3 refusing insurance claim - help please!

onthecase

My daughter was recently attacked and had her handbag stolen which had her iphone 4 in.

The attack was reported to the police firstly by two 999 calls at the time, then again on the Sunday morning. 3 were called within the hour of the attack, on a different phone obviously, to block the phone and say it was stolen.

Police officers called to her home late Sunday, took a statement and said they would send the crime number in the post (usual procedure apparently). She contacted the insurance where they said she would need the crime number to make a claim.

As soon as my daughter received the crime number she filled in the forms and sent to the insurance. She received a call saying they had the forms and the claim was going through no problem.

Today my daughter had a call saying the claim had been rejected as it was over 48 hours before it was reported and that she hadn't given them the phones special numbers at the time? My daughter said she reported it but was told she needed the crime number which she gave as soon as it was given to her, but they are saying the claim is not valid.

Is there anything we can do, it seems like they are not going to pay out even though my daughter did everything she could!

Any help very much appreciated, thank you!

grumbler

onthecase wrote: »

...
Today my daughter had a call saying the claim had been rejected as it was over 48 hours before it was reported...

Reported to the police or to the insurance company? If the latter, why had she not reported within 48 hours if the T&C say so?

onthecase

My daughter reported to the Police in two 999 calls and then on the Sunday morning, to 3 themselves twice on the night and the day after and to the insurance on the Monday, when they said she needed a crime number. They are saying they received no such call. The crime number was given to them as soon as she received it!

grumbler

onthecase wrote: »

.... They are saying they received no such call.

This is something that I'd expect from the majority of mobile insurers.
That's why it's always worth making a detailed note of the call: exact time, name(s) etc. Even better is to record all calls to these thieves.

Any chance of getting a confirmation from the company that was used for making the call?

onthecase

Hi thanks. Probably not, my daughter phoned from a building site that she was visiting (part of her job) and used the company's phone, (first phone she could get to on the Monday morning). Calls are not logged. She couldn't call on the Sunday because she had to wait in her flat for the police to call and has no landline. The police said they'd visit her at home when she rang on the Sunday morning but they didn't arrive until 5.30 pm and stayed over an hour taking statements.

She's just sent an email to the insurance saying that she has done everything in her power to report the incident - is there anyone she can go to to take it further, ie, Trading Standards, FSA, etc or do you think she's no chance?

I am so angry about this!

Thanks again.

grumbler

I don't see how watchdogs can help if the T&C say '48 hours' and she cannot prove that she called.
I think all calls are logged by the telephone companies and the company owning the number can ask for a list and the durations of the calls made during some time interval. With such proof your daughter would be able to complain to FSA or even sue the !!!!!!!s.

onthecase

I'll ask her to ring the company she visited and see if they can help.

Regardless, I still find it incomprehensible that she rang and was told just to get a crime number, which she did as soon as possible. It is a proven violent assault and robbery (she was injured in the attack and her top taken by the police for forensics), yet they are refusing to pay!

onthecase

Result!!!

Daughter sent emails, no answer, then posted a copy in the post to say she was referring to Financial Ombudsman as she had acted in good faith and it WAS a robbery which not only left her without her phone, but left her with proven, reported injuries.

Today she has received a brand new Iphone by courier!

No letter or explanation, but at least she's got what she has paid for.

Thanks to everyone for their advice, and to anyone else in the same situation - don't give up!