Saga Insurance + Norwich Union + Cunningham Lindsey

poundsshillingsandpence_2

MikeM wrote: »

The whole thing didn't start well with the arrival in January of what I would call a 'dead-loss adjuster' who unfortunately made errors in his report which
persist to this day on the CL 'customer' web site ! Wrong descriptions and measurements of rooms/areas etc. with my letters/emails politely correcting them totally ignored.

we had this as well, he was more interested on the day in the original features of the house we had left in tact than going round doing a proper internal survey

I do hope that they will be paying you for the keeping of a 'site diary' ?

hadn't thought of that one........ thanks


I would personally go for the local (garden perhaps?) container storage as at least you will be able to get stuff from them.

this is what OH prefers

We too heard mention of 'accomodation' but like you, we would prefer to 'camp out' at home rather than enjoy the pleasures of a cheap bed and breakfast.


they havnt offered and TBH flippently in passing I said are you going to provide luncheon vouchers so I can go up the road and eat and toilet in peace away from the mess........... you must be joking was the answer from the contracter........ we dont even get lunch vouchers.

During this process I discovered that my carefully compiled complaints and constructive comments of previous telephone calls had NOT been recorded at all !

yet all calls to them initially are recorded for training purposes and do you wish to continue

Yes, just like you we are 'livable' when it's just the two of us as we can 'muddle along' but the arrival of any guests is not without difficulties. Most of our friends are absolutely astonished that it has taken so long to be fixed and today - four months after the event - we still have no flooring and not even a date for getting it.

an estate agent told me it can take up to 4 years sometimes to sort some problems out, I dont suppose it bothers the insurance companies as they are not paying out till the end

I have almost given up 'phoning' as the aggravation and stress exceeds the benefit but that I suppose is their 'scheme'.

well until 2 weeks ago I hadnt phoned at all, I had emailed and wrote but was beginning to wonder if the replys were blowing away in the wind and not getting through the letter box, then I discovered there were no replies.
To add insult to injury CL did acknowledge and confirm what they told me on the phone that it was the contracters delaying the process and they would chase them up

I dont expect to be offered AA as I think it has be the full underpinning before they go this far but we will be without a bathroom as this is one of the worst effected rooms. Unfortunately they did ask if we could manage and I said yes for a day or two but as time goes on and that room deteriates further I think there is more work involved in there than they first thought.
Maybe health and safety will come into it.
They were more concerned whether I had an alternative toilet and could the workmen use it also as this would not need them having to provide a porta loo
Maybe asking me about managing without a bathroom was a leading question that might have lead to AA being suggested if I had said no...........hindsight is a good thing to have sometimes and not after thoughts and guessing games

to add insult to injury we were contemplating down sizing this year, we have found another property that would suit but if this had been done by the scheduled time we might have stood a chance but adding another 3 months at least it is a no no for now

MikeM

I am really sorry to hear of your woes which seem considerably worse than mine.

FYI CL have a web site where you can register and then 'monitor the progress of your claim' and they even have 'milestones'. I actually asked for this to be set up when I started but as mentioned before it still has the original mistakes on it. I have conducted a lot of my correspondence by email and I do (now) get reasonable responses (timewise) from them. The benefit is there is something in writing.

The whole arrangement is unsatisfactory as there is absolutely nothing one can do to 'chivvy' anybody along. The contractors seem to do these insurance jobs a 'fillers' and they are probably screwed into the ground on cost so they have little incentive and as you say the longer it takes, the longer the insurance companies money stays in the bank.

Originally I was patient and pleasant in the hope that being 'civilised' about it would get things done. I really couldn't care less what they think of me - a reflection on their attitude towards me. I have probably made the claims handler's life at C/L a misery and he must groan whenever he hears from me. It's not his fault, I know, but his management needs a good kick up the backside !

C/L are, I note an American company and they are after all in business to make money out of the system. I do however almost choke when I look at their UK website and read:

"it’s about delivering the insurance promise in a crisis".

Apoplexy sets in at the following:

" and help them to address the key areas of customer retention, customer satisfaction and cost control."

Errr - hovering near the 'nil points' on that score in my book !

I should perhaps realise that no matter what insurance you buy you are merely buying a promise !

JustJewels

Not sure if everyone already knows, but loss adjusters work for the insurance company i.e. the policyholder is NOT their customer, the insurer is, hence why policyholders get little joy from loss adjusters (their name figures, they "adjust" the "loss" (claim) down as much as they can!)

Fortunately there are equivalents who can work for the best interests of the policyholder - loss assessors. Of course you'd have to pay them but for a large claim it might be worth it.

http://www.lossassessors.org.uk/Contact.htm

Hope that helps

JJ

FlameCloud

That will really put the wind up the insurance company- we hate dealing with assessors.

To be honest, they do nothing that you couldnt do with strong words to your insurance company, whilst charging you for it. They do not work in the policy holders best interests, they work for themselves as they take a % of the total claim value.

