Fonesure - Worst Phone Insurance? - advice needed

themusicmonkey · 8 March 2011 at 3:18PM

I bought A new HTC Desire HD outright from Expansys.co.uk for about £450 and received 3 months free insurance with Pier Insurance also know as FONESURE.
GREAT! I thought, now im covered for a little while until i can afford to buy insurance myself for the year.

On friday 26th Feb I had my phone stolen from my jeans pocket at a gig in london. I was heartbroken, one of my expensive gadgets stolen from on my person. I was shaken up and did everything in my power to get the phone blocked with HTC, Tesco Mobile and contacted the Metropolitan Police. Everthing was sorted so that no costs were incurred and everything was ready to deal with the insurance comapny.

I called the insurance company up on the saturday, they were closed, it stated that they would offer an answerphone for me to leave my details but this didn't seem to be working. So I emailed them straight away to serve notice that i had to make a claim (you have to make a claim within 24hours of the phoen theft)
I called them up on monday (after not hearing from them all day) and chatted to a nice lady who was very sympathetic and took down all my details.

I emailed them with my completed claim form, proof that I cancelled my contract and my mobile phone receipt perfectly in place to make a claim. After 2 days i called them to see how my claim is going and got the response "you will hear by the end of the day".. this excuse continued for 6 days until i finally lost my mind and demanded an answer and i got the following..

"Your claim has been denied under sections 2, 3 and 10 of your mobile phone insurance contract. We will be writing to you to let you know that your claim has been denied and advise of steps that can be taken if you want to appeal"

These are sections 2, 3 and 10...

2. theft of the Gadget from any premises or mode of transport unless involving forcible and violent entry or exit

3. theft of the Gadget from the person of the user unless involving force or the threat thereof.

10. loss of the Gadget loss of use or any other costs that are directly or indirectly caused by the event which led to your claim unless specifically stated in this policy

Im LIVID as you could quite imagine. can anyone please help me.
I'm currently arguing the following points...

- 2. Theft of the Gadget from any premises or mode of transport unless involving forcible and violent entry or exit
The Mobile Phone was NOT stolen from any premises or mode of transport it was stolen from my jeans pocket, the jeans were on my person at the time.

- 3. Theft of the Gadget from the person of the user unless involving force or the threat thereof
The Mobile Phone was stolen from my jeans pocket, the theif forcably entered my jeans pocket in order to steal the phone.

- 10. Loss of the Gadget, loss of use or any other costs that are directly or indirectly caused by the event which led to your claim unless specifically stated in this policy.
The phone was not lost, the crime report (please check with the Metropolitan Police crime ref:230614*/**) shows that over 10 mobile phones were stolen on the night forcefully from peoples pockets and handbags.

PLEASE PEOPLE DONT BUY OR TAKE UP INSURANCE WITH FONESURE.. EVEN IF ITS FREE!!

grumbler · 8 March 2011 at 3:31PM

English is not my first language, but IMO "theft ...from the person ... involving force" is robbery, not theft *. Does this mean that in fact the policy covers a robbery only and doesn't cover any theft?

I think at least 90% of all insurance companies specialising on mobiles are thieves steeling money from their customers.

* I seem to be right: "Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force and/or by putting the victim in fear..."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbery

Silk · 8 March 2011 at 3:33PM

Might be worth having a word ...
http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumer/complaints.htm

Exhortation · 8 March 2011 at 3:45PM

So, what they're saying is that you're only covered for theft if you're mugged? I agree with Silk; take it to the ombudsman. I think there may be a case for an unfair term there, if nothing else.

grumbler · 8 March 2011 at 3:52PM

Before appealing to ombudsman the OP has to exhaust the internal complaints procedure.

Silk · 8 March 2011 at 4:33PM

grumbler wrote: »

Before appealing to ombudsman the OP has to exhaust the internal complaints procedure.

Thats very true if you end up making an appeal ...but they have a consumer helpline which will give advice beforehand.

As far as I know you have to make a complaint to the company and give them 8 weeks to sort it out before FOS will step in on an official basis.

gr82831 · 16 March 2011 at 3:14PM

hi,

Same thing happened to me last week, FONESURE is the worst company i have ever dealt with, they have no supovisiors on site and one manager called Simon Harvey who does not talk to PAYING CUSTOMERS.

Please let me know how you got on, and if they have settled your claim?

Kind regards

barryd09 · 24 March 2011 at 3:11AM

i am also having similar issues with Fonesure/Pier Insurance.

I am on the Three Network in Ireland and also got 3 months free insurance when i signed up to a contract for an iphone 4 in september.

on the 11th of march my phone was stolen off me in madrid,i was mugged.
since then i have been jumping through hoops to get every imaginable document they requested together for the claim.
this included a TRANSLATION of the police report from spanish into english,no problem - google translate is my friend.

i emailed 11 pages/documents to fonesure on sunday night just gone, march 20th.
the documents included:
1.proof of purchase - done
2.confirmation of service being suspended - done
3.police report - signed & stamped - done
4.police report translated - done

no reply from fonesure on monday,no reply on tuesday so i rang.
i also got the "oh youre claim is with the claims manager now & should be processed by the end of the day" line.i asked to emailed or rang as soon as the claim was seen to,nothing from them.

wednesday,no email,no phone call from fonesure despite requesting them to contact me as soon as the claim was processed so again,i rang.
i was then told that my claim was rejected due to:

Claims Procedure
Failure to notify the network within 24 hours upon discovery of Theft or Accidental Loss to ensure Airtime of Abuse is Limited.

i told the lady on the phone that this was incorrect as i had already sent the confirmation email i received from my network that the service was suspended and the handset blacklisted 20minutes after it was stolen,all dates & times and relevant information included & signed off by a member of 3's Customer Care Team.
She told me that they have written to me and i need to reply to that in writing.

This company is ridicilous.

I have emailed them AGAIN providing the relevant document again for them to view.
I am super cheesed off with how they are dealing with me.Not once have they contacted me despite me requesting them to do so.

I have noted the name Simon Harvey and see that he is the Claims & Admin manager.The company is also owned by a man called Mark Gordon.
I will be escalating my claim to their attention rapidly if i dont receive a satisfactory & timely reply.

To the OP,I hope you get your phone sorted,it really is a horrible thing to happen.

diamonds · 24 March 2011 at 3:32AM

As SILK above....

Financial Obmbusman Service

barryd09 · 24 March 2011 at 3:35AM

diamonds wrote: »

As SILK above....

Financial Obmbusman Service

ya i will be going that route i would imagine.
ive only found out today that the claim was rejected,how long exactly does the usual complaints procedure take?
i have replied to their email asking to be contacted directly by phone ASAP to discuss the claim,i wont hold my breath waiting.

i presume because i purchased the insurance in ireland that it'll fall under our own financial watchdog...it damn better!!:mad:

diamonds · 24 March 2011 at 6:00PM

barryd09 wrote: »

ya i will be going that route i would imagine.
ive only found out today that the claim was rejected,how long exactly does the usual complaints procedure take?
i have replied to their email asking to be contacted directly by phone ASAP to discuss the claim,i wont hold my breath waiting.

i presume because i purchased the insurance in ireland that it'll fall under our own financial watchdog...it damn better!!:mad:

Cease communication directly and do it through the FOS and ask them via FOS to only communicate in written format, mail or email

either way, contact the FOS or Irish equivilent

Fonesure - Worst Phone Insurance? - advice needed

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