Lost watch covered on contents insurance

Barry_R_2

Hi all,


I'm after a bit of advice please. My home insurance policy covers my contents and valuables, I have a maximum value of £2k per valuable item. The wording of the policy says that I am covered if my valuables are lost or stolen.


I own a £1,200 watch which at some point over the past 3 days has vanished. It's one of those moments where something disappears and I've got literally no idea what could've possibly happened to it. I've turned the house upside down and no sign of it. I have had workmen in my house very briefly since I last saw the watch so there is a very slim possibility that one of them has swiped it but I have no reasonable grounds to make any accusations on that front.


I'm assuming that my policy will cover me for this, but how strong is a claim of 'it's just disappeared'? Reading the policy documents it states that I will be asked to provide a crime reference number when making a claim but can I really contact the police in this instance and obtain one if I'm not sure that any crime has been committed? I certainly don't want to start accusing probably innocent people in the workmen who were round. They were working on the garden and literally just walked through the house to return mugs.


I have all the paperwork and original sales receipt for the watch so no issue with proving ownership.


any advice is much appreciated.Thanks

soolin

Reading the policy documents it states that I will be asked to provide a crime reference number when making a claim

Isn't that your answer then? If you haven't lost it as a result of a crime and consequently have a crime number, then a claim will not be allowed.

Barry_R_2

soolin wrote: »

Isn't that your answer then? If you haven't lost it as a result of a crime and consequently have a crime number, then a claim will not be allowed.

If that's the case then why am I insured for lost or stolen? What's the difference if they'll only allow a claim for a stolen item? There is the slim possibility that I have lost it as a result of crime if the workmen did take it, the fact is that I don't know what's happened to it.

rs65

You can and should report it to the police as lost.

Insurers can't expect a crime reference number unless a crime has been committed or suspected.

Barry_R_2

rs65 wrote: »

You can and should report it to the police as lost.

Insurers can't expect a crime reference number unless a crime has been committed or suspected.

Thank you. I've just re-read my policy documents and this is the exact wording. Nowhere does it say that the loss has to be a result of crime, it just states 'loss'. There are load of exclusions but none would be relevant to me in this case.


What is covered
Loss or damage to personal effects, valuables and money belonging to you and your family when:
1. anywhere in Europe, Jordan, Madeira, the Canary and Mediterranean islands and those countries bordering the Mediterranean; or 2. anywhere in the world for up to 60 days during any period of insurance as shown in your schedule.

rs65

Report it lost - you'll get a reference number.

soolin

Barry_R wrote: »

If that's the case then why am I insured for lost or stolen? What's the difference if they'll only allow a claim for a stolen item? There is the slim possibility that I have lost it as a result of crime if the workmen did take it, the fact is that I don't know what's happened to it.

You may well have quoted just the clause that relates to stolen items- if you are covered for loss then there should be different clauses that relate to claims made under 'loss'
.

Barry_R_2

soolin wrote: »

You may well have quoted just the clause that relates to stolen items- if you are covered for loss then there should be different clauses that relate to claims made under 'loss'
.

That quote was from my policy document titled 'Personal Possessions under the heading, 'what your policy covers'.


I did some digging through all the other documents looking for something relating to claims made under loss and it does say that I can quote either a crime reference number or a lost property reference number so looks as though rs65 was correct. It was their online claim form which threw me off as it only mentions a crime reference number!


Fingers crossed I'll be OK and get the claim through smoothly. Thanks for taking the time to advise, much appreciated.