Home insurance - smoke question

nika-nika

Hello,

1. Does anyone at the property smoke?
2. Does anyone in your household smoke?

Do you consider these are actually two different questions?

To me, the first one is something about 'is the house smoke-free?" (in particulare, even though no one in your family smokes at all, your guests may be allowed to smoke an occasional cigarette in the living room with the patio door open").

And the second question clearly focuses on the "household" people - i.e., individuals living in the dwelling.
So what if, say, one family member is a smoker as such - but they absolutely never smoke "in the property"?

Why I ask:
the first question is what you answer when getting quote/buying home insurance from Barclays (say, you answer "No" stating your house as "smoke-free"),
and the second question appears (instead of) in your written policy when you receive your policy documents.
Which in my view makes your "No" to be an incorrect answer (and the whole policy invalid?) if you do have a smoker in the family - who never actually smokes "in the property"!

Or am I wrong?

Just_Some_Guy

I would say the answers to both 1 and 2 are Yes, because you were asked "does anyone at X do Y" not "does anyone do Y at X". However this is splitting hairs about fine points of the English language, and I didn't do English for A level...

Suppose someone in your household did a sport that involved going away to do it. say windsurfing. How would you respond to "Does anyone at the property windsurf?"

*Scarlett

Do the answers to these questions actually make any difference to the prices you are being quoted?

Try quotes with and without the non smoking clause.

If not, I would just just put "yes" to both so you are covered for permanent residents and guests all smoking like chimneys

(But I do see you point as regards to the questions they are asking).

nika-nika

Just_Some_Guy wrote: »

However this is splitting hairs about fine points of the English language, and I didn't do English for A level...

The problem is that English is not my first language, let alone 'insurance English language'.

I called them today (I am an existing policyholder), and the lady on the phone admitted that:
1) these indeed are two "slightly" different questions, with the second one actually replacing the first one in the written policy,
2) Ah yes, she "can understand" the point and my confusion
3) this was not me to blame for the incorrect answer (the house is smoke-free, but my adult kid is an occasional 'social' smoker who never smokes in the house, in the garden or within any visible distance from me )

And she has corrected the answer to "yes" in my current policy - for no additional "administrative fee" or any premium increase.

I am still at a loss whether I can have a full house of those heavy-smoking guests who are clearly excluded from the abovesaid "household" - but this is no longer my problem, as my written policy (hard copy) does not care about them at all.
Why shoudl I?

Funny...

*Scarlett

nika-nika wrote: »

And she has corrected the answer to "yes" in my current policy - for no additional "administrative fee" or any premium increase.

Funny...

Good for you. I think that insurers sometimes will apply endorsements to policies - maybe as regards to smokers or security or such like if you tell them you are complying with these conditions even if they would cover anyway without you complying. It can make little or no difference to the price that you pay.

In some cases it may make a difference to your price but always try quotes with and without these types of specific requirements as you will normally be better off with a policy without any endorsements / conditions.