Personal possession claim, advice needed.

willesdenhens

I set up a home insurance policy last Friday 3rd Feb and 2 days later I lost my engagement ring. I have claimed against my insurance but I am really worried because I think it looks very dodgy.
My Mum says I've jinxed myself by taking out the insurance.
I'm devastated that I've lost my ring and no replacement or money will ever make up for how bad I feel.

I submitted my claim online on Monday morning and the insurer phoned me within an hour to take further details, at this point I think they tried to trick me, she said "you've lost an engagement ring on 3rd Feb?" I said no it was lost yesterday 5th Feb and she then corrected herself.

A loss adjuster is calling me tomorrow morning and apparently the call will last an hour.
I'm just wondering what to expect?
I also wonder how they will work out the value? We can't find the receipt but do have the diamond report and I have some pictures of me with the ring on. I have looked at all the major jewellers online and can't find anything comparable. My partner paid £1500 but the jewellers haven't got anything anywhere near as nice for that price.
I was told they will try and replace the ring, do they get the ring made or something? I'm not even sure I want a ring the same because I think it would just upset me every time I looked at it.

I know if I was an insurer I would think this was a dodgy claim but it isn't it's totally genuine.

InsideInsurance

As you say, you pay £150 for cover one day and two days later ask them to pay you £1,500+ will almost certainly trigger concerns and thus the claim be investigated more thoroughly than if you had been a claim free customer for 20 years.

That said, it is simply investigations and as long as you are honest it will be paid out.

They are likely to use a technique called cognative questioning. It is a method of telling who is telling the truth and who is lying, there are a number of ways of doing it but it generally is around asking very similar questions time and time again in slightly different ways and generally in more detail each time and then checking that all your answers hang together. They can also ask spurious questions that you probably shouldnt know the answer to and thus should answer the fact you dont know.

If you are telling the truth you should be consistent in your answers and be able to add detail fairly effortlessly and likewise not know the answers to things you probably wont. If you are lying you will have inconsistencies, will struggle with details that you should know and will probably make up answers to questions that you probably shouldnt know.


As to the value, you will need to present them with whatever evidence you have to what the ring was be it photos, reports, bank statements, receipts etc. They will determine its a value from that and most likely either offer that value from one of their preferred suppliers or offer you cash for the what they'd have been paying their preferred supplier if you decline them (could be up to 30% less). The point to argue will be if the preferred suppliers dont have up to the standard of what you had (eg your ring was Tiffany and their supplier is Argos)

Did you declare the item on the insurance? If so, what was the value you gave? If not, what is the single item limit on your policy?

willesdenhens

I didn't declare it as I wasn't asked but the single item limit is £2000.
Thanks for your advice.

VictorM_2

It will look very suspicious and they will look into it thoroughly - unless you had cover before with no break with a different insurer.

McKneff

Dont worry about it.

If you tell the complete truth they cant trip you up, its their job to establish that you are telling the truth and you cant blame them for that now can you.

There are so many people making fraudulent claims so that they have to do this. Fraudulent claims involve lying so anyone who is lying has to have a good memory to remember what they said. If you are telling the truth you dont have to remember any lies. If you see what I mean.

Good luck and in the meantime, your ring could turn up, do you have any ideas at all. Was it while you were out or in the house.
Have a look down the back of the bed,

I hada diamond bracelet which was missing from my bedroom and I thought it had been stolen and found it a week later, the drawer bed had been slightly open and the bracelet must have slipped from the bed into the tiny gap between the bed and the drawer. I found it when I was searching for something in the drawer. I felt a bit silly ringing them up to cancel the claim but happy that I had found the bracelet that had been a very special birthday present.

InsideInsurance

I agree with turning the house upside down, would have done it before reporting the claim personally. The wifes engagement ring also went AWOL once (the bed delivery company were getting the blame) but it turned out it had fallen down the back of a chest of draws and against all the odds had balanced on one of the support beams rather than dropping down to the floor. Only when I moved the furniture to make sure it wasnt behind the wardrobe next to it did it fall to the floor.

willesdenhens

Thanks for all the replies.
Victor I have never had insurance at all. We live in a shared ownership house so our buildings insurance is paid with the rent. We only moved at the end of last year and I didn't get around to setting up contents insurance until last week, like my Mum said it seems like I have jinxed myself.

I am sure it was lost whilst we were out at a shopping centre. When we got home and I realised it was missing we did turn the house upside down, checked the hoover, the washing machine filter, the u bends, opened boxes that I haven't even unpacked since we moved, it's not here

I have no need to lie as it is a genuine loss, I feel lost without my ring, I know it's only jewellery but I can't sleep and feel sick with guilt.

As I said I am well aware that it does look rather convenient but believe me I would so much rather have the ring than make a claim, nothing will ever replace the ring my partner proposed to me with

McKneff

Have you contacted the shopping centre, the lost property dept, have you rang the police. The insurnace company will ask you this.

There are some honest people about who would hand it in to the police.

hugoshavez

willesdenhens wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies.
Victor I have never had insurance at all.

I have no need to lie as it is a genuine loss, I feel lost without my ring, I know it's only jewellery but I can't sleep and feel sick with guilt.

As I said I am well aware that it does look rather convenient but believe me I would so much rather have the ring than make a claim, nothing will ever replace the ring my partner proposed to me with

Be prepared for this to take a while.

And McKneff's right. It's NOT enough for your claim to be honest. Have a good look at the General / Claims Conditions in the policy book. Call the local police and the shopping centre NOW if you haven't done so. Take names of the people you speak to.

Better yet - go to the station and the centre, tonight.

willesdenhens

I rang the shopping centre and the police first thing on Monday morning, I was really hoping and praying that someone would have handed it in. I've left my contact details with both but heard nothing.

rs65

Did you buy anything at the shopping centre? Have you tried any carrier bags you came home with?

There was a similar thread recently where the ring turned up in the bread bin.

There have been other threads about this type of call from adjusters and the advice is always to be honest. If the answer is 'don't know' then don't be afraid to say so. I don't remember any threads where the poster was unhappy with the outcome of such a call.