Hi all,

Just to inform others that are insured with this company what to expect during the claims process....

1. You call them (can take up to six mins for them to answer)

2. We will tranfer you to relevant department...ring ring, ring ring.

3. Sorry, nobody available to take your call, can we phone you back?

No Call Back......

rinse and repeat from step 1 to 3. This happened virtually EVERY time I called regardless of the time of day.

I sent this e-mail 10/12/08 highlighting some points I wanted answers to.

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To Whom It May Concern:

I write regarding my claim for the storm damage to my roof, and subsequent water damage to my kitchen floor.

I am still in absolute disbelief at the inept and down right poor service offered by your company and staff.

The accounts below are an example, and by no way an exhaustive report of how many telephone calls I made that were not returned or just plain ignored.

On making the initial claim on the 11th November 2008 I was told nobody was available to take my call, so was asked to leave my telephone number and would be phoned back. A company trait that I got very used to….!

After waiting four or five hours I tried again. And again, nobody to take the call.

Finally got a call late 12th November and given a claim number. I explained that the leak seamed to be coming down the wall cavity, and asked if all investigation and pricing was done through your company, or was I to employ somebody and submit quotes? I was told you have your own team, and to expect a call from them in the next couple of days. No call received.

By the 17th November I had still not received a call from your contractors, so I phoned your company to find out what was going on. Nobody to take the call.

I phoned again 18th November to complain, and was assured that somebody would be in touch.

Rapid Support Services came on the 19th.

After informing me that he had only been appointed to investigate the day before, he quoted for the damaged floor, took some photos and left. The cause of the damage was not investigated. Once he left I contacted your company again to ask WHO is looking into the cause of the leak. Nobody available to take my call, and no call back. I phoned again later that day to ask when is the roof being inspected, and was told Rapid Support Services Ltd would be in touch on the 20th.

Received a call on the 24th to ask if Merlin had been in touch? No was my reply.

Received a call from Merlin Claims Services, they will send somebody tomorrow.

Assessor arrives from Merlin 25th, takes more photos, but doesn’t inspect the cause of the leak and leaves. The assessor phoned me back later that day, saying that I had to employ somebody to investigate the cause !

Basically I had wasted two weeks waiting on your contractors (while water poured into the kitchen every time it rained) only to find that I had to employ one myself.

I subsequently brought in a builder to investigate on the 26th, and his report was faxed over to your company twice (27th and 28th) without your acknowledgement.

By this point I was very annoyed. Every call to your company had been met with the same procedural disorder of not answering, nobody available or not calling back. On occasion, not one person from four I asked for by name was available, or had the decency to phone me back.

Apologies for not returning my calls were made, though in a very condescending manor and are only reasonable if something is, or had changed since the last half-hearted apology.

I therefore request the following questions be answered:

Why after making the claim on the 11th wasn’t somebody appointed to investigate until the 18th ?

Why wasn’t the option of investigating and submitting quotes myself given? After all, that’s what I ended up having to do.

Why two different assessors from different companies? (The second assessor following your promise that the cause of the leak would be looked into by them).

Why did I have to phone your company to confirm your receipt of the builder’s report, and to find out if work could commence? Surely you should have telephoned me.

Why was I lied to during this phone call? You kept me on hold whilst apparently talking to Merlin Claims Services, when in fact you were talking to the builder I had appointed, trying to trounce the claim by citing/alleging ‘wear and tear’.

When you received his report did it state ‘wear and tear damage’?

If not, what reason did you have for contacting him? And if so, why not let me know?

If I consequently wasn’t insured for any exploration to find the cause, why wasn’t I told this on the 11th, instead of uninformed and false promises being made?

Do you honestly feel this incompetent service worthy of a chargeable premium?

Was it MY job to chase this every step of the way? I was even told to contact your contractors myself to find out what was going on.

At no point did your company fulfil its role, either professionally or ethically.

Its obvious to me that there is a basic principle involved in outsourcing.

When organisations outsource a function to another it must retain accountability to its customers.

Equity Red Star, in my view, failed to do this.

As part of the complaints procedure I have informed the broker that sold me the policy.

I will expect your reply in writing within 7 days, along with your offer of recompense.

If an agreeable conclusion is not reached, a more in depth account shall be directed further. I will also be posting my thoughts and dealings with your company online.

Regards,

Mr M. **********

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This e-mail was read on the same day

To: Team 3

Subject: Equity Red Star Complaint.doc

Sent: Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:15:09 -0000

was read on Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:42:38 -0000

No response as yet...(am I even suprised)?

I had also called Equity Red Star on the 9/12/08, and was told Merlin will phone me back concerning the kitchen floor.

No call......

As of writing this (19/12/08) my claim has not been finalised.

Over 5 weeks and counting.

Great service hey?

Merlin claims loss adjusters for Axa Plc and others stall and stall and try to avoid paying out. Every excuse is used including the alleged long term sickness of their loss ajusters. I suspect the issues could be linked to serious cash flow problems inside the insurance industry. I suspect they are instructed to stall as long as possible.