Mobile Phone Insurance - Halifax Ultimate Rewards

djgandy · 29 January 2009 at 9:19PM

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Hello everyone. I need a bit of advice.

I have a Halifax ultimate reward account which comes with free mobile insurance. I recently sent off a claim for a broken screen on my LG Viewty. I paid the £30 excess + £5 for special delivery. The phone was sent back pretty quickly but there were a few issues.

First it did not operate properly. When you pressed the screen the touch screen would think you pressed somewhere else. Also the screen appeared interlaced and flickery. Then about 5 minutes later the screen has broke again. On closer inspection it appeared that it was the exact same screen I had sent off to be repaired except it has been rotated 180 degrees so now the crack was on the right hand side!

So I phoned them up and told them this. They sent me a jiffy bag (what a waste of money on postage) and I sent it off again (another £5). Today I get the call. They want another £30! They claim they replaced the screen and it was broken again since they sent it back to me!

Now I asked them if I could have the original screen to prove that they actually replaced the screen. I only asked for a laugh to see what their response was. They said the original screen now belongs to the underwriters. Well I'd like to see that screen as I'm pretty sure once my broken phone comes back it will be in my hands!

They are blatantly lieing to me but it seems I don't have a leg to stand on. I paid them via credit card but the credit card company seem not to want to cancel the payment until I try and resolve with Halifax although I think they will if I force the issue. I know I will get full attention if they don't get their money.

Does anyone have any advice on how to settle these disputes. I really don't see why I should run around building a case against them when they have not honoured their contract. What If I do pay another £30? I'll probably get the same crap again. I'll have also spent £70 in costs repairing a phone that I just wanted repaired for a spare. Where does this stop?

I will be going to Halifax tomorrow anyway to cancel my ultimate reward account as I see no point in keeping it if this is the level of service they provide.

On another note they screwed up my direct debit on my credit card too (which I only got to build credit rating) so I now have a nice black mark thanks to the incompetence of this bank. Seems like Halifax don't want their customers, at least not the ones that aren't up to their eyeballs in debts and interest payments.

clfno1 · 30 July 2009 at 2:52PM

I have had similar troubles.

I sent my phone off to be fixed, only for them to tell me I didn't notify them quick enough from it being damaged to telling them, then I sent it off and when it returned thery hadn't fixed the fault but added more faults!!!
I sent it off again (including a receipt so they could refund the postage!) and it returned only partially fixed with yet more faults!!!
The only saving grace is as I've been writing this they have classed the phone as BER (Beyond Economical Repair) and are replacing the phone with a brand new handset. Doesn't exactly replace me with confidence, but at least its someway to mending broken bridges....

Utter · 18 January 2010 at 12:05PM

Just before xmas I sent them a water-damaged iPhone which they returned but which I didn't immediately test due to receiving a newer model via a contract upgrade.

I charged the phone on xmas eve but found the battery was flat again the next day without any use. On xmas day the screen flickered and the phone simply died. On returning the phone in early January I received the same reply...

Our Repair Centre have confirmed that following the original repair, it underwent a full quality assessment, which included checks on all aspects of the handset, prior to being returned to you.
Upon further inspection we have been advised that the handset has suffered further damage since leaving their workshop.

This is obviously a complete fabrication and it seems particularly scandalous to me that the insurance arm of a major bank should behave in this way.

I will also be moving my accounts away from Halifax in the near future.

dan_redfern · 18 August 2010 at 2:23PM

having just lost my iphone, Halifax have been pretty straightforward with regards to dealing with the claim.

they did take the full 5-7 working days to send out the claim paperwork, and have agreed to setle my claim for a 6 month old iphone 3Gs 16GB with a cheques for £490 (based on teh replacement cost of the most similar spec phone, the iphone 4).

altho im not sure why they need to use a cheque rather than pay me my money instantly i cant really complain about any of the service i've received.

well worth the cover, if you are claiming for a loss / theft.:money:

lilmizzjade · 31 August 2010 at 10:27PM

dan_redfern, can i ask did you need a reciept to prove that you had bought the phone and did you have to report it to the police, i have lost my phone tonight and am going to call tomorrow to try and get it sorted, just want to make sure that i have all the information i need!

Thanks

mishabgt · 28 April 2011 at 2:00PM

dan_redfern would this imply, therefore, that in order to get the best treatment, it would be advisable to declare your phone as "Lost" if it were damaged?
In this way you will receive a new handset and remove all the costs of postage of the broken handset and any "future damage" it may incur when you get it back?

