Claim for Conservatory Roof

Merlinslaney

Recent winds have caused tree branches to damage our conservatory roof and make a hole. We rang the Insurers and so started the claim process. I had 2 phone calls where I had to give all information about the damage and they said they need more detail and would arrange a longer call, which I had today.
After almost 45 minutes of questions regarding the damage, I was then told that we had stated when taking out the policy that we had made no claims in the last 5 years, but that database checks show we had made one. This claim which was for damage to conservatory roof again was just inside the 5 years by 10 days! This was a genuine mistake and obviously had we realised we would have delayed taking the new policy anyway, but does this mean they will reject the claim altogether? All he said was he will be sending a letter for my husband to also fill in the details. Plus we have to get proof that the prior claim's work was carried out, which is no problem.

Retrogamer

They may offer to pay for the repairs once they have evidence the repair was completed, but they will likely also charge you for the extra premium you would have incurred if you had been honest about your claim history.

forgotmyname

Delayed taking the new policy? How long have you been insured with the current company? Any breaks in cover since the last claim?

Merlinslaney

No, there were no breaks but we did a comparison check and found the company we were with was expensive for the same cover, so changed to this company last year.

Aretnap

Have a read at the Financial Ombudsman's guidance on non-disclosure

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/technical_notes/misrepresentation-and-non-disclosure.htm

The most likely outcomes are that the insurer will either ask you for the extra premium that they'd have charged had they known about the claim, or that they'll reduce the settlement by a percentage to reflect the percentage of the correct premium that they'd have charged had they known about it (so if you'd paid 75% of what the quote would have been with the claim included, they'll pay for 75% of the repair costs).

They shouldn't refuse the claim entirely unless (a) they can show that your failure to disclose the old claim was deliberate or reckless, as opposed to merely careless (unlikely), or (b) they wouldn't have offered you insurance at all had they known about the old claim (not impossible, but unlikely).

InsideInsurance

Assuming they accept that it was accidental and not fraud then they will charge you an additional premium and admin charge to add the claim and correct the claims history.

Once thats paid the claim will be settled or if its a cash settlement they may just take off the money owed from the settlement.

Your only major issue is if they wouldnt have insured you had you declared the claim. Obviously if they believe it is fraud rather than an accident you are into a very different place

Quentin

Merlinslaney wrote: »

! This was a genuine mistake and obviously had we realised we would have delayed taking the new policy anyway,.......

But had you done that (ie gone uninsured to get round disclosing the claim) then that would have meant you had no "no claims bonus" at all, as you would not have had any continuous period of insurance to use, thus meaning you would have had to "start again" with nil NCB