Post Office Home Contents Insurance : Complaint help.

muffinmannen

Hi all,

I’ve recently had some problems with an insurance claim with the post office and I’d like to know if there are any other people out there in a similar position to myself.
When I bought the policy I insisted that my laptop must be covered. Unfortunately my laptop was damaged and when a claim was made I was rebuked as it was not covered in the policy. The post Office was saying I was covered (including managers) but the actual underwriter said no.

This issue is still ongoing.

I’m intending on writing to the FOS but wandered whether it was just a chance mistake or whether it was a lot more common.

Many thanks.

Steve.

Also: If you’ve any advice on FOS complaints etc please feel free to share J

dacouch

What caused the damage to the lap top?

Where was it damaged eg Home or away from home.

Is it used for business use ?

What grounds did the Insurer turn the claim down

muffinmannen

Hi,

It suffered liquid damage. No business use. Damaged in the home.

They initially refused the claim as 'portable electronic' items are only covered by accidental cover IF cover away from the home is included as well. Thankfully I got them to listen to the initial sales call in which I specificially requested laptop cover and the Sales person said it would be covered.

It then took another month or so before their 3rd party team agreed that I was correct and that they will reimburse me.

I'm requesting more than what they've offered mainly due to the sheer amount of time taken chasing and trying to obtain answers, the phone calls, the emails and the stress etc that it caused.

Quentin

Your request for "more" seems unrelated to the settlement they have made, and more a request for compensation for your time/stress/costs.

If that's so, then make a formal complaint in writing about the way you have been treated and request the compensation.

Then escalate the matter if you aren't happy with their response.

The complaints procedure will be set out in the polocy, and you will have to go down that route before you can get the FOS involved.

muffinmannen

Hi Quentin,

Apologies for not making things clear. That is essentially what I've done. They've agreed to cover the cost of the laptop, the phones calls and an additional £65.

I was curious as to whether this was something that had affected only myself (with regards to the policy) adn whether anyone could shed any light on the FOS complaint details?

Quentin

Aren't you "happy" with the £65 + costs?

Does sound OK!

If you want to proceed to the FOS, you need to use the PO complaints procedure first.

huckster

You cannot make a generic complaint to the FOS. You have to be able to explain how your are still suffering from a financial loss or that the behaviour of the Insurers has caused you distress. Do read up on what complaints the FOS will accept before you write to them, otherwise you will be wasting your time.

You are aware the Post Office use BISL (Budget Insurance) who are an Insurance intermediary who use various Insurance underwriters for the policy brands they deal with. If you have a complaint about the way BISL dealt with you, then you may be better off writing a letter to the CEO of the Post Office, with a copy sent to the Managing Director of BISL Ltd.

muffinmannen

Quentin wrote: »

Aren't you "happy" with the £65 + costs?

Does sound OK!

If you want to proceed to the FOS, you need to use the PO complaints procedure first.

I would be but not when you consider that I spent a week or so being fobbed off and it wasn't until I started threatenting complaint etc that I was taken seriously. It annoys me to think that I had to cause such a fuss jsut to get a decent response. Then add a further 6 weeks of doubt and messing around and here we are. Don't get me wrong, I'm not in this jsut to make a gain, I want to cause a sh!tstorm so to speak. How many other being are jsut accepting that they 'are not covered' when they may have requested it just like I did and then not argued it?

muffinmannen

huckster wrote: »

You cannot make a generic complaint to the FOS. You have to be able to explain how your are still suffering from a financial loss or that the behaviour of the Insurers has caused you distress. Do read up on what complaints the FOS will accept before you write to them, otherwise you will be wasting your time.

You are aware the Post Office use BISL (Budget Insurance) who are an Insurance intermediary who use various Insurance underwriters for the policy brands they deal with. If you have a complaint about the way BISL dealt with you, then you may be better off writing a letter to the CEO of the Post Office, with a copy sent to the Managing Director of BISL Ltd.

confused.

So,

I bought the insurance through the Post Office. They were the ones who sold me the policy and who said that I would be covered.

The underwriter cunningham linsey(the providers of the insurance / policy?) - They said, no you're not covered.

-My initial complaint was that the post office were selling a product they knoew nothing about, misselling etc.

I then was given an email from some @ bglgroup who then dealt with the rest of the queries.

So. The post office buys from BISL. Who are bglgroup? They own BISL and comparethe,arket along with some other stuff by the looks of it?

Is that correct? So, who do you think I should send this complaint to?
Many many thanks

Quentin

muffinmannen wrote: »

So, who do you think I should send this complaint to?

As previously posted, look in your policy documents and read up the complaints procedure, which will tell you who to complain to.

muffinmannen

I think I'm going to do as you say. I've just looked and bisl and bglgroup are one and the same it seems with the same ceo.

Will send them both a copy as well as the fos.

Many thanks!