Appliance Insurance Claim Nightmare

agjones

This is my first post here.  It's a seven week saga and I'm stressed to breaking point.  I'd say it's about money saving because I shouldn't have to pay out for a new tumble dryer, but if this is the wrong place, I apologise and would welcome suggestions for the right place.  Sorry, it's not short.  Here goes:

We have multi appliance insurance with a well known insurer.  In mid-November our tumble dryer stopped producing heat, so I requested a repair.  An engineer attended on 21st November and said parts were needed, which he ordered.  The parts weren't in stock and we had to wait until 18th December for the next engineer visit to fit them.  Note: that's a whole month since I requested the repair.

This second engineer said what the dryer actually needed was the heat pump regassing.  He explained they can't carry the gas to do that as every model is different and some can't even be regassed at all.  He said he was submitting a request for it to be done and I should be contacted within 48 hours to arrange it.

On 21st December, imagine my surprise to receive this text:  "Dear Customer, we'd appreciate a few minutes of your time, expressing your opinion on your repair experience.  [plus url]"

My opinion on a repair that had NOT been carried out??

So I got on the phone.  I also logged on to the website to check for an update on the repair case, only to find "You have no repair booked" and no way of accessing the case history.  (I love the way they hide the important stuff from you.)  

I had to talk the 'adviser' through all of the above as they either couldn't see the records or pretended they couldn't.  I've learned they have countless strategies for wasting the customer's time and winding the customer up while pretending they really, truly want to be helpful.

Another appointment was made for 31st December.  Meanwhile, temperatures had been hovering in single figures and it was taking four days to dry clothes.  Four adults in the house with clothes, bedding, towels etc queueing up to be laundered but we just couldn't dry things fast enough, even after investing in a heated airer.

At some point in all this, they offered to pay £82 into my bank account as compensation for my inconvenience.  Can you believe that was later raised as though my further complaining was ingratitude?!  I'm not even sure it would cover laundrette fees if we had time for that hassle.

This third engineer inspected the machine (seriously, they had the model number and could surely have found the information they needed online ...) and told me it can't be regassed in situ because it's a sealed unit.  It would have to be dismantled, said sealed unit (motor etc) removed and sent to the factory to be regassed, then returned to the engineer's depot, then another appointment made to come and reassemble our dryer.  

I immediately knew this would easily eat up another four weeks by the time all processes were followed and slots found in calendars etc.  

He also pointed out that our policy contains a clause that says if the appliance is not repaired within 28 days, we are entitled to a replacement.  I knew the terms were repair or replace with new equivalent but I hadn't been aware of the 28 days part.  He also recommended lodging a complaint.  I liked that engineer.  And I did lodge a complaint, covering all this detail up to 31st December.

The engineer said I'd need to call the insurer to get it arranged but there was no point until his report had reached them and it was NYE so no point until 2nd January.  I let them have the 2nd as a recovery day and phoned on the 3rd.  I raised the replacement clause and said I was not prepared to wait another unspecifiable number of weeks while they messed about with the regassing process on a 10/11-year-old appliance and I wanted them to invoke the 28 day clause immediately and urgently.  

That's when the pass-the-customer tennis really took off.  Every time I called, I was told I needed to speak to someone else.  Couldn't be transferred, oh no.  I had to phone a different number and be subjected to the interminable recorded 'helpful information' (visit our website; we are committed to providing the best possible customer care [clearly not!]; and much other infuriating timewasting) that is only there to deter you from continuing, then give my postcode in perfect diction to a deaf robot that takes three goes to understand it, then be put through to a human whose first question is can I have your postcode!  And your first and last name including title.  I don't know why but the title bit irritates me.  Why is it needed?  And if you say you don't use a title they are so insistent!  Only then do they ask what you are calling about - and tell you they can't deal with that and you need to speak to someone ELSE.  

And their 'music' on hold is undeniably designed as torture by noise.  It is not music.  It is a nerve-jangling cacophony that sounds like an infants' school orchestra randomly attempting bits of a similar tune, not in the same key or in time with each other.  Recorder wars with added bumps scrapes and clanks.  Pure torture.

So, on 3rd January I was assured that my 'claims handler' would call me on the 4th.  I asked their name.  She didn't call.  I put myself through the above again on the 5th and was even more keenly assured that she would call me on the 6th.  She didn't.  On 6th January, I put myself through it yet again, despite suffering a distracting headache since I woke up (headaches are very rare for me - the stress of this has made me ill) and was absolutely PROMISED she would call me today.  She didn't.

