Home insurance

Ryanantinio1

I am seeking advice and suggestions from others who may have faced similar experiences with their insurance providers. How did you approach such issues, and were you able to resolve them effectively? If there are specific actions or resources I should consider, I would greatly appreciate your insights. Thank you in advance for your time and support.

I am writing to express my profound dissatisfaction with how my recent claim has been handled by (Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance limited) Hastings direct The entire process has been frustrating, disheartening, and deeply unhelpful, leaving me feeling unsupported in what has been an extremely stressful situation.

The issue began with a small leak in my roof tiles, for which I made an emergency claim. Instead of offering assistance, I was told that a permanent solution was required for the broken tile. When I contacted customer care, a representative named Joules was dismissive and rude, providing no assistance and merely redirecting me to customer services. This was both unproductive and disrespectful.

The emergency team sent to address the leak failed to implement even a temporary fix. Instead, they sent me a quote for £1,345 and pressured me to sign the documents immediately. When I questioned why a temporary solution could not be implemented, I was told it was entirely my responsibility to resolve.

To address the situation, I took two days off work and waited at home, only for the team to take pictures and leave without addressing the leak. This lack of action has caused me significant distress, including depression and anxiety. As a customer relying on your company to protect my property, I find this disregard for your obligations unacceptable.

When I filed another complaint to the emergency team,I was told to find my own contractor for a temporary fix and provide a receipt and report for reimbursement—up to £500 under my policy. However, my contractor stated the repair required should be performed by the insurance company since the damage involved an ongoing leak, and only a temporary solution was feasible at the time.

Despite multiple follow-ups, no meaningful action was taken. Calls to the emergency team went unanswered, and I was repeatedly redirected to different departments. When finally connected with the claims department, I was informed that a surveyor would be sent, but the earliest available date was January 2nd—leaving my property at risk due to delays over the Christmas period.

When I expressed my frustration, I was told I could arrange my own surveyor, at my own expense, and the claim would only be reimbursed if the work aligned with your policy. This is an unreasonable burden to place on a customer, especially when the insurance policy exists to provide timely protection against such issues.

To compound the situation, my claim was ultimately declined on the basis that the weather report on the date of the incident showed no evidence of a storm. This reasoning is flawed, as the cause of the damage cannot be determined solely by referencing weather data.

Your representatives have consistently failed to provide a clear resolution, leaving me to manage the situation independently. I am shocked and disappointed by the lack of accountability and support from (Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance limited) Hastings direct

lisyloo

What peril are you claiming for if it wasn't weather related?

DullGreyGuy

Ryanantinio1 said:
I am seeking advice and suggestions from others who may have faced similar experiences with their insurance providers. How did you approach such issues, and were you able to resolve them effectively? If there are specific actions or resources I should consider, I would greatly appreciate your insights. Thank you in advance for your time and support.

I am writing to express my profound dissatisfaction with how my recent claim has been handled by (Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance limited) Hastings direct The entire process has been frustrating, disheartening, and deeply unhelpful, leaving me feeling unsupported in what has been an extremely stressful situation.

The issue began with a small leak in my roof tiles, for which I made an emergency claim. Instead of offering assistance, I was told that a permanent solution was required for the broken tile. When I contacted customer care, a representative named Joules was dismissive and rude, providing no assistance and merely redirecting me to customer services. This was both unproductive and disrespectful.

The emergency team sent to address the leak failed to implement even a temporary fix. Instead, they sent me a quote for £1,345 and pressured me to sign the documents immediately. When I questioned why a temporary solution could not be implemented, I was told it was entirely my responsibility to resolve.

To address the situation, I took two days off work and waited at home, only for the team to take pictures and leave without addressing the leak. This lack of action has caused me significant distress, including depression and anxiety. As a customer relying on your company to protect my property, I find this disregard for your obligations unacceptable.

When I filed another complaint to the emergency team,I was told to find my own contractor for a temporary fix and provide a receipt and report for reimbursement—up to £500 under my policy. However, my contractor stated the repair required should be performed by the insurance company since the damage involved an ongoing leak, and only a temporary solution was feasible at the time.

Despite multiple follow-ups, no meaningful action was taken. Calls to the emergency team went unanswered, and I was repeatedly redirected to different departments. When finally connected with the claims department, I was informed that a surveyor would be sent, but the earliest available date was January 2nd—leaving my property at risk due to delays over the Christmas period.

When I expressed my frustration, I was told I could arrange my own surveyor, at my own expense, and the claim would only be reimbursed if the work aligned with your policy. This is an unreasonable burden to place on a customer, especially when the insurance policy exists to provide timely protection against such issues.

To compound the situation, my claim was ultimately declined on the basis that the weather report on the date of the incident showed no evidence of a storm. This reasoning is flawed, as the cause of the damage cannot be determined solely by referencing weather data.

Your representatives have consistently failed to provide a clear resolution, leaving me to manage the situation independently. I am shocked and disappointed by the lack of accountability and support from (Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance limited) Hastings direct

For a start the Home Emergency section of the Hasting's products are provided by Axa not RSA. The terms of the policy state:

ROOFING

What is covered

A sudden or unforeseen home emergency relating to your roof caused by storm conditions or fallen trees and branches. We will make a temporary repair using a tarpaulin or similar material to resolve the immediate home emergency.

What isn't covered

Water ingress due to poor roof maintenance or wear and tear.

Damage caused to property and/or contents as a result of water ingress.

Thatched, flat, glass, plastic, felt or tarpaulin roofs.

Any loss or damage relating to a permanent repair that is, or should be, more specifically insured as part of any other insurance policy.

Elsewhere in the HE section they state the maximum settlement is £500.

It sounds like you have a leak due to wear and tear which is a maintenance issue not an insurance one. The HE cover only covers damage caused by storm or impact damage to the roof and then it's only up to £500 to do a temporary fix such as putting up a tarp. As noted elsewhere in the policy they cannot always supply their own people and so instead will reimburse up to £500 for a supplier of your own choice doing a temporary fix. 

Your main policy (which may well be RSA) equally only covers damage caused by defined perils and excludes wear and tear. Given there are no weather reports of storm conditions (which in your policy is defined as winds over 55mph or rain over 25mm per hour) then their natural position will be to decline the claim. 

Have you had a surveyor prepare a report on it? What do they say was the cause of the problem? What was the state of the timbers under the leak?