Domestic & General query

thecakelady

Firstly I apologise if this post isn't in the correct place and for not having time to read all the FAQs. Move or delete as applicable .

Back in the late 1990's my parents had a new gas fire fitted with back boiler. At the time they took out an insurance policy with Domestic and General to cover parts and labour if anything should go wrong. Over the years the only claim made was for new coals when some of the original ones broke. Some of the coals have again deteriorated and my parents have phoned up to get them replaced only to be told they are not made any more and haven't been made for several years.

I feel that at this point the whole fire should be replaced and covered by the insurance but am I being optimistic? I was shocked and a little frustrated that my parents have been paying approximately £200 a year for over 15 years and hope they will get some benefit from all those payments. My Dad is going to write them a letter asking why they weren't told that parts for their particular fire were no longer available but any advice on what else he can do would be most grateful.

Thank you in advance.

chickendipperbabe

I don't think they make the fires to go with back boilers anymore so if they were to replace the fire they would have to install either a normal recessed gas or electric fire and fit a new combi or equivalent boiler somewhere else in the house.

~Beanie~

You are definitely being over optimistic if you are expecting D&G to replace the fire. Have your parents still got the policy paperwork and does it mention anything about replacement?

InsideInsurance

The contract almost certainly has a clause as to what happens if the part is no longer available.

The most common clause would give you the cash value of the part + fitting at its last list value before it was discontinued.

chickendipperbabe

So the OP's parents have been paying out for a useless insurance policy for over 7 years. Personally I would go after them for 7 years of payments, why were D&G still taking payments for insurance on a Boiler they cannot source parts for?

thecakelady

chickendipperbabe wrote: »

I don't think they make the fires to go with back boilers anymore so if they were to replace the fire they would have to install either a normal recessed gas or electric fire and fit a new combi or equivalent boiler somewhere else in the house.

Ah thanks for that, I didn't realise. More expense!

thecakelady

Beanie, I thought I was knowing insurance companies! My parents do have the original paperwork/policy documentation, I haven't read it yet so not sure about replacement.

thecakelady

chickendipperbabe wrote: »

So the OP's parents have been paying out for a useless insurance policy for over 7 years. Personally I would go after them for 7 years of payments, why were D&G still taking payments for insurance on a Boiler they cannot source parts for?

Exactly! I think that's the position my Dad is going to take when he writes.

meer53

chickendipperbabe wrote: »

So the OP's parents have been paying out for a useless insurance policy for over 7 years. Personally I would go after them for 7 years of payments, why were D&G still taking payments for insurance on a Boiler they cannot source parts for?

Because D & G sell insurance, not gas appliances.

It's really up to the owner of the appliance to renew the policy every year and to make sure the policy is suitable for them. D & G won't be notified every time an appliance is no longer available.

London50

T&C's for them below {warranty ect}

http://www.domgen.com/termsconditions.html

chickendipperbabe

Surely if D&G were auto renewing the policy and sending documents every 12 months or whatever they would be checking a database to see whether parts are still available for the appliance in question.

D&G told the OP that parts were not available when they attempted to claim so why couldn't they check this when they were renewing the policy?