Asprea/Aviva nightmare, any help appreciated

ade123_2

I've been calling Asprea everyday for a month now after a surveyor assessed damp in our home and assured us they would cover any repairs saying we'd have a report within 48 hours.

Since then we have heard nothing, and are just told by the call centre we need to deal directly with the surveyor, who has vanished into thin air. At the call centre no one will allow me to talk to management and i have no other numbers to call.

The ombudsman said they cant issue a complaint as the policy is arranged by the person who holds the freehold to our house, who is in his 80's, barely works anymore and is impossible to contact.

To top it all my wife is about to give birth any day and we are getting infestations of slugs and lice from the damp!

If anyone has a number to call or can give any help, other than to move out, i'd really appreciate it. from reading these forums it looks like Asprea can be a nightmare to deal with.

huckster

You could always phone their head office and ask to be put through to the Head Office complaints function. This is the switchboard number.

(0)20 7283 2000.

It is possible that the Insurers will decline the claim, if the damp is defined as being a gradually operating cause. So I am a little surprised by what the assessor appears to have told you.

But the service needs complaining about, hence phoning head office. Alot of these companies operate call centres abroad these days, so trying to get someone to take ownership of your issue, can be very difficult.

ade123_2

thanks, i'll give them a try tomorrow

magpiecottage

I think FOS is wrong - I think you ARE eligible to make a complaint under FSA rule DISP 2.7.6R(5) because you are a person for whose benefit the contract of insurance was taken out.

This is a technical argument which most people at FOS will not really appreciate.

However, in the first instance, I suggest you complain to the insurer and state "I am an eligible complainant under DISP 2.7.6R(5)".

They have eight weeks to respond, I'm afraid but it is likely to kick them into action.