stolen cash - to claim or not from house insurance?

chris057

Hi, can someone please let me know if I can claim from my house insurance.

Purse stolen from handbag: cash £37 plus £250 drawn from atm on credit card within 10 mins of loss (I had made the mistake of writing pin no. disguised as a telephone no. - but they were able to suss it out - have already kicked myself a hundred times).

But by writing my pin no. does it mean I am not covered to claim from my house insurance - don't want to ring and ask them incase they make a note of my enquiry as a 'claim' and it affects my future premiums. I have already paid renewal for house insurance policy which starts middle of next month - and for the first time it has not gone up.

I have a crime no. from Police.

Thanks in advance for all help/info.
Chris

PS also lost driving licence - so have taken advice on forum re credit checks and CIFAS membership to prevent identity theft - Thanks.

mattymoo

Did you use an ATM or chip and pin machine shortly before the theft. If so you may have been a victim of shoulder surfing (someone looking over your shoulder as you enter the pin) rather than having the phone code cracked.

First port of call would normally be your bank. If they will reimburse the £250 then that only leaves £37 and the value of the purse. Likely to be below the policy excess.

Check your policy wordings as well. I know cash in a purse is covered on a household policy but not sure if losses arising from theft of the card are covered. Probably are but it 2:10am and brain not working

chris057

Thanks mattymoo,

Just to clarify - chip and pin credit cards stolen along with purse. They have withdrawn the money from atm by using pin no. which I wrote down as a tel no. (along with other telephone numbers). This means I cannot get money refunded by bank.

Will house insurance company refuse to pay on the same grounds - i.e pin no. written down therefore invalid? Don't want to ask them as I have heard that all enquiries are treated as claims - and if the answer is 'no' - I will lose out by paying an increase in premiums as well as loss of money stolen!!

lisyloo

My guess is that you will probably get turned down on grounds of negligence, but it really does depend on the insurance company.

They usually look for ways not to pay out and as your writing it down could be constued as not taking proper care then I think they won't pay.

I'm not judging you, just telling you how I think an insurance company will see it.

To be honest it's on the border line for claiming anyway.

You premium will double next year and probably be higher for the next couple of years, so it's likely to cost you just as much in increased premiums anyway.

I now keep the minimum number of cards now (1 credit card) and keep the minimum in my purse, for example I don't carry my drivers licence.
There is just so much fraud and theft around that I think it makes sense to have and carry the minimum that you require.