Just a thought! :idea:

zoleigh · 24 May 2011 at 3:29PM

I've had to make several phone calls to the claims department to get my phone fixed. Firstly, my requests to get a prepaid envelope out were not successful. They can't blame to post office for losing my post 3 times. I finally discovered I could download the form online & sent the phone out to them myself - I got my phone back a few days later still broken. I can't believe it was checked as it wouldn't even turn on properly. I think they saw the screen was broken & replaced that without looking into it further.
They now want me to send it back to them so they can have another go at fixing it. This is not the service I thought I was paying for. I've had to buy another handset in the meantime because 4 weeks is just too long to wait without a phone. I'm really upset with amount of time I've wasted on this. When I complained to Halifax they just seemed to distance themselves from the phone insurance company they're using which in itself is not helpful either.

a2daz · 4 June 2011 at 12:13AM

I accidentally dropped my iPhone 3GS and had a crack inside the screen. Rang the ultimate rewards phone insurance and explained what had happened and within 3 working days they sent me out a claim form and a letter explaining what happens next. Sent my phone recorded delivery 3rd May 2011. No communication within a week of them having the phone so I called only to be told they received the phone SIX days after I sent it, was told that it was going to the repair centre the next day and should take upto 5 working days for them to fix the screen. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and after another week still no contact to say the phone has been fixed/dispatched, so I rang again. They then told me the phone was still in the repair centre and that it was coming to the end of the amount of time for them to have the phone and should be dispatched in the next 3 working days. Another week passed (week 3) and still no contact about the phone, so I ring them AGAIN! Told me the same bulls**t as before and said they will be in contact. Another 2 days and still nothing. I rang again for the FOURTH time. This time I'm fuming! Spoke to one of the guys and they told me the phone was still at the repair centre and that they have looked through the notes that I have rang 3 times previously. He then told me that by his estimation that the repair has taken far too long (yea 2 weeks too long!) and that he will contact me personally the next day (Friday) to discuss with me why the phone was still at the repair centre - after he discussed it with the repair centre. So Friday comes - no phone call. Ring a FITH time (bearing in mind the number is a 0845 and you have to go through 2 automated services and then member of staff answering the call - only then to be put through to a member of staff regarding the phone insurance). The guy then told me the repair centre couldn't repair the phone and that they will try and get me a send me a replacement. After 6 mins of being on hold I was then told they had no 16GB iPhone 3GS in stock, and asked if it was ok to have a balance transfer which could take anything between 1-10 working days. The cash some was for £359.99 BUT you cannot buy 16GB 3GS any more and that the only 3GS you can buy (from the Apple Store) are 8GB retailing at £428 so they have robbed me basically!

The moral of this story is if its just a small accidental damage put up with it and don't go through the headache I've been put through this past month!!! :mad:

9wizard9 · 4 June 2011 at 11:03AM

dan_redfern wrote: »

having just lost my iphone, Halifax have been pretty straightforward with regards to dealing with the claim.

they did take the full 5-7 working days to send out the claim paperwork, and have agreed to setle my claim for a 6 month old iphone 3Gs 16GB with a cheques for £490 (based on teh replacement cost of the most similar spec phone, the iphone 4).

altho im not sure why they need to use a cheque rather than pay me my money instantly i cant really complain about any of the service i've received.

well worth the cover, if you are claiming for a loss / theft.:money:

Dan - can I check how you lost your phone? My OH has just reported her phone lost (she left her handbag on the train), and the Halifax insurance people are trying to use the fact that the phone was left in a public place as a reason to reject the claim.

There is a clause in the terms and conditions to say that leaving it in a public place will not be covered, but the policy also covers loss of the phone. I don't see how the two clauses are compatible - where would you lose your phone that didn't mean leaving it in a public place?! I reckon it's an unfair contract, but was interested to know the circumstances of you losing your phone to see why they didn't invoke this clause in your case.

Janice450 · 7 June 2011 at 2:21PM

I have had the same horrible service. My phone fell in water and they have had it now since 27th may. If you ask what is happening with your claim they just say they have five full working days to repair it. It takes them 24 hours to get emails and if you ask for a manager they just make you hold for ages and then you get another customer service wind up. I stayed with the halifax because the ultimate reward looked like a good deal. I will be moving all my accounts as soon as my phone is returned to me. Some of the comments on this site make me wonder why I bothered. Apple store told me if I took my phone to them they would have exchanged for 139. I now wish I had done that.

jimmer1980 · 13 July 2011 at 10:18PM

9wizard9 wrote: »

Dan - can I check how you lost your phone? My OH has just reported her phone lost (she left her handbag on the train), and the Halifax insurance people are trying to use the fact that the phone was left in a public place as a reason to reject the claim.

There is a clause in the terms and conditions to say that leaving it in a public place will not be covered, but the policy also covers loss of the phone. I don't see how the two clauses are compatible - where would you lose your phone that didn't mean leaving it in a public place?! I reckon it's an unfair contract, but was interested to know the circumstances of you losing your phone to see why they didn't invoke this clause in your case.

9wizard9. Did your OH get anywhere with the claim? I've just registered my phone lost with them in similar circumstances. Am waiting for the claim form now.

Mobile Phone Insurance - Halifax Ultimate Rewards

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