Insurance companies using 'loss adjusters' to not pay out on claims

nkr4

My mum has Contents and Household insurance with Direct Line who use various loss assessors to investigate insurance claims on their behalf.

Our house was broken into in April this year and although I managed to walk in on the burglar and chase him off he stole a number of expensive items from our home. Naturally we contacted our insurance company to inform them of the burglary, file a claim and get our property back.
Direct line informed us that they would process the claim but it may take some time; they would send a company called Evander Glazing & Locks (note the words Glazing and Locks not insurance loss assessors). Evander visit and measure our replacement door and go away without leaving any details of how to contact them and what the next step would be.

Weeks go by with no word from Evander or Direct line, then out of the blue we get a call from a loss assessor company, I forget the name because they were with us so briefly, something along the lines of 'something' Assurance Ltd asking how many bedrooms we have in our house. To which I answered who they hell are you? they informed me they were a company employed by Direct Line to investigate insurance claims, however they had no knowledge of Evander or any of our claim details, in fact could offer very little information at all. They informed us we would be visited by a loss assessor at 'their' convenience in May; the day of the visit the loss assessor phoned to cancel as he was sick.

Again two weeks went by and we heard nothing from either Direct Line or Evander. Then we get a phone call from a Glasgow based company Cunnigham & Lindsey, the man in charge is Richard Campbell. He informs us they have taken over the case for Direct Line and would send a loss assessor immediately. We began to think finally we had found somebody efficient in this mess of loss assessor companies...we were wrong.

Admittedly they did send said loss assessor, who was very pleasant and made friends with our cat etc, told us he didn't have any doubts about our claim....we did have a crime reference number, a broken door and a still very shaken up me as proof but you know these insurance companies can't be too careful with all these victims of crime/crooks about eh...

We were told to send proof of purchase for our missing items to the company address of Cunningham Lindsey. Admittedly we did take some time to find proof of purchase for some items as we don't tend to keep receipts for more than five years...as I expect most people don't. However eventually the documents were sent to Mr Campbell, first unsuccessfully by post, which I still cannot understand, then on a second occasion by email, which I was assured arrived and was being processed.

And finally the reason I have started this blog this evening...we have just received a letter from Evander (who for all intents and purposes are a glazing and locks firm) informing us that if we do not send them all our claim details within 14 days our claim file will be closed!!!

Has this happened to anyone else....I am under the impression a lot of well known insurance companies use loss assessor companies of a similar nature and you would be well to look out for them in the small print on your insurance policies. It must be noted that even though we pay money for our policy to Direct Line they have been uncommunicative and unhelpful throughout the entire process.

FlameCloud

All insurers use loss adjusting companies- it will depend on the type and value of any claim. It is not really unusual to discover that a company has been appointed to secure the property or start cleaning etc- insurers very rarely put much more than the address and the type of claim on instruction forms.

If you are unhappy with the service, you can make a formal complaint about it.

foggytown

Before we go any further, there seems to be a confusion of terms at work here.

A loss "assessor" works for the person who suffered the loss. He helps the insured prepare and present the claim - usually for a percentage of the final settlement.

A loss "adjustor" works for the insurance company as their "eyes and ears" to inspect and quantify the loss. Sometimes their only remit is to inspect and report back. Sometimes the adjustor has the ability to actually settle the claim by deciding that the loss is covered and agreeing the value of the claim.

In either case, it's time to contact Direct Line and ask them the functions of both Evander and Cunningham and which one they want you to deal with.