How much compensation should I ask for?

cazza0104

Hi everyone,

I have just had a claim for a bathroom leak finally settled after 7 months. After I complained, the insurance company has found the service given to me by their loss adjuster surveyors to be unacceptable (poor customer service, very long delays, largely due to a poor estimate on their part initially which they were then desperate not to exceed in spite of asking me for numerous quotes from different bathroom fitters). I have now settled at a reasonable amount of £9,000 cash settlement, and been offered £200 in compensation which I believe is far too low. However, I don’t really know what I should be asking for. The delay has resulted in:

- my two teenage children having to share one bathroom (I know most do but we were lucky enough for them to have their own)

- hours of my time chasing for updates, many of which weren’t given adequately.

- having to book and re-book bathroom fitters and now having to o wait until October as they are all busy until then (one year on from the leak).

- not being able to have guests to stay for a year due to the damp smell of the bathroom permeating into the spare room.

- general stress and anxiety about the entire thing!

I know I could go to the ombudsman but I haven’t kept records of all my phone calls so I’m not sure that would work. Frankly I just want decent compensation and to move on.

Any help is much appreciated!

Quentin

You don't need to be able to list all your phone calls etc to use the FOS

Send a complaint to your insurer regarding the low compensation offer

Then if you are not happy with the reply or they ignore you for 8 weeks you can escalate to the FOS for their adjudication

tacpot12

I would not claim compensation for the loss of the use of your bathroom for an unnecessary length of time by mentioning that "two teenage children had to share the one bathroom" as that is just inviting the point to be dismissed as frivolous.

I think a year without one of your bathrooms is unreasonable, and you are probably justified in asking for £100 per month of unnecessary loss of the use of the bathroom, so £500-£600. This doesn't seem much, but some general stress and anxiety and chasing around is to be expected when you have a leak. The extra that you had to endure is only worth a small amount of compensation. I think if you ask for £500 and explain briefly about the issues it caused, you are likely to get an offer of that order.

Zorillo

£200 seems generous to me.