Screwed by the Post Office

deepindebtor

I have just been shafted by Post Office insurance.

I renewed my policy and told them I no longer did work away from home, so they took off the away from home cover.

We went over the details of the new policy and they know, because I had to claim before that I had a laptop computer, nothing was said.

I have had an accident with my computer and now they say I am not insured.

I am trying to determine what I can do, have I been mis-sold insurance, is that a hopeless path?

Are they claiming that my laptop was used away from home, when I no longer use it away from home, only ever on a desk in my house.

I had been under the assumption I was covered, I had accidental damage insurance, I didn't use it outside the house. Surely I am covered?

So has anyone had experience of this?

And is there anything I can do?

huckster

Change your post to.... Screwed by BISL Ltd.

It is Budget Insurance that administer the Post Office policy.

To cover portable equipment such as a Laptop, even in your home, you need the away from home section of cover. They should have explained this at the time.

You need to make a complaint using their complaints process, stating that you were not advised correctly about the cover you needed. They have an obligation to assess your cover needs and to make sure that they offer the cover to meet these needs.

People have complained about this before on forums, when exactly the same thing has happened. So BISL appear to be repeat offenders in this respect.

deepindebtor

We have now found out that they removed accidental damage cover, which I would NEVER have sanctioned in a million years as I have a large screen TV and am paranoid about damaging it.

However they have kept the family legal protection, an obvious extra.

If I was reducing the amount I was paying, I would reduce the extras, not the required items.

They cocked up, sadly I did not notice this. One small word in a huge document.

They have then removed cover for my laptop, I think the salesman thought it was covered by accidental damage (which he had removed and not told me!) and it was not covered.

Turns out I am now only entitled to around £60 worth of premiums back, great so I have lost £1150 due to their mistake!

GREAT

So when I suffer major financial loss they get off the hook free.

deepindebtor

It turns out that:

The salesman hit the wrong button, removed my accidental damage cover instead of my family legal protection.

We had been reducing the amount due, so we removed the legal protection as it was an extra.

We removed the protection away from home cover as it was an extra.

I was never told that I needed this extra to cover my laptop, in fact the accidental damage cover specifically states it covers computers.

I would NEVER in a month of sundays have removed accidental damage as I have a large screen tv and am paranoid about it getting broken.

They have cocked up and a poorly trained operator has removed cover I needed.

The Financial Ombudsmand says I am only now entitled to a mis-sold contract, in other words the premiums I have paid, I will have lost £1150.