Any Home Insurance Experts - we mistakenly didn't disclose a claim!

babelfish

The insurance informed us today that they aren't paying our claim and are voiding our insurance altogether. My husband spoke to the brokers, Swinton, and said its a bit harsh for them to cancel as it was a genuine mistake. Plus it was us that told them about the previous claim and even investigated it to find out the exact date for them (ie we didn't try to hide anything). Swinton have said they are going to speak to the insurance to ask them to reconsider but I can't see that this will do any good personally.

I'm not sure what to do now. I'm so worried because we're effectively uninsured overnight now until I can sort something out tomorrow. What's the best insurance company to go with in this sort of case that won't cost the earth?

Quentin

See if a local broker (not Swinton) can help get you cover tomorrow.


Then if Swinton's intervention gets a result you can cancel the new policy and see out your Swinton policy.


If the decision stands and you feel unfairly treated you can still appeal (by way of a formal complaint) the voiding and escalate to the FOS to adjudicate if you are unhappy with their reply.

babelfish

Should I ring the insurance myself rather than waiting for Swinton to plead my case? Our home insurance is up for renewal at the end of March and we are willing to pay a lump sum to cover what our premiums should have been if they had known about our previous claim. We have an unblemished insurance record for 30 years and then one little mistake and its as though we're fraudsters.

Quentin

You have nothing to lose!


Definitely worth trying everything to get the decision reversed and the cancellation "quashed".


(Though they do have an extra reason to stand by their guns - they now don't have to deal with your claim which they will have to if they reinstate your policy)

MABLE

babelfish wrote: »

We've always been above board and honest with all our household dealing but last year we took out a new home insurance with Swinton (buildings and contents). I thought I was answering honestly when I filled the form in and said we hadn't had any claims in the past 3 years.

However, we have just put a claim in because we have a water leak under the floor in the hall. We had previously claimed for a leak in the hall which our insurance at the time put right. It has now come to light that it was in 2012 and so under the 3 years. I honestly thought it was longer ago than that and had also forgotten that we had gone through the insurance to put it right anyway!

Ive just had a call from Swinton asking why I didn't disclose this claim at the time of taking their insurance out and so I said I honestly thought it was longer than 3 years ago and couldn't remember that we'd claimed on the insurance. They said they would ring back in 2 weeks once they'd assessed our claim.

Im really worried now that they'll think its some kind of fraud and that, of course, they won't pay for our claim either. Does anyone know what is likely to happen now? Will this invalidate our insurance altogether? I can't believe I made this mistake anyway - Im usually so on-the-ball with this kind of thing. Help!

This is one reason we will not change insurance companies. They already know our full claims history.