Lost 8 years NCD for a claim which wasn't cancelled

onesixfive

I'm getting renewal claims for Home & Contents Insurance, and they're more than doubled.

Last year I "lost" a ring on holiday. I reported it on a Friday & insurers simply contacted me to say they'd appointed a company to help them with my claim. They rang me to take details, I explained I was waiting for a callback from the holiday company to see if anyone had found the ring. Happily,  was able to re-contact insurers Monday to say the ring had been found & was being returned to me, and please withdraw my claim.

This "loss" is now lodged on my Insurance record. (apparently Insurers say they paid out £85 to the company), despite me asking for the claim to be withdrawn/cancelled.
 
I have lost my EIGHT YEARS No Claims Discount on my Contents Insurance
My Policy has gone up from just over £200 to almost £700 !
It doesn't matter who quotes, the marker is on the policy

SaverRate

Why didnt you wait until Monday to file the claim to see if the ring was found? 

They paid out £85 to the 'claim handling company' so therefore the claim was made so unfortunately will now affect you

Did you not have protected no claims? (note - i know not all home insurers have this, some do) 

onesixfive

I wish I had waited, but I'd no idea it was gonna turn up. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. 

Hmm yes, I thought I had protected ncd.

chrisw

I don't think I've ever had NCD on a house insurance policy. It usually just asks whether I've made a claim in the last 5 years.

onesixfive

chrisw said:

I don't think I've ever had NCD on a house insurance policy. It usually just asks whether I've made a claim in the last 5 years.

I've checked - and no - there is no NCD

This has moved on again - thanks folks
After chatting with our new neighbours, I discovered that our buildings insurance is included in our service charge (that will teach me not to read all the solicitors crud when we moved in properly - doh! ), so now instead of a £700 buildings & contents policy, I'm just looking for a contents only policy which is a fraction of the cost. I can cope with that until this £85 "nil claim" is removed from my record. Thanks again.

dunstonh

I have lost my EIGHT YEARS No Claims Discount on my Contents Insurance

There is no such thing as a no claims discount on home insurance, bar a handful of providers who do it from a marketing point of view.

Typically, they ask the question "have you had any claims, losses etc... in the last x years" and that is what matters.

It doesn't matter who quotes, the marker is on the policy

Notifications to insurers also class as a claim in insurance-speak.   The minute you phone them and tell them of a potential loss, that is a declarable event.     Different insurers will view your events in different ways.  Some harshly, in respect of premium, others less so.    Effectively, you have a claim on your file with an £85 loss.

Sea_Shell

Insurers have you over a barrel in cases like this.

If you'd waited to see if the ring turned up, they'd no doubt query why you hadn't notified them of a "potential" loss ASAP, if it didn't.

Smithcom

Sea_Shell said:

Insurers have you over a barrel in cases like this.

If you'd waited to see if the ring turned up, they'd no doubt query why you hadn't notified them of a "potential" loss ASAP, if it didn't.

That would be pretty harsh if insurers got grumpy because a policyholder waited a couple of days to report a claim for a loss of a ring.

Do you know which insurers would behave in such a way?    Sounds absolutely terrible.

SC 

onesixfive

Smithcom said:

Sea_Shell said:

Insurers have you over a barrel in cases like this.

If you'd waited to see if the ring turned up, they'd no doubt query why you hadn't notified them of a "potential" loss ASAP, if it didn't.

That would be pretty harsh if insurers got grumpy because a policyholder waited a couple of days to report a claim for a loss of a ring.

Do you know which insurers would behave in such a way?    Sounds absolutely terrible.

SC 

I'd waited over a week from leaving the ship before contacting my broker, & since I'd heard nothing, I'd given up on the ring by then - (I wasn't sure if my claim was via travel or household insurance) - they directed me to household insurers.

I was amazed & delighted when I was contacted - 12 days after we'd left the ship - to say the cruise company had found it! I contacted insurers immediately. 

Smithcom

onesixfive said:

Smithcom said:

Sea_Shell said:

Insurers have you over a barrel in cases like this.

If you'd waited to see if the ring turned up, they'd no doubt query why you hadn't notified them of a "potential" loss ASAP, if it didn't.

That would be pretty harsh if insurers got grumpy because a policyholder waited a couple of days to report a claim for a loss of a ring.

Do you know which insurers would behave in such a way?    Sounds absolutely terrible.

SC 

I'd waited over a week from leaving the ship before contacting my broker, & since I'd heard nothing, I'd given up on the ring by then - (I wasn't sure if my claim was via travel or household insurance) - they directed me to household insurers.

I was amazed & delighted when I was contacted - 12 days after we'd left the ship - to say the cruise company had found it! I contacted insurers immediately. 

You could ask the insurer, if you repair the £85.00 claims costs, would your premium reduce down.  

Sometimes works.   Not always

Good luck

SC