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Buildings insurance problem
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Treaclebumstead
Posts: 1 Newbie
Hello, this is my first post so hopefully I have put it in the right place.
We have been with the same buildings insurer for 16 years. We have recently had to make a claim, due to central heating pipes buried in concrete bursting. We decided to move to surface pipes (dropped from upstairs), which reduced the costs to the insurance company (they were going to thermal image and potentially dig all floors up). We have been very happy with how they have handled the claim, so much so that we were considering moving our contents insurance to them......it's due for renewal on the 20th Dec.
Yesterday in the post came a letter from our broker, stating that the insurer has withdrawn the scheme they had with them and offered no alternative. The broker has found a company that is willing to insure us (bearing in mind the claim), but the policy is inferior (though at similar cost) , and not one I would have chosen given a choice
So I rang the insurance company, to see if we could insure directly. Despite being with them for 16 years, they have insisted we would have to be treated as a new customer Also they wouldn't insure us anyway because we have a claim ongoing, and even if it had been completed, they wouldn't insure us due to the amount of the claim .
After going up the food chain a couple of times, they finally said they would give me a quote, to then say they wouldn't insure us as our postcode indicated a big risk of subsidence Not only do we not know of anyone near here that has had a subsidence claim, our house was constructed to specifically mimimise the risk of it (built on piles).
They were happy enough to insure us for the last 16 years, but the 'coincidence' of them withdrawing the scheme with no alternative, and the pipes bursting has put us in a difficult position
Have tried online comparison sites, and predictably, only a few companies are happy to quote. To get comparable cover is much more expensive. Not happy....
I have started off their complaints procedure, but presumably this could take a while to resolve.
Just wondering if anyone had any advice / ideas please?
Thank you
We have been with the same buildings insurer for 16 years. We have recently had to make a claim, due to central heating pipes buried in concrete bursting. We decided to move to surface pipes (dropped from upstairs), which reduced the costs to the insurance company (they were going to thermal image and potentially dig all floors up). We have been very happy with how they have handled the claim, so much so that we were considering moving our contents insurance to them......it's due for renewal on the 20th Dec.
Yesterday in the post came a letter from our broker, stating that the insurer has withdrawn the scheme they had with them and offered no alternative. The broker has found a company that is willing to insure us (bearing in mind the claim), but the policy is inferior (though at similar cost) , and not one I would have chosen given a choice
So I rang the insurance company, to see if we could insure directly. Despite being with them for 16 years, they have insisted we would have to be treated as a new customer Also they wouldn't insure us anyway because we have a claim ongoing, and even if it had been completed, they wouldn't insure us due to the amount of the claim .
After going up the food chain a couple of times, they finally said they would give me a quote, to then say they wouldn't insure us as our postcode indicated a big risk of subsidence Not only do we not know of anyone near here that has had a subsidence claim, our house was constructed to specifically mimimise the risk of it (built on piles).
They were happy enough to insure us for the last 16 years, but the 'coincidence' of them withdrawing the scheme with no alternative, and the pipes bursting has put us in a difficult position
Have tried online comparison sites, and predictably, only a few companies are happy to quote. To get comparable cover is much more expensive. Not happy....I have started off their complaints procedure, but presumably this could take a while to resolve.
Just wondering if anyone had any advice / ideas please?
Thank you
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