Home Insurance Excess

SCOTTFIRE

Have recently had a claim for flooding at home. Insurer has paid us by mandate for repalcement of carpet.
We had an excess of £125.00.
The mandate was for £730.00. The Mandate company has stated that when we go to purchase the new carpet we have to pay the supplier £125.00, being the excess. Surely the Insurers should have just deducted this amount from the claim amount. When asked if I even buy a cheaper carpet they have said that the £125 must still be paid to the supplier.
What if I didint have the excess money. This all very strange.
Any advice please.

getting_sorted:-)

Hi, alot of the time a company replacing an item for you will collect the xs, sometimes if there are suppliers appointed to replace items and there is a cash/voucher settlement for the remainder of the claim the xs is deducted from the cash/vouchers instead as its easier than getting the supplier to collect. When i worked in claims, if someone couldnt afford to pay the xs we would let them 'downgrade' and have a cheaper item instead of paying the xs. Not sure insurance has to let you do this though, as the policy is usually for a like for like replacement, with the xs payable. Or for example if your carpet is already the cheapest in the range it wouldnt be possible as nothing to downgrade to (doesnt sound like it is cheapest though) Phone the insurance company back and explain, you may just have been speaking to someone who doesnt realise you can downgrade the item, or that they can collect the xs elsewhere. Hopefully they will put you on hold and ask someone else, then sort it out!