Buildings Insurance Claim - inconvenience...

faulkneralder

I've spent the last 3 months (since the late summer floods) getting a claim with Norwich Union sorted out. The result of the flood was that half of the downstairs of our house (the lounge and most of the hallway) needed to be dried out. Laminate flooring and skirting board was taken out while drying took place.

The sub-contractors who Norwich Union have used have provided appalling customer service with inefficient project management, no flexibility and no sense of urgency. The result is that despite the drying being completed by 23rd November they told us at the end of last week they are unable to even get new flooring down in time for Christmas. Since we are still living at home (with two young children, a major, stressful inconvenience) this is unacceptable.

After complaining to the contractors and to Norwich Union, neither of whom seemed to care about it, the only solution has been for me to find and hire my own builder to do the work, with Norwich Union only willing to pay the same (or less) out that they would have paid to their useless subcontractors. I now have a local builder who can do the flooring work before Christmas (thank goodness) but the finishing work - basically painting - I would have to do myself because there is not enough cash left from the payout to pay another contractor to do this.

My questions are:

1. Since I have to do the re-decorating myself should Norwich Union not pay the balance of what they budgeted for to me for my time? They say if it is DIY they will only cover cost of materials, not my time.

2. The policy included recompense for temporary accommodation in the event that the house was un-liveable. We chose to stay in the house but it has been a very difficult and stressful 3 months with very limited space. Since I have saved Norwich Union a large temporary accommodation expense, should they not be liable to pay some level of compensation to me for the inconvience of staying in my damaged home? They say not.

Thanks for any advice about this.

I have to say that this claim with Norwich Union and particularly the contractors they use (Asprea, Homeserve) has been probably the worst experience of bad customer service I've ever put up with. I will definitely be switching insurance company!

MATHERJ

I am so glad other people feel the way I do

Asprea are the worst company with the worst customer services that I have ever received in my entire life.

Heres a copy of a post I made on another thread complaining about Asprea. So we're not the only ones. Although my problem is not as bad as yours, and I really feel for you, Ive been without a kitchen for nearly 6 months, and still no sign of Asprea pulling their fingers out. In fact they are just making up lies & excuses and telling everyone different contradictory information.

Barclays wont be getting any more of my business either. & I hope you definitely did switch insurance companies. I will be as well!

Really, you wouldnt think a massive company like Barclays would use such a disreputable cowboy firm would you. Im shocked! Its put me off Barclays for life!

Asprea are horrible and as a consequence I would never get insurnace with Barclays or Norwich Union again

I had a leak in August 2007. It is now January 2008 and I am no closer to knowing when Asprea will get someone to complete the work.

Asprea never return my phonecalls or emails. They never keep me informed. I have to chase them daily and still get no information. Their phone lines are terrible making you believe no one is ever there although it is quite a large company. Asprea have been telling me something different to what they have told the contractors and what they have told the insurers

Avoid using Asprea like the plague!

Barclays have been quite sympathetic but Asprea are just ridiculous!

mattymoo

Had a look at the Asprea website today (first time I had come across the name) and found the customer testimonials page. What a joke. See
http://www.asprea.co.uk/default.aspx?cat_id=0&page_id=250

Faulkneralder. Sorry, first time I've seen your post having responded to Matherj on the other thread he mentions. I would seriously consider appointing a loss assessor to assist you although this can be a bit of a minefield.

NU have appointed contractor to do the job at a previously negotiated price. The work will not have been tendered for.
The contractor knows they will get paid whatever happens but the contract price is insufficient to fund the job properly so you are possibly being "fitted in" when it suits them / cost effective for them.

Your contractor has given a realistic price for the job and that is really what NU should have agreed in the first place rather than farming the job off to this shower. Instead, they are only prepared to pay what Aspea would have charged them.

Pay going rate = get the job done properly.
or
Pay heavily discounted rate and wonder why the contractor is in no hurry to sort the work out.

jessjess_2

Homeserve are a bunch of over priced cowboys. fuxing hate them! Put your complaint in writing, see how you get.

granster

This company are completely useless! My insurance is with Barclays who have been really helpful and have confirmed my claim is OK and have authorised it. This bunch of jokers have taken ages to come out and say the claim is not valid! I call Barclays again and they assure me the claim should be settled and back and forwards we go!

Why Barclays want to have anything to do with these idiots is beyond me! Without them we would have been sorted within 24 hours!!!

Their website says 'welcome to our world' ... couldn't be more appropriate!!! THEY CERTAINLY ARE ON A DIFFERENT PLANET!!!!!!!

