by an outside force." From what you've said here, the damage to your keyboard doesn't sound like it was a sudden and unexpected event. It sounds to me more like a gradual thing, such as wear and tear or electrical/mechanical breakdown. Insurance isn't designed to cover inevitable things like wear and tear or mechanical breakdown. (It is pretty much inevitable that all electrical equipment will break down eventually).

To put it bluntly, if, as you said on your previous post, you lied about your identity to your insurer, it is difficult to see how they can be expected to believe anything you say.

I really don't think this claim has much - if any - chance of succeeding. You said in your first post that you would consider going to court. Obviously it's up to you if you want to do that, but I don't think there is any evidence that the malfunctioning of your laptop is due to accidental damage, and if you lost the case, you would have to pay the legal costs.

I don't think you and your mother should feel insulted by the way the claim was handled - insurance companies always have to carry out these investigations before a claim is paid. If invalid claims are paid, then it would cause premiums to rise for all policyholders. So I don't blame Norwich Union for not paying the claim.

[daviet1976]

I'm ex NUI. 10 years.

I would not be paying this claim.

Whether you think or or not, the circumstances have been changed to fit the claim.

Secondly, it was a VERY serious CRIMINAL offence to impersonate your father.

Much as I hate the monster that is NUI, I would side with them on this issue.

However, has the accident been fortuitous as far as the Insured is concerned? I believe so. But you should not have said anything about your thoughts on the cause of damage. Do you have any qualifications to state this? Would you say anything about the damage to your car should you have a breakdown or an accident?

Going to court is NOT an option, as you have no real grounds for a case.

What to do is to call again, be calm, and ask for a lead adviser or case manager to look at the claim again.