Today I called at 4pm, using the number on the complaints page on their website.  I'm frankly astonished they have one but there it is.  I got through a little more quickly this time to a man who seemed sincere in his apologies and his desire to help.  He was able to review my complaint and read out to me the contents of a *LETTER* this claims handler had allegedly sent to me.  A LETTER???  In the age of email?!  Oh yes.  More customer deflection.  Choose the longest, most delaying method available.  I'm surprised they didn't use carrier pigeon!  He also said she claimed she had tried many times to phone me but couldn't get through.  I said, now we know she is lying and simply not making any attempt to do her job because since 31st December my phone has not once been out of signal, out of charge or more than arm's length from my hands.  I have waited and waited and waited for those promised calls and she has made no attempt whatsoever.

As for this letter, it said my complaint had been upheld.  Good start.  But it turned out that process was concluded on 31st December, evidenced by the fact that the letter was dated 31st December.  The actual date of the last engineer visit.  Before the engineer's report could have reached her, because he wouldn't have sent it until after she clocked off at 5pm.  Backdated letter?  Why?  And I had heard absolutely NOTHING in the ensuing week to now.  From anyone.  Because she was absolutely lying about trying to contact me.  And the decision, as in resolution of the complaint?  I'm not sure.  Possibly still pretending they're going to regas the dryer, without making any attempt to arrange another appointment to access it.

I told the guy that is absolutely not acceptable.  It is not in line with their policy, which is a contract with me.  They are in breach of contract.  I will not accept waiting weeks more without a realistic means of drying our laundry while they mess about pretending they are doing something.  It has all been a staggering waste of my and their time and money.  It would have been so much more sensible and expeditious for all of us if they'd simply upheld the contract and replaced the dryer three weeks ago, as per the terms of the policy.

He asked permission to put me on hold while he tried to contact her.  I agreed.  Many minutes passed and he came back and said she wasn't picking up.  "Funny, that."  I quipped.  So I said I want to speak to her manager, right this minute.  He said he would "see if that is possible".  I said of course it's possible!!  It's a human with a phone and vocal cords!  Whether they will agree to speak to a paying customer is another matter.  

Predictably, said manager did not condescend to speak to this customer.  But did say the reason the claims handler had not called me back is because she was on leave.  ON LEAVE!

I said, "More lies, then.  First you claimed it's IN HER NOTES that she's been trying so hard, so many times to phone me.  Is this while she's been on leave, not working??  You are ALL colluding in this pack of lies!  But WHY???"  

Nevertheless, powerless to actually control these people - not least because I can't even turn up in person at their offices to insist on speaking with the claims not-handler because (he says) they are in South Africa, I am now left waiting for she-who-does-not-do-her-job to phone me tomorrow, the 8th.  I told him that if the claim is not resolved to my satisfaction by noon TOMORROW, 8th January 2025, I will involve the financial ombudsman and every consumer body I can think of.

So, what can I realistically do to achieve an acceptable resolution?  Acceptable meaning, obviously, having a working tumble dryer urgently without having to buy one when I've paid premiums for the entire life of the existing dryer to cover precisely this eventuality.  TIA.

XRS200

I'll admit I haven't read all of this but I have never had a tumble dryer and it doesn't take me 4 days to dry clothes, although it is warmer than single digits temperature in my house.

Assuming this is actually insurance, and not a warranty, if you have made a complaint and its not resolved to your satisfaction, you can refer to the ombudsman now.

DullGreyGuy

First of all, check what your policy is... most of these things are legally service plans and not insurance which means they arent regulated products and you have no rights to complain to the ombudsman. A minority are insurance which means the Financial Ombudsman has jurisdiction. 

To be able to engage the Financial Ombudsman a complaint must have been registered with the company and either you have received their final response or 8 weeks have passed, which ever is earliest. 

agjones

XRS200 said:

I'll admit I haven't read all of this but I have never had a tumble dryer and it doesn't take me 4 days to dry clothes, although it is warmer than single digits temperature in my house.

Assuming this is actually insurance, and not a warranty, if you have made a complaint and its not resolved to your satisfaction, you can refer to the ombudsman now.

