insurance query - help needed

mm3958

Hello Moneysavers

I need your help.
Two weeks ago I was burgled. The lowlife smashed a small 2ft by 1ft window in my much larger UPVC window frame to gain entry. I'm insured and the insurance co has agreed to pay £1,500 to replace the whole window frame.
My query is this: The police have said to replace the window is overkill and I'd be better off spending the money on building a new big brick wall in the yard.
If I do this and leave the window intact what would happen if I was broken into again through this window and I had to make another claim?
Could the insurance co try to wriggle out of paying up because a previous claim was supposed to have been spent on replacing the window but this was never done.
If there's someone out there reading this that can give me some professional insurance co insider guidance on this I'd be eternally grateful.

Best wishes,

Mary

Brodiebobs

are they paying the amount to you or a company to replace?

huckster

If you start querying why they are replacing the whole frame, the Insurance company could think you are trying to save them money. If the whole frame does not need to be replaced and it is possible just to replace the broken window, this will be interesting news to the Insurers.

The police are not experts in double glazing. There may be reasons why it is recommended to replace the whole frame. Ask the Insurers and perhaps speak to a local glazing company.

I don't think the Insurers will be willing to pay a cash settlement, if they know you would be spending it on something else. If you want to spend money on the wall, then this is your choice, with your own money.

The only way I could see the Insurers assisting you, is if you obtained a report from the police confirming what you said in your post and a written opinion from a glazing company as back up. But speak to the Insurers to see if there is any chance, before you bother the police with this.

mm3958

They will pay the company rather than me and the company is willing to reimburse me the money that they don't spend on a new window
my query is...
Could the insurance co try to wriggle out of paying up because a previous claim was supposed to have been spent on replacing the window but this was never done.

dacouch

So are the window company going to send your Insurers an invoice for the higher amount?

huckster

Dacouch

I think the poster could be in difficulty with this in two ways.

1) The Insurers if they found out that money was not used as required , they could start an investigation. The contractor would effectively be submitting a false invoice and this could lead to a fraud enquiry. Police involved?

2) If there was another break in through the same window, not replacing the whole frame, finding mis-use of the previous claim payment, the Insurers could refuse to pay the claim, cancel the policy and possibly look to take further action.

I don't think I would be doing that. If the wall needs to be changed to enhance the security of the property, this needs to be paid for by the poster,

dacouch

huckster wrote: »

Dacouch

I think the poster could be in difficulty with this in two ways.

1) The Insurers if they found out that money was not used as required , they could start an investigation. The contractor would effectively be submitting a false invoice and this could lead to a fraud enquiry. Police involved?

2) If there was another break in through the same window, not replacing the whole frame, finding mis-use of the previous claim payment, the Insurers could refuse to pay the claim, cancel the policy and possibly look to take further action.

I don't think I would be doing that. If the wall needs to be changed to enhance the security of the property, this needs to be paid for by the poster,

Hence my question

huckster

dacouch wrote: »

Hence my question

Yes I thought that. It amazes me that the Police commented on this. Perhaps it might be the same copper who attends to look into the fraud allegation.