Canceling home insurance company while having a live claim

dam_cool

At the time of the storm two months ago, strong winds took off the pvc facia and drain pipe from my roof dorma, the insurance company have taken this long, and with a shocking lack of communication now denied the claim saying it was wear and tear not 87mph winds.
I pay my premiums monthly and am currently disputing their assessment and awaiting their complaints dept to review it, which i'm told could be another eight weeks. Meanwhile the inner plasterboard is exposed to all weathers. 
If I cancel my insurance with this company will it negate or otherwise affect my ongoing disputed claim?
Thanks

dunstonh

If I cancel my insurance with this company will it negate or otherwise affect my ongoing disputed claim?

Typically, if you have a claim on the policy, you are responsible for the whole years premium.   So, if you paid upfront, you would not get a refund and if you pay monthly, you will have to pay up to renewal date.

So, cancelling would probably be a false economy.   However, you are free to move to another provider at renewal without it having any impact on the current claim.

DullGreyGuy

dam_cool said:

At the time of the storm two months ago, strong winds took off the pvc facia and drain pipe from my roof dorma, the insurance company have taken this long, and with a shocking lack of communication now denied the claim saying it was wear and tear not 87mph winds.
I pay my premiums monthly and am currently disputing their assessment and awaiting their complaints dept to review it, which i'm told could be another eight weeks. Meanwhile the inner plasterboard is exposed to all weathers. 
If I cancel my insurance with this company will it negate or otherwise affect my ongoing disputed claim?
Thanks

Legally no, it cannot impact the claim or its outcome. However if someone is making a decision and it's a very close call they may be more minded to give discretion to loyal customers. As an easier example, our travel policy pays out if you are delayed by 12 hours, we get lots of claims from customers and the official records show they were delayed 11 hours and 55 minutes, by the book thats a decline but the system was setup with discretion for certain customers such that it was paid as a gesture of goodwill. 

Note that having made a claim there will be no refund if you cancel the policy. 

dam_cool

Thanks for your replies. I would think loyalty goes both ways. This company may save a thousand today by denying the service they have already been paid for, but they will lose ten thousand in future premiums from the loss of a customer.