Thanks.  Our home differs from yours in that we dry clothes in the utility room, which is not part of the living accommodation and is only heated to frost prevention levels.  We don't have space to dry in the rest of the house and, if we did, it would cause mould.

agjones

DullGreyGuy said:

First of all, check what your policy is... most of these things are legally service plans and not insurance which means they arent regulated products and you have no rights to complain to the ombudsman. A minority are insurance which means the Financial Ombudsman has jurisdiction. 

To be able to engage the Financial Ombudsman a complaint must have been registered with the company and either you have received their final response or 8 weeks have passed, which ever is earliest. 

Thanks.  They have a complaints page which says the same as you do here.  This may explain why they have apparently taken the snail mail option to inform me of their decision.  But it was read out to me over the phone yesterday by the guy who was unable to get through to the claims handler.  I don't suppose that counts though, since I don't yet have the letter as proof.  I was promised, for the fourth time, that the claims handler will phone me today.  I don't believe she will but we'll see.

DullGreyGuy

agjones said:

DullGreyGuy said:

First of all, check what your policy is... most of these things are legally service plans and not insurance which means they arent regulated products and you have no rights to complain to the ombudsman. A minority are insurance which means the Financial Ombudsman has jurisdiction. 

To be able to engage the Financial Ombudsman a complaint must have been registered with the company and either you have received their final response or 8 weeks have passed, which ever is earliest. 

Thanks.  They have a complaints page which says the same as you do here.  This may explain why they have apparently taken the snail mail option to inform me of their decision.  But it was read out to me over the phone yesterday by the guy who was unable to get through to the claims handler.  I don't suppose that counts though, since I don't yet have the letter as proof.  I was promised, for the fourth time, that the claims handler will phone me today.  I don't believe she will but we'll see.

First of all, remember the FOS process is very slow. You complete an online form and upload documents. You then wait for it to be reviewed and allocated to an Adjudicator (occasionally called Investigator). Then you wait for them to review the file, they'll normally contact you to discuss, they then contact the other party and ask for information from them. They then review the two together and give a draft decision, you get to respond, they then issue the final decision and ask if you accept or not. If you do you then wait for the other party to take whatever action, if you dont it then goes into a queue for an ombudsman to review who'll repeat the same process typically. 

One of the things you need to upload is the final response. In principle you could "accidentally" upload the wrong thing and later on hope to correct it but you risk waiting and them then deciding the file is incomplete and rejecting it out of hand. 

I dont know the current wait times, my last personal complaint (haven't had to respond to complaints for years thankfully) it was about 1 month for a adjudicator to be appointed and a further 6 weeks for the adjudicator to make contact (which is much better than previous complaints)

agjones

Update:  it looks like threatening them with the ombudsman was enough.  It took seven weeks and the final week was me constantly chasing.  On the last call, I told them I was recording it and I told them I have a diary of the whole saga which I was sending to the ombudsman as we were speaking.  Suddenly, the 'claims handler' who I had been repeatedly told was 'not picking up' her phone, was on leave, was [insert excuse here], decided she would speak to me.  And equally suddenly decided to authorise replacement of our tumble dryer which, up until that point, they were still talking about regassing.  She even apologised for the poor service I'd received.  Ironic, since that was entirely down to her.  So a new tumble dryer is arriving this afternoon.  

DullGreyGuy

agjones said:

Update:  it looks like threatening them with the ombudsman was enough.  It took seven weeks and the final week was me constantly chasing.  On the last call, I told them I was recording it and I told them I have a diary of the whole saga which I was sending to the ombudsman as we were speaking.  Suddenly, the 'claims handler' who I had been repeatedly told was 'not picking up' her phone, was on leave, was [insert excuse here], decided she would speak to me.  And equally suddenly decided to authorise replacement of our tumble dryer which, up until that point, they were still talking about regassing.  She even apologised for the poor service I'd received.  Ironic, since that was entirely down to her.  So a new tumble dryer is arriving this afternoon.  

Glad you got a good outcome. 

There are many ways claims departments can run... often there is a hierarchy between those that speak to customers and those that do the proper claims work, some have a dedicated claims handler, some just have teams of handlers etc etc. 

In my day letters would go out naming the technical claims handler but in practice we all took calls on each others files and it was only paperwork and diaries that went to the named handler. Ironically in my transition to change one of the projects I touched on was removing named advisors and replacing it with a generic squiggle of a signature but behind the scenes files were still with an advisor. Our letters published out technical team telephone number but many other insurer only published their telephone team and their role was to avoid bothering the technical team.