insurance advice

jayy

hello, i have just joined this forum, to see if anyone can offer me any advice, we recently had a burst pipe and have put in a claim for a new carpet, as ours is damaged due to the water, now we have had a man vist to look at the carpet and he says we will get so much amount for the carpet, we havnt had this in writing yet but the problem is the amount they say wudnt buy the same quality of carpet today, the carpet we have is only 9 years old and is in good condition, but now it is damaged from the water and as a dreadful smell, and are unsure if we could get rid of the smell, the policy we have is new for old, also we have to go to a shops they recommend,
any advice would be welcome
thank you

TSx

They will be seeking to replace it like for like (the same quality), and should be able to explain where their figure has come from, and if this is not the case, you need to argue it. Get quotes for a like for like quality carpet to prove that you cannot buy a replacement carpet with what they are offering - although expect them to confirm they can replace it via one of their suppliers cheaper.

You can also ask for a cash settlement - usually a deduction of around 20% will be made to reflect the discount the insurer receives from the carpet supplier.

If you are still not happy, you can formally complain to the insurer - who have 8 weeks to respond and issue you with a final decision letter. You also have a right of escalation to the financial ombudsman should you still disagree with the insurers response.