Home contents insurance risk

BargainGalore

I took out a home/contents insurance out the other week as I got a cheaper quote than who I was previously. One of the question was, are they any rivers, streams etc within 1/2 mile or thereabouts?

Yes there is a very small stream that has never flooded more than a few feet above its bank if at all. However I live about 5 minutes walk away from it and on a hill about 30 metres high, it would be neigh inpossible to get flooded from that stream I am more or less at the very top of that hill.

I had to ring to get clarification if I would be covered as I hear if you dont tell the full truth your insurance can be void. They allowed it when I explained, but it does make you think.

rotti1967

Is the flooding you had flash flooding eg a very very high amount of rain that the local drains could not handle

Yes it was flash floods dacouch but the bloke didnt mention that he just said sorry we cant help you.

Regarding the cost we didnt get money we just had to go to a shop LloydsTSB said to go to. Actually all we were going to claim for was the sitting room carpet as the kitchen lino was ok, but when the assessor came our she said best to claim for that incase the dirty water got underneath it.

Just asked my wife and she says it was at least 4 years ago.

Freddie_Snowbits

rotti1967 wrote: »

Yes m8 looks like we are going to have too. i just think its a disgrace that because we have been flooded we are blacklisted from getting a better quote elsewhere.

Why do you think you have been Blacklisted? In any case, insurance works as a business (to make money). It collects a lot of premiums from everyone and then pays out from this income when some of its clients suffers. As the risk pof flooding is greater in certain areas, possibly due to the stupidity innbhuilding that has occurred in recent times, they ammend their cover accordingly. Just the same as when you insure your car, you can go third party and take a risk you do not have an 'At fault accident' for lower cost than the 'Fully Comprehensive' deal.

Same way you can remove certain risks from your insuarnce. As fpor flooding, this could be treated the same as subsidence (due to Mining) does not stop you from changing insurer, but the new insurer could claim from a previous insurer, should a claim be put in.

dacouch

rotti1967 wrote: »

Yes it was flash floods dacouch but the bloke didnt mention that he just said sorry we cant help you.

Regarding the cost we didnt get money we just had to go to a shop LloydsTSB said to go to. Actually all we were going to claim for was the sitting room carpet as the kitchen lino was ok, but when the assessor came our she said best to claim for that incase the dirty water got underneath it.

Just asked my wife and she says it was at least 4 years ago.

If it is flash flooding not due to a river or the sea flooding eg the drains could not handle the rain speak to a broker local to you. They will know companies that will possibly be prepared to cover you as they can use local knowledge to explain the freak weather and any work the ea or council have done to try and prevent it happening again

The other alternative is to stay with Lloyds TSb which is what most people would do and would normally
be the best thing for you to do.

rotti1967

Looks like we will have to stop with LloydsTSB as ive stated if the CIS is anything to go by its not worth the hassle.

housebug

Glad you've been able to get insurance. End of. I understand your frustration though. The insurance companies are happy to sell you a policy, so long as you don't actually make a claim against it. Sort of negates the reason for having it.

You'd think, in a saner world, that all making a legal claim MAY do is see your future premiums go up. Perhaps its a symptom of the current economic climate; excluding anyone who poses even the slightest risk?

rotti1967

The insurance companies are happy to sell you a policy, so long as you don't actually make a claim against it. Sort of negates the reason for having it.

Nail on head housebug.

rotti1967

Well what a nightmare my wife phoned them up and low and behold they asked about if we had been flooded in the last 5 years, and considering we have been with them for 5 years and we made the claim with them shows how useless they are.

They refused to insure us but still insured us for contents to which i told them to cancel everything.

Im going to have to get the yellow pages out for local brokers and hope one of them will insure the building im not too bothered about contents insurance its the building insurance we need.

Is there anywhere that i can phone bar trawling through the yellow pages to get this sorted, it isnt a nice feeling to know the house you live in isnt insured.