Lost ring and insurance claim 8 February at 8:36PM in Insurance & life assurance 4 replies 179 views

MrsStepford

We have hardwood floors in our bedroom with a few gaps where an HVAC engineer bodged after sorting out radiator pipework, before we moved here. Yesterday, I cleaned my grandmother's engagement ring. I've lost weight and I was pleased that I could wear it. You know where this is going, right ? 

Now shiny and sparkling ring dropped off my finger. I didn't see it drop but I heard it roll. We've been over every centimetre of floor and nothing. Husbnd used a Maglite and no glintin in the gaps. We've not lost anything before.

We have household insurance and have made three claims since 1999. Two for damage caused by neighbour (only one was paid) and one for a cracked shared chimney. 

I'm worred that because the ring has three diamonds, insurers will want us to rip up floorboards or will send a loss adjuster out. I've been shielding since end of Feb 2020 so the loss adjuster isn't gonna fly. Our bed has a steel footboard thing, screwed to the floor, so taking up thefloorboards won't work.

The secondhand value of the ring was £180 when my mother had it valued for me in 2010. Is it worth me trying to claim ? Or should I just give up ?  

400ixl

On what basis are you making a claim? Is it classed as lost as you know where it is, but are choosing not to take the actions to recover it.

Playing devil's advocate here but its could well be the stance they would take.

diystarter7

Hi OP
Whats the excess - is it really worht the claim?

You can but a gadget to add to your mobile phone that a little camera on a thin tube to look for it

aomehting like below this one not work with iphone but i am sure there will be some - check the diameter of the cam, look around for a very small diameter cam

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203966191227?chn=ps&var=504414432001&_trkparms=ispr=1&amdata=enc:1gMxpnZQwSD-xNU2fFN9O9Q0&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=504414432001_203966191227&targetid=1647205088280&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9044989&poi=&campaignid=17206177401&mkgroupid=136851690655&rlsatarget=pla-1647205088280&abcId=9300866&merchantid=113585135&gclid=CjwKCAiArY2fBhB9EiwAWqHK6loVTXSc5L3lacJlWK_XJNFKwhR6meRhlvk8SCrlD3mMnKfmHRVI_RoCdJwQAvD_BwE


thanks

DullGreyGuy

MrsStepford said:

We have hardwood floors in our bedroom with a few gaps where an HVAC engineer bodged after sorting out radiator pipework, before we moved here. Yesterday, I cleaned my grandmother's engagement ring. I've lost weight and I was pleased that I could wear it. You know where this is going, right ? 

Now shiny and sparkling ring dropped off my finger. I didn't see it drop but I heard it roll. We've been over every centimetre of floor and nothing. Husbnd used a Maglite and no glintin in the gaps. We've not lost anything before.

We have household insurance and have made three claims since 1999. Two for damage caused by neighbour (only one was paid) and one for a cracked shared chimney. 

I'm worred that because the ring has three diamonds, insurers will want us to rip up floorboards or will send a loss adjuster out. I've been shielding since end of Feb 2020 so the loss adjuster isn't gonna fly. Our bed has a steel footboard thing, screwed to the floor, so taking up thefloorboards won't work.

The secondhand value of the ring was £180 when my mother had it valued for me in 2010. Is it worth me trying to claim ? Or should I just give up ?  

There are so many things going against this...

1) How much is your excess? Most are above £180 these days so a non-claim. Even if you have a low excess it'd be questionable if its cost effective to claim -v- increase in premiums

2) Loss is not normally an accepted head of claim for items in the home but some may consider it under Accident Damage and some Personal Possessions cover in the home too... both however are optional coverages in basic policies

3) The insurer is entitled to settle how they see fit and inevitably it's going to be cheaper to recover it than replace it

You could try a borescope camera to find it but the budget one I bought for a vaguely similar reason, was terrible when not in a bright room even though it had built in LED light

MrsStepford

The excess is £100. (We get to set it ourselves).Good point from @400ixl OH pointed out if we claim then we lose no claims discount (yes our insurer does this) and he figures it isn't worth it.