Contents insurance, but no receipts?

princeofpounds · 11 February 2009 at 5:19PM

Just a quick question regarding a problem I've not had to face but have always wondered what the answer would be...

When taking out contents insurance, I'm usually asked for various high value items, so I put down my PC, TV etc etc.

But what happens if I were to be robbed, and then have to claim for all these items and more, but I had no proof that I ever actually owned them? Perhaps I had lost a receipt, or the item was something like a suit that wasn't in the high value list but still costly enough to replace. Would the insurer tend to pay out anyway just because I had declared them at the beginning? Or would they require me to produce photos or other evidence?

Would be great to know if anyone has had experience with this.

dacouch · 11 February 2009 at 5:29PM

Your Insurers would not normally specify your tv or pc on your policy they tend to want to specify "High Risk Items" / "Valuables" that are indivucally worth more than £1500 eg engagement ring.

In your example most Insurers would normally pay out without quibble except on some higher value items. Then they would ask for proof of owner ship eg receipt or credit card statement or even sometimes the box or instruction manual to satisfy themselves that you had that item.

There are curtain items that they get very picky which are normally items such as Rolexs where they have a lot of fraudulent claims. They would normally except for items such as these for you to have some type of proof of ownership.

The above information will not apply to all Insurers as some of the lower market ones will be more picky on proof of ownership and some of the higher end such as the high net specialist will often not be as picky.

With Insurance it is good advice for you to either walk through your home videoing your contents and / or take pictures of higher value items. You should then store these away from your home so if you do get broken into / fire it will help you prove to the Insurers, it will also jog your memory as you will often forget what items you had and it also helps the police as they can post pictures on their reports so it increases the chances that if they are found at the other end of the country they can be linked up with you and returned to you

As with any advice on these forums it would be sensible for you to ring your own Insurers and ask them if they willl need any proof for your contents.

P.S Which Insurer are you with?

lisyloo · 11 February 2009 at 5:32PM

It really would be very sensible to keep receipts for expensive items. (also for faults and warranty claims).
It's not that difficult to get a folder and put them in.

If you lose an individual receipt then your options are to provide a credit card or bank statement or alternatively photos. Expnesive jewelry items might be in photos but people don't often photo their TV or PC.
Sometimes an assesor may visit your house to see if you are lying or likely to have have had the items.
For example if we lost a expensive camera we would have lots of good quality prints, accessories etc. so we could prove our case. You might also have a box or documentation for a PC.

Essentially insurers have to take steps against fraud and it's very easy for people to claim they lost a ring, so they need some sort of proof and the burden of proof is on YOU and not them.

I would advise

1) keeping receipts in a folder
2) considering getting a safe for jewelry. We got a hotel type one from screwfix and it's bolted down in a hidden location - won't get past armed robbers but will stop the majority of opportunists.
3) Consider getting expensive jewelry professional valued, photo'd.
4) If you can't afford 3) then consider doing your own photos and cataloging it (mine is at least listed in an excel spreadheet so I know what I have).
5) Keep boxes and documentation. (Boxes in the loft are useful if you move house anyway or need to send the item back for warranty).

lazer · 4 January 2010 at 11:31AM

Hello,

Following on for this - i recenlty had a camera stolen while on holidays - which my travel insurance should cover.

However - I don't have a recepit as the camera was given to me as a gift - I do have the box, instructions etc - should this be enough?

Anyone know how long a claim proces should take - want to replace the camera asap as don;t want the person who gave me the gift to know i've had it stolen?

movilogo · 4 January 2010 at 12:29PM

I asked this very same question to my insurer and they said you must somehow prove that you owned the item.

If you have a receipt, then no problem.

Otherwise, you should have photos of items showing in your possession ie. wedding ring clearly visible on your finger, necklace on your wife's neck, a TV shown on your bedroom with your children playing in front of it and so on.

Because it is so easy for customers to fraudulently claim on contents, insurers are very fussy about contents.

You also need to lodge a complaint with police (following burglary or whatever) and list the items which you lost in police report.

Meeten · 4 January 2010 at 8:16PM

Suggest that you take photos of the individual items and have a copy off a newspaper or official letter with date on it.
This can then be posted online /e-mail and keep a copy so that if you need to access it, you have the ability to get it ASAP.
It is not as good as the receipt, but it does show that these items were in your possession.

HTH

dogbot · 5 January 2010 at 12:21PM

@lazer
Regards the box/manual question. yes this is often regarded as enough. You might like to get a note from whoever gave you the camera. I am sure they won't hold it against you that someone robbed you!

Do you have home insurance with personal posessions cover? Ifs the theft is probably covered by them on a new for old basis, while your travel insurance will only cover you on an indemnity basis (deduct for wear and tear - even if fairly new).

If you have such cover, the travel insurer will also ask for details of the home insurer so they can obtain a contrubiton from them for the cost of the loss (because you have insured the item twice they are entitled under policy conditions to request contribution). That said they might not bother.

Claim could take about 2-4 weeks, or longer if there is a backlog or the insurer isn't good.

lazer · 5 January 2010 at 1:47PM

Dogbot - thanks for the reply

Honestly i'm not sure if we have contenets insurance with personal possesson cover - its my parents house, I don't think they would have paid the extra cover though as we don't really have many things we would take out of the house that would be worth much more than the excess on the policy anyway.

Even if we do have the cover i don't want ot claim on my parents insurance and there is an excess on there contnts insurance but none in my travel insurance - glad i paid the excess waiver fee now

dogbot · 5 January 2010 at 5:24PM

Hi, no probs. In that case, certainly just push ahead with the travel claim. Good luck

McKneff · 5 January 2010 at 5:53PM

If you think you wont use a folder for receipts then make a point of always keeping he boxes for what you buy and put the receipts in the boxes before
putting them away (in the loft etc)

lazer · 6 January 2010 at 2:51PM

The good news is that my parents contents insurance doesn't have personal possession cover, although i did have to provide the household insurance policy number on the claim form

On the phone discussing my claim, they have siad they will accept the instruction manual as proof of ownership!

So so far so good - now i just need to send the form away and keep my fingers crossed!

Contents insurance, but no receipts?

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