Come on Barclays.... SACK THESE JOKERS!!!!!!!!!:T


ASPREA....... Should read ARS PEA !!!!!!

traceyl25

dont know if i dare say this, but i used to work for asprea as a claims handler, so i feel your pain.

I took the job as we were promised the responsibility of managing our own postcode area, being responsible for all claims in that area from start to fiinsh, and "making things easy" for the customer.....

I cant begin to tell you how mis sold the job was, but i can shed some light on whats going on internally.

The main point i should raise is that management actually prevent claims advisors from making out going calls, making it basically impossible to do the job that they ( i ) was employed to do.

Its all about the stats, and getting calls answered as fast as possible- this of course makes it impossible to follow up on customers enquirys, book visits, or do anything other than act as a glorified answering machine for complaints.
In fact if a pca turns the phone system off so they can work on a case file the management turn it back on and calls automatically drop in.

in addition the relationship between asprea and trades is at best ridiculous, they have no regard for pcas and treat us with total contempt, no amount of pressure applied makes the slightest difference and they will never give us a straight answer, always promising to get someone to call the pca and customer back- which never happenes!

This has been raised daily with management, who, in their wisdom ,opened a complaint file! no attempt to resolve the issues was ever made!

I should say though that 99% of pca's are banging heads daily with management as they desperatly try to haggle for time on the phones to help you guys, they ,as i did do truly want to help and the frustration is palpable.

Your pca has probably taken 150 "where the fcuk is my builder "calls before you got through, and been told off by management for calling out to try and find out, but despite that , they do ( i know i did) really genuinly care about your claim and want to help. But with such limited tools and a total lack of co-operation from all outside agencys, im afraid satisfied claims are the exeption not the rule.

If you find yourself in the middle of a drawn out claim with asprea i can only sugesst that you go back to your insurer and INSIST on a cash settlement, it will save you months of anguish!!!

otherwise- hold on tight its going to be a long and bumpy ride

There is a huge backlog of claims, and not enough surveyors so visits that should be booked within 2 days are taking up to a month to get put in a diary, and some of the surveyors visiting your property have only had 6 weeks training before being throw in the deep end.
Most though are very experienced and working their socks off to get through the case load.

mattymoo

Thanks for that Tracey. Glad you got out of there but thanks for the useful insight.

JulieMarie23

I work for Asprea and know that some claims are not able to be dealt with quickly due to reasons beyond our control, for example (matherj) if kitchens are so dirty our tradesmen refuse to work in those conditions.
There are only 5 of you complaining when we deal with more than 50,000 claims, so i'd say we're not doing so badly are we?

I dont think the insurance companies will listen to 5 people when they have thousands of others who are very happy with the service.

mattymoo

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/search.html?searchid=20694289

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/welcome-consumer-forums/87188-abbey-peace-mind-house.html


A few more than you think JulieMarie.
Out of interest, why are the kitchens so dirty? Did you book the kitchen unit fitters before you booked the clean up teams and flood / fire restoration specialists?

JulieMarie23

I dont mean that all kitchens are dirty just one of the people claiming on this forum that Asprea are to blame are to blame theirselves as unfortunately every contractor in the country has a right to refuse to work at a property if the hygenie is very poor.

In the business we're in we will always have complaints because if we tell someone that they are not entitled to something 9 times out of 10 they will make a fuss to try and force the insurance companies into giving them what they want.

If people understood what their policies covered most of the complaints would not exist.
Insurance is not there to make homes better or to upgrade for any reason, you are covered if there is a valid reason and only then your covered for the actual damage and not for redecoration of your home.

Maximumtime

If the claim is not settled at this stage I woulkd be raising all hell. Ring the insurers every day speak to management not call centre staff. I would get a loss assessor as soon as possible. Id they deem it appropriate get a good solicitor.

With regard to you doing the work yourself the typical loss adjuster comment will be a pure and simple "No". He will pay you for materials and you might get a small amount towards your own personal time but dont expect a wild lot.

If i was doing a claim for redecoration I would always consider

(1) painting/paper walls and ceilings
(2) Sand/paint doors, skirting, dado rails
(3) Paint covings/ceiling roses etc
(4) Allow a sum for proctecting/removing furniture etc from the room
(5) If its an entire house think of how you will dipose of all the rubbish you ma need a skip.
(6) If the loss adjuster is willing to pay towards labour dont forget things like this usually need two people.
(7) If you dont have the euqipment to do the work you wil have to purchase it or rent it.

In this regard I can say the same for alternative acomodation. If you didnt incur the loss you wont get anything.

In future appoint a loss assessor at the first oppurtunity and take a cash settlement which the loss assessor will negotiate for you. Dont forget you will have to pay him/her out of that.

Hope i could help.