The whole arrangement is unsatisfactory as there is absolutely nothing one can do to 'chivvy' anybody along. The contractors seem to do these insurance jobs a 'fillers' and they are probably screwed into the ground on cost so they have little incentive and as you say the longer it takes, the longer the insurance companies money stays in the bank.

Are they hell. Quotes for insurance companies are 9 times out of ten waaay higher than you could get privatley, which is conversly why we love it when you get your own builders in to do the job.

I know it is frustrating and I sympathise, really. At work I often see cases that have dragged on for over 6 months for somewthing as simple as an escape of water. Personnally I'd be demanding action from them! As you say though, it is hard.

When a file is transferred to an outsources loss adjusters, it is only because the own companies internals are too busy. Outsourced ones, as have been mentioned, are crap and cost a fortune. In addition, when the file is brought up on the pc, alot of the normal options are locked out- such as manually appointing suppliers yourselves or making payments.

Good luck with getting it sorted.

poundsshillingsandpence_2

thanks for your comments

FlameCloud wrote: »

Quotes for insurance companies are 9 times out of ten waaay higher than you could get privatley, which is conversly why we love it when you get your own builders in to do the job.

at the last inspection with the contracter manager and another surveyor in charge of assessing the work required this was actually said .
The surveyor said I will itemize everything so you can get a like for like quote but you will get it done cheaper than the contracters we will be using.

MikeM

FlameCloud wrote: »

At work I often see cases that have dragged on for over 6 months for somewthing as simple as an escape of water.

When a file is transferred to an outsources loss adjusters, it is only because the own companies internals are too busy. Outsourced ones, as have been mentioned, are crap and cost a fortune. In addition, when the file is brought up on the pc, alot of the normal options are locked out- such as manually appointing suppliers yourselves or making payments.

.

Oh, how I wish I knew this when I claimed! Half the problems have been caused by our 'dead-loss adjuster'. We were not given ANY options and as I haven't claimed in 22 years thought that this was the way that it was done nowadays !

Give us all an idea of just what perecentage the loss adjusters get paid for their labours ? Seems a 'funny' scheme whereby the bigger they make the claim the more they get paid doesn't it. Why do insurance companies tolerate this ? It can't be good for their profits and is certainly not to the benefit of their customers ?

poundsshillingsandpence_2

MikeM wrote: »

Oh, how I wish I knew this when I claimed! Half the problems have been caused by our 'dead-loss adjuster'. We were not given ANY options and as I haven't claimed in 22 years thought that this was the way that it was done nowadays !

Mike we wasnt in the first instance either. TBH if I hadnt have spoken to family at christmas I wouldn't be as wise as I am now to giving thought to taking another route.

When OH phoned insurers after having local tradesman in and he suggested we had a subsidence problem we were accepted straight away by our insurers and within an hour "the adjusters" were on the phone introducing themselves and making an appointment to view! within the week we had a claim number sent and told it was now in the hands of "the adjusters".

have spoken to them today, they still have not got the necessary plan of work and costings through and have now levied a complaint to the contracters. inconvenience money or AA will be offered if and when they find bathroom unaccessable for a said period and storage can be arranged anytime I like [ thanks to Mara for this info ] once I have agreed the contracters can carry on and I have filed my excess payment with them. If we choose settlement and our own men no AA or storage etc is available although covered by my policy.

Will dig deep tonight to see if I can find anywhere on the insurance that says we are bound by their chosen contracters etc in the event of any claim for it to be honoured in full !

would also like to apoligise for hijacking your original thread........... sorry

MikeM

No need to apologise - the more debate the better !

FlameCloud

MikeM wrote: »

Oh, how I wish I knew this when I claimed! Half the problems have been caused by our 'dead-loss adjuster'. We were not given ANY options and as I haven't claimed in 22 years thought that this was the way that it was done nowadays !

Give us all an idea of just what perecentage the loss adjusters get paid for their labours ? Seems a 'funny' scheme whereby the bigger they make the claim the more they get paid doesn't it. Why do insurance companies tolerate this ? It can't be good for their profits and is certainly not to the benefit of their customers ?

Not got a clue really- probably around 30K a year, which isnt really that bad I suppose.

The main problem with all loss adjusters (be they internal or external) is that there simply arnt enough of them to go around for everyones. someone as big as C&L will be used by all the main insurers, so I've heard that its not uncommon for one adjuster to have a hundred cases on the go.

Insurance companies tolerate this because frankly, we dont have a choice in the matter. More internals are being trained up to try and compensate though, but these will take time to filter through obviously.

MikeM

I was more interested in the percentage of the claim that the loss adjusters company would take ?

Why are loss adjusters 'separate' from the insurance company ? Would have thought it best that they were directly employed by the Insurance company ?

And why the sudden crisis of not enough loss adjusters in the world?

Finally the guy I am dealing with is a 'Claims Technician' - what is one of those ?

Sorry for so many questions but there is a whole world of insurance out there that I am trying to understand !