Is contents insurance void without alarm?

blackstar

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone knows if my home contents insurance is void without a working burglar alarm?

I've been though the booket and cant see anything. 

I have the silver Halifax home and contents insurance. 

Please also see photo. I've read though everything but can't find the answer.

Hope someone can help. 

Thanks

marcia_

 When applying for the insurance did you answer the question about having an alarm as yes? If so it will probably mean you will need to maintain it. 

born_again

Depends on if you are declaring you have a working alarm.

blackstar

born_again said:

Depends on if you are declaring you have a working alarm.

Can't remember if we did or not when we took it out. No way to find out either. 
Not sure if we were even asked about it from Halifax.

400ixl

You will have been asked, its one of the basic questions.

You should also have a letter (sent or in the online portal) which tells you how you answered the questions.

EssexExile

Ask Halifax. When we took out insurance they asked if we had an alarm, we said yes. They asked if it was monitored, we said no. They said it doesn't count then. You usually get a discount if you have a monitored, serviced alarm system.

Albermarle

If you said you had an alarm, but did not, then I guess they would still pay out, but a reduced amount.
Otherwise most people do not have alarms and still have valid contents insurance.

ThisIsWeird

As said above, blackstar.
Do you have an online account? If so, there's a fair chance you can review your policy questions on there.
Or, if you did it via a comparison site, then almost certainly they will have all your answers recorded for when you renew - when I come to requote, they have all my previous answers prefilled.
As to your Q, I don't have a definitive answer, but if you stated you had an alarm, but don't, and someone broke in and could have been expected to have been deterred by one, then if they say 'non', you are almost certainly stuffed.
Our house was fitted with an alarm when we bought it 20+ years ago. I frankly had no intention setting the damned thing every time we leave the house, so I powered it down, and answer 'no' to that Q. 

vacheron

ThisIsWeird said:

Our house was fitted with an alarm when we bought it 20+ years ago. I frankly had no intention setting the damned thing every time we leave the house, so I powered it down, and answer 'no' to that Q. 

Same here. Alarm from the previous owner and more trouble than it is worth to set every time.
I simply declare that we don't have one in any insurance quotation forms. 

Last time I checked, the lack of an alarm made almost no difference to the price we were quoted.

DullGreyGuy

vacheron said:
Last time I checked, the lack of an alarm made almost no difference to the price we were quoted.

By declaring you have one it will often trigger an endorsement to be added which states the alarm must be used.

Generally only monitored alarms help with premiums. The home we bought had one but the battery in the alarm was beyond its lifespan. Warned the neighbours, took the fuse out, let the battery die, removed the alarm keypads from the awkward places they'd been put. 

If you declare valuables over a certain amount some insurers will insist on an alarm and put in the endorsement but with X days for you to get one installed if you dont already have one. 

Chickereeeee

Yes, even if you have an alarm, it seems better to say you don't. Our (serviced but not monitored) alarm made about £20pa difference to our insurance premium. BUT, if you have declared an alarm and you forget to set it, you may get a reduced payout on any claim.