Household Contents Insurance Replacement Problems

snapyou

I accidentally damged my 32"lcd tv bought last year for £600.
My insurance company(Axa)arranged through Empire Direct to replace the broken TV with a Toshia 32"LCD that cost £600 on their site.
After 5 days,THAT TV broke down.
Empire told me that they would arrange to deliver a replacement within 48 hours.That never happened so called them just now to be told that they no longer have that model available and that they have no 32"lcds at that price and that the new model of the Toshiba is now £899!!!
Should I have to pay the extra..considering that my insurance is for replacement cover...i.e I should get a 32"LCD!!
Thanks in advance!

getting_sorted:-)

Hi i used to work for household claims department. If the insurance companys replacement company, in this case Empire Direct cant replace your item on a like for like basis, then usually you can find a like for like replacement with your own supplier and the insurance will cover the cost. If they are wanting you to pay the difference, usually this is because its an upgrade, better features etc but if its a like for like replacement and not better than your origional TV, they should cover the whole cost. Call axa and see what they say, if your not happy tell them you want to complain.

MarkyMarkD

This isn't an insurance issue any more, but an issue with Empire.

They supplied you a duff TV. They are responsible for replacing it with the closest available (i.e. same or better) equivalent IF they can't repair it.

The fact that the new model is £300 more is irrelevant - if they can't repair it, they have to replace it.

Although the insurer's involvement is over (as they've paid for a replacement) I WOULD get them to lean on Empire if they fail to play ball, as obviously they are putting quite a bit of business Empire's way and should hold some sway.

getting_sorted:-)

when i worked in claims, because the insurer had appointed the supplier, if there was a problem, we were told we had to get involved and deal with it

MarkyMarkD

It's good if the insurer will get involved, but some won't want to be bothered. As I said, there's nothing to be lost in asking for their assistance.