An honest house insurer?

BML

The washing machine malfunctioned on what was originally a traditional wooden tongued and groove floor but we had it covered with imitation tiles which fit together. We dried the floor it but water has managed to get underneath the imitation tiles and now the kitchen smells and has pushed the imitation times apart.

I telephoned our insurance company and the first person I spoke to told me that there will be a £300.00 charge and we will lose our no claims bonus. I can find no mention of this on my insurance details although I will go and look harder.

Having said the above can anyone recommend a house insurance company that can be trusted to be honest?

Quentin

When you are looking "harder" check that the £300 isn't your excess.

Any claim results in loss of no claim discount (which will be temporary if your insurer can get reimbursed from a third party who is responsible for the damage

Nasqueron

Paying an excess and losing a NCB following a claim is fairly normal for insurance. Do note your comment will be recorded on your account regardless though whether that affects you is up to the insurer.

FutureGirl

The £300 excess is the 'Escape of Water' Excess, which is what you're claiming for.

On your policy schedule, it will say what your excess is for buildings, and for contents, and then what your excess would be for an escape of water, and then for subsidence.

Of course making a claim will affect your NCB. You get a discount for not claiming, then when you do claim of course they're going to reduce this discount.

Not sure how they're not being honest? They sent you all the information when you took out the policy. You are advised to read your documents to ensure your cover is adequate and, if you're not happy with that, you have 14 days to cancel. Not reading your documents doesn't mean you aren't bound by those terms, or that the insurer is 'dis-honest'.

GingerBob_3

Unfortunately it's a fact of life that insurance companies are inherently dishonest. The phrases "honesty" and "insurance company" do not sit well together at all. NFU Mutual used to advertise along the lines of "we will not quibble", which of course is a side-swipe at the rest of the industry which clearly does quibble. They might be worth a punt, but I've no personal experience of them.

lizziesharples

Unfortunately it's a fact of life that insurance companies are inherently dishonest. The phrases "honesty" and "insurance company" do not sit well together at all. NFU Mutual used to advertise along the lines of "we will not quibble", which of course is a side-swipe at the rest of the industry which clearly does quibble. They might be worth a punt, but I've no personal experience of them

The OP's post doesn't allude to any dishonesty with this insurance company though. It sounds like they are charging the stated excess and reducing no claims which would be a standard procedure.

Aretnap

BML wrote: »

... we will lose our no claims bonus... I can find no mention of this on my insurance details...

There is a very subtle clue in the fact that it's called a "no claims bonus", I suppose.

BML

The last time I claimed on the house insurance was when my five year old daughter threw a brick (a small one) at the friend she was playing with and it went through our kitchen window. Her excuse was that her friend ducked. That's forty years ago so when the person I spoke to on the telephone told me it would cost me £300.00 if I made a claim I exploded totally forgetting the small matter of the no claims question so many thanks for waking me up.

dunstonh

Unfortunately it's a fact of life that insurance companies are inherently dishonest.

As are consumers, with most more than happy to defraud insurers. It is a very adversarial marketplace. However, in this case, there appears to be no area of dishonesty. Just a lack of understanding.

You get a no claims discount for making no claims. You lose the discount when you do make a claim. The £300 will be the excess that was agreed when the policy was taken out. So, there should be no surprise there either.

I suspect the insurer has hinted that it may be cheaper to resolve without their involvement (no excess to pay and no loss of NCD).

GingerBob_3

dunstonh wrote: »

As are consumers, with most more than happy to defraud insurers. It is a very adversarial marketplace. However, in this case, there appears to be no area of dishonesty. Just a lack of understanding.

You get a no claims discount for making no claims. You lose the discount when you do make a claim. The £300 will be the excess that was agreed when the policy was taken out. So, there should be no surprise there either.

I suspect the insurer has hinted that it may be cheaper to resolve without their involvement (no excess to pay and no loss of NCD).

But they will have made a note of your enquiry and more than likely penalise you because of it.

FutureGirl

GingerBob wrote: »

But they will have made a note of your enquiry and more than likely penalise you because of it.

If a claim has been made, but nothing paid out then the NCB remains in tact. Also, the majority of home insurers I deal with wouldn't class it as a 'claim', but a 'loss' or an 'incident' and your premium wouldn't rise from it.

I think most people have no idea how insurance works these days and assume insurance is still how it used to be, when insurers would always try to 'wriggle' out of claims etc. I even had someone tell me that KNOW I go on course on how to decline claims... which was news to me.