Help, can't get home insurance due to claims!

dunstonh

most lenders have a fall back option and can provide cover if its clear you cannot get cover yourself. However, it is rarely used and its not typically the sort of thing your average low skilled bank clerk knows about nowadays. You tend to need an old school clerk who has been around a long time or someone that actually takes pride in their job. Not too many of those in bank branches nowadays.

It wont be hard for you to get insurance. It will just be expensive potentially as none of the internet/direct providers will be interested in covering you. You need to do it the old way and use a broker or intermediary.

Oscar_The_Grouch

Hi there.

Budget are just an intermediary, but they issue all the paperwork from their offices on a "binding authority". The actual insurer behind individual policies can change from year to year and if you don't read your renewal notice, you may never know who the actual provider is.

One of the major problems with Budget (from experience from the insurer point of view) is that their computer system is unable to cope with anything out of the ordinary. This means that although Budget have declined to quote your last insurer may be willing to offer terms (I have known Budget to decline to quote a renewal, just because the insurer wants to put on an increased excess - their system cannot cope with it so they just say "no quote").

I suggest you phone Budget and ask them who your insurer was and for a telephone number to speak direct to their underwriters. Then phone the underwriter and ask them whether they are willing to offer you a policy direct rather than through Budget, as Budget have declined and you are unable to get insurance elsewhere.

The Association of British Insurers would usually insist that an underwriter offer terms if they were the last insurer and cover could not be provided elsewhere.

I think this is your best shot for getting insurance.

nej

Oscar_The_Grouch wrote: »

Hi there.

Budget are just an intermediary, but they issue all the paperwork from their offices on a "binding authority". The actual insurer behind individual policies can change from year to year and if you don't read your renewal notice, you may never know who the actual provider is.

One of the major problems with Budget (from experience from the insurer point of view) is that their computer system is unable to cope with anything out of the ordinary. This means that although Budget have declined to quote your last insurer may be willing to offer terms (I have known Budget to decline to quote a renewal, just because the insurer wants to put on an increased excess - their system cannot cope with it so they just say "no quote").

I suggest you phone Budget and ask them who your insurer was and for a telephone number to speak direct to their underwriters. Then phone the underwriter and ask them whether they are willing to offer you a policy direct rather than through Budget, as Budget have declined and you are unable to get insurance elsewhere.

The Association of British Insurers would usually insist that an underwriter offer terms if they were the last insurer and cover could not be provided elsewhere.

I think this is your best shot for getting insurance.

That's an interesting option - I hadn't thought of that. I know my last/current insurer is Axa because I dealt with them directly for my burglary claim (and they were very good, too I must say). I'll give them a call on Monday.

nej

Well, Axa wouldn't deal with me directly - barely wanted to speak to me really as they'll only deal with me through the Budget.

Got a couple of brokers getting quotes for me, but I'm really stressed because I go on holiday on Friday so only have until Thursday to get it sorted out, otherwise I'll have no insurance for a while which I really don't want.

nej

Well, I've managed to get a quote from someone!!

Adrian Flux is the broker - I spoke with them on Saturday and just chased them now and they have the quote, which is about £100 more than I was paying before with Budget, but all things considered that ain't too bad and I was expecting a lot worse. It's with Prestige Insurance, and seems to tick all the bases.

I've got someone else supposedly getting back to me tomorrow but at least I know I have a policy I can take out which is a HUGE relief. I wouldn't have been able to enjoy my holiday knowing my home is unattended and uninsured.

Thanks for everyone's help and suggestions - it helps a lot to have knowledgeable people to give guidance and to share with.