Is anyone watching the Channel 4 prog about Norwich Union claims investigators?

Pint_of_Gem

The programme left me unsure of what to think of it. On the one hand, I hate the fact that the law-abiding insured drivers have to pay for the non-insured.

On the other hand, I find it saddening that insurance companies seem to go to massive lengths to not pay out on claims. Take the lady with three kids who got flooded...... three investigators visited her at the same time - THREE! Surely at a time when they would have been strectched to the limit in terms of staff hours they send three people around to her. How intimidating would that have been? Along with the stress of having the house flooded and wondering if she was gonig to get the pay-out. The programme showed it all and then had the throw-away line, blink and you would miss it, that she was paid out in full.

Insurance companies, like banks, play the card of making us think they are poor put-upon companies when in reality they make plenty of money out of all of us.

dunstonh

Independent research (polls) have shown that 8 out of 10 people think it is fair game to put in false claims. So, the insurance companies have got good odds on their side in assuming that something isnt quite right.

The vast majority of people making claims never have a problem. However, certain postcodes are flagged as high risk claims areas for insurers not just for claims but also fraudulent activity.

I'm afraid it does very often stem from the area you live in whether you like it or not.

mattymoo

emmy05 wrote: »

i do wonder though, why insurance companies dont visit properties beforehand, i only think this way, cos id hate to have to make a claim and try to convince them that i need money for somethng thats been stolen, or breaks, and they then query it....

I'm a surveyor for a commercial insurer and we do visit every business that we insure but we deal with heavy industry so the risks are a lot higher and numbers much larger, e.g. a fire loss could easily cost us £15m.

When I first started as a surveyor we used to do household surveys. Tended to be higher net worth individuals with sums insured starting at £250k contents. Really it was just a case of checking the security was commensurate with the risk posed.

To do this for all householders would be a massive exercise simply due to the numbers involved. On top of this, it would only be a snapshot view since you may come into money and splash out on consumer goods after the visit, yet when we visited, you were living like a hermit. Premiums would rise considerably as well to cover that cost - approx. £150 per household to cover the cost of the visit.

emmy05

haha well i guess looking at it that way, now makes me think im glad they dont come out.
program makes you think a bit tho, when the guy with the fishing equipments garage was up the road rather than outside his house lol

mrwibble

Pint_of_Gem wrote: »

On the other hand, I find it saddening that insurance companies seem to go to massive lengths to not pay out on claims. Take the lady with three kids who got flooded...... three investigators visited her at the same time - THREE! Surely at a time when they would have been strectched to the limit in terms of staff hours they send three people around to her. How intimidating would that have been? Along with the stress of having the house flooded and wondering if she was gonig to get the pay-out. The programme showed it all and then had the throw-away line, blink and you would miss it, that she was paid out in full.

Three people may well have been due to TV cameras making an appearance - "ooh want to be on TV then come along on a visit with me !"

I have never had a problem with insurance claims - just give the facts and remember they are just following orders - most genuine claims will be paid. Obviously do also remember (and I used to work in an insurance company and knew some of the claims dept) that they go to "How to Deny Claims" conferences so keep to the facts.

nej

emmy05 wrote: »

yes, i watched this and loved it, i was quite shocked as to what lengths ppl will go to, saying the dogs died and then selling it on was a nasty thing to do.
i do wonder though, why insurance companies dont visit properties beforehand, i only think this way, cos id hate to have to make a claim and try to convince them that i need money for somethng thats been stolen, or breaks, and they then query it....
my mum keeps her washing machine and dryer out in the garage, shes already told them this, as her kitchen really isnt big enough to have a utility that shed like, theyre happy with this, shes had it this way for 16 yrs now and not a problem, what stumped me was the fact that that old couple - she said she had a fridge, then a freezer, and a dryer, i wonder why someone would wash their clothes in the kitchen, then walk into the garden to use the dryer? but thats just my opinion of course lol
is this program on again do you know?

My in-laws have a washer in the kitchen and a dryer in the garage at the end of the garden, so they walk the clothes down there. They do this because there's no space in the house for the dryer, and no plumbing in the garage for the washer! And we used to have a freezer in the garage that we had no room for in the house. It must be quite common.

emmy05

well if i were them, id ring my insurance company and tell them, especially as they didnt believe that couple x

roddydogs

How does having a box prove anything, the insurance guy himself said "you can get boxes from friends " how many people especially in flat can keep all the old boxes? also the recipts themselve may be stolen/burnt, who keeps recipts for years on end, when you take out insurance it dosent say "Keep all recipts or els we wont pay out"

Ticklemouse

I was told years ago to take photographs of your house and in particular anything of value. I did this a few years ago - close ups of paintings etc.

Nowadays most people have, or have access to, a digital camera or a video camera. Just walk round your house and film/photo everything, including what is in your cupboards. Keep a copy somewhere else, your mums house or in your desk drawer in case you have a fire and your home copy gets destroyed.

I need to do just this again. I am waiting until the ex clears his books etc out - I have 6 full bookcases of expensive historical tomes and if they went up in smoke (well, quite frankly I wouldn't care :rotfl:) they would cost thousands to replace.

I'm quite bad at remembering where I put receipts for safekeeping (even though I have a folder for them!!) but if I have photgraphic evidence, then they can't dispute that my best dinner service is Royal Doulton and not BHS seconds!

BTW - 2 of my neighbours have their TD's in a separate garage but their washer in the house Also, are you meant to say if your white goods are in the garage? My washer, dryer and large freezer are in there cos no room in the house.

roddydogs

How does photgraphic evidence prove anything? you might have just borrowed it