House insurance time

[Bob Cotsford]

My house insurance is up for renewal so I've done the compare the rodent bit, and chosen what looked a good deal. Now here's the bit that stumped me - they're asking for proof that I haven't made a claim in the last five years

I've never come across this with house insurance, and have no idea how to prove such a thing - it's not as if I've been with the same insurers for the last twenty years, I can't even remember who I used the year before last! Surely they have access to the insurance industry databases and can make any necessary checks themselves?

Has anyone else been asked this, and if so, how did you deal with it? I'm tempted to tell them to forget it and go elsewhere.

[Martyn K]

Hi Bob

Your existing insurance provider is obliged to supply proof of 'no claims'. Normally these details are shared between insurers anyway providing you have stated who your existing supplier is.

Martyn

[Robin Kearney]

Hi Bob, same as you I had never heard of it until last renewal. Dealt with it in the way Martyn suggests, I rung the old outfit and asked for evidence, a letter was forthcoming.

Although 'sold' as a discount I expect it's actually just a way to charge people who claim, more money. I figure you never win with insurance

r.

[Bob Cotsford]

and if you were only with the previous insurer for one year and can't remember who the previous 4 were? I thought they maintained a shared database expressly for the purpose of detecting serial claimants changing companies?

I'll see what reply I get to my email.

Edited By Bob Cotsford on 14/12/2013 23:35:06

[Depron Daz]

Posted by Bob Cotsford on 14/12/2013 23:34:33:

I thought they maintained a shared database expressly for the purpose of detecting serial claimants changing companies?

Not all of them do, same with motor vehicle insurance. Your old company should be able to just send the details directly to your new firm to save you doing the leg work. Besides, they still check with the Insurance Fraud Bureau regardless!

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Bob Cotsford]

One Call offered the same deal for £169, city suburbs against £230 from a MoreThan renewal. I was amazed at some of the budget end quotes - around £110 for £400k/£75k property/contents, but thought I'd go up the scale a bit. Saga made me laugh with a quote of over £500!

Is it me or is house insurance actually getting a little cheaper over the years? I'm sure I was paying around £300 a few years back.

[Ernie]

Hi Bob, Be careful. Check the contents of your workshop. That can really mount up, and how do you value your latest warbird?

They tried to classify my fokker as a toy, or a vehicle. Can you imagine their response when I told them the value of a laser 150

ernie

[Andy48]

Just renewed mine. A big stumbling block is having a detached garage with a workshop. Many companies will only insure garage/outbuilding contents for just a couple of thousand. Not nearly enough for me. Eventually found some that class contents of outbuildings in with house contents. £50k will go a long way to re-equip my workshop.

One company wanted me to state that no property within a 15 mile radius of me had ever been flooded! (I live on the top of a hill actually on a watershed.)

[Wingman]

I wouldn't insure with a company that asks "weasel questions" - weasel? - yep the first thing they do if you try to claim is to check your answer to the question to try and weasel out of the claim.

[Bob Cotsford]

I'm even less impressed when they ask for proof only after taking your money...

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

One thing I've never really understood is the attitude over taking money from a customer and then failing to pay out because the customer failed to declare something relevant - quite possibly without intent to hide something genuinely unrecalled. They get this information from the pooled insurer's database easily enough when they want to avoid paying out...surely they could query conflicting information at the time of purchase if they really wanted to be customer focussed?

I heard of one case where an insurance company failed to pay out for a stolen car because the insured hadn't thought to mention that he'd had an old motorbike stolen from an outbuilding a few years earlier, not realising that the company wanted information on all motor vehicle losses whether claimed or not and not just car related. I'm sure we've all heard similar stories...

Edited By Martin Harris on 15/12/2013 23:05:55

[avtur]

Posted by Wingman on 15/12/2013 20:10:18:

I wouldn't insure with a company that asks "weasel questions" - weasel? - yep the first thing they do if you try to claim is to check your answer to the question to try and weasel out of the claim.

Call me cynical ... but isn't that likely to be all insurance companies???

[Bob Cotsford]

having had to claim twice in the space of a few years following burglaries (more than 5 years ago) I have to say the companies involved paid up without any weaseling. One was Direct Line, can't remember which company I was with for the other, but both were quick to cover both repairs and losses.

Oddly enough all local burglaries stopped when one family moved on.

[avtur]

Posted by Bob Cotsford on 16/12/2013 10:15:22:

.... I have to say the companies involved paid up without any weaseling....

That's good to hear but I remain cynical about anything to do with insurance, I lump them with the financial sector which means I question the parentage of most of them ...

[Bob Cotsford]

So they replied - that was a form letter sent out for all insurance applications, and the claims free evidence clause is aimed at motor policies not household insurance. Nice of them to make it so clear

Avtur - a sensible way of looking at things, after all, you wouldn't put your hand in a shark tank to see they are tame or not would you?

[i12fly]

Even worse is life insurance, you pays your money for years and when you die the insurer checks your health records and if they find some tiny thing you forgot to mention on the form -no pay out. An independent financial advisor very kindly filled in a form for me and missed off one or two things. When truth was told they refused the insurance. His fee would have been collected long before my family found the insurance worthless.

[Gazza58]

Hi Bob,

You are quite right when you discuss whether or not an insurance company may or may not pay out. Indeed your reference to putting your hand in a tankfull of sharks bears close resemblance to completing an insurance form. Neither is particularly safe.

I understand the need for household insurance in the same way that I understand that security lights and burglar alarms are a good thing. However, alarms only tell you that someone has broken in. Insurance becomes the next fight once a theft has occurred.

I would much rather spend Saga's monkey on some good quality locks and physical security that makes a break-in less likely. The good news is that the solid security that you buy lasts for more than a 12 month insurance policy. I agree with Avtur, Martin Harris and i12fly. I am also cynical about financiers, politicians, and weathermen.

The best alarm and security has to be a great big GSD. If only one could train it to put out fires.

Gazza

ps Bob... I have sent you a pm about another matter.

Edited By Gazza58 on 16/12/2013 22:55:10