Barclays Home Insurance

Scooby_Doo_3

Blimey they have got me angry!

Woke up 2 Saturday's ago to the sound of raindrops falling on my skylight. Oddly, the sound got louder as I went downstairs, and I walked into the living room to find water pouring in through the ceiling!! Got the buckets out, but the leather suite and carpet were already drenched. Knocked on the neighbours door and it turned out the pipe on his washing machine wasn't done up properly, and it had been dripping through for god knows how long. He tightened it, and the water soon stopped.

Anyhoo, called Barclays in a panic (thinking it might have been my central heating pipes that caused the leak) without documents to hand, only to be put through to an idiot who told me I didn't exist. Called back with my policy number and got through to a woman who organised a company to send out a plumber - the company called me, and then the plumber called to say he was on his way.

I then realised that some of the electric sockets weren't working, so I called back to tell them I might need a sparky, only to be told (by the first idiot) that they hadn't sent a plumber and I must have arranged that myself!

Anyway, by the next morning the water had been too much for the plaster, which collapsed into the living room floor, making quite a mess. Thankfully I was staying at my girlfriends at the time, so didn't get the fright of my life.

The thing that has really wound me up though, is that I'm being told that the claim will have to be on my policy, as I have no way of proving that my neighbour was negligent. So I lose any no-claims, have to pay a £100 excess, and get an increased policy cost next year into the bargain! This is despite a plumber's report which states that the leak was caused by the neighbour.

Do I have a leg to stand on? I could understand it if it was weather damage or similar, but there is someone for Barclays to claim against!

(If this is the wrong board, then I do apologise!)

Backbiter

Sounds a nightmare. Hope you get it sorted. In my experience, home claims aren't like car insurance claims, and I don't think you'll lose out with Barclays, but you might lose out on any potential savings you'd make by switching to another insurer. I'm no expert, though.

DaisyFlower

They are correct, unless you can prove your neighbour was negligent then they cannot ask his insurers to pay. I cant imagine the neighbour made his washing machine flood on purpose, accidents happen.

FlameCloud

Scooby_Doo wrote: »

The thing that has really wound me up though, is that I'm being told that the claim will have to be on my policy, as I have no way of proving that my neighbour was negligent. So I lose any no-claims, have to pay a £100 excess, and get an increased policy cost next year into the bargain! This is despite a plumber's report which states that the leak was caused by the neighbour.

Lifes tough unfortunatly. You cannot hold somebody responsible if they are not negligent. Good to know that you actually know what you are talking about before you call them the idiots.

Scooby_Doo_3

FlameCloud wrote: »

Lifes tough unfortunatly. You cannot hold somebody responsible if they are not negligent. Good to know that you actually know what you are talking about before you call them the idiots.

Thanks for your reply. Reading my post would show that I was calling one of the 'advisors' an idiot, purely down to his incompetence (he told me I didn't have a policy with Barclays, after I had given him the policy number). The other people I spoke to on the phone were fine.

I know a little about car insurance as I used to work in a call centre giving out quotes, but I know nothing about home insurance, so I thought I'd ask for some help before I called them up, ranting like, well, an idiot.

golddustmedia

Luckily though you should also be able to claim for the carpet and the sofa too.

Incidentally the Barclays home insurance is actually all done by Norwich Union in Exeter. Even the call centre etc are all NU staff.

Check your policy and they should be liable to deal with the whole thing, carpet, plaster, plumbing, electrics, decorating etc. Even ChemDry or similar to deal with the wet floors.

maryd_3

anyone know who the marketing director for Barclays home insurance is please?
mary D

maryd_3

Anyone know who the complaints manager is at 8 Bedford Park Croydon CR9 2XX? Having a terrible time claiming from Barclays Home insurance and there loss adjuster lackeys Crawfords PLC -they are asking for a 50% contribution and have been throughly unprofessional and vexatious. My very expensive Barclays home insurance policy is up for renewal soon and if this continues it wont be happening