Rant rant rant rant rant

[adaeze]

My mother's house got burgled a few weeks ago, while she was staying with us. The burglars damaged one of the back doors in the process, and my mother has already accepted a quote for replacing both that and the other two back doors with new ones, much stronger and with better locks. Because of the age and style of the old doors, new ones will be not only more secure but also cheaper.

The insurance, however, are insisting that (while they are happy to make a cash settlement towards the cost of new doors) they have to have a quote for like-for-like repairs. Even though this is more expensive than the work my mother actually wants done. We therefore need to get *another* quote, for work we do not want done.

When I pointed out that builders are unlikely to want to spend time drawing up a quote for a job we have no intention of giving them, the insurers suggested that I didn't point out that little detail.

In other words, the insurers are actively telling me to be dishonest while making the claim. And they're saying this knowing that such dishonesty is going to lead to a bigger claim.

I just can't get my head round it!

Comments

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I don't understand insurance. My car one insisted on paying out about five grand to repair a car that I had told them I could replace for a bit over three. Not to mention the cost of months and months of courtesy car.

I thought maybe someone was taking some sort of backhander, but without any real evidence to support the idea.

[adaese.livejournal.com]

Inflexible rules enforced by a management who firmly believe they've thought of everything, and there's therefore no need to trust the minions with a little autonomy, seem more likely, on the whole. But it's very exasperating.

And on the subject of inflexible rules, Major National Installer of Doors and Windows wouldn't even come out to look at the site and give a quote until my father (who is the sole house owner) gets back from abroad. No amount of playing up my mother's age and frailty made a difference.

[meglorien.livejournal.com]

That's strange. Nobody asked us to prove we were the home owners to come and do quote for us for doors and/or building. Not that we've been very lucky getting the actual quotes back...

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Ranting is completely justified. Did your mum lose much? I do hope not. It's such an upsetting experience.

[adaese.livejournal.com]

Jewellery and a few items of similar size-to-value ratio. The jewellery was mostly pieces she didn't wear very often, but the haul included a few bits of sentimental value, naturally. It could have been a lot worse, but naturally it's left her very shaken - I gather she's lost over 10lb since it happened, two and a half weeks ago. Going to see her again tomorrow.

[heliopausa.livejournal.com]

I despise insurance companies; dishonesty and wriggling is how they operate. (The difference between a flood and an inundation, for example - farmers in my area thought water gushing down a hillside taking out fences and some stock was a flood, but no... it was an inundation, and they weren't covered after all.)
Maybe just tell the builder the whole thing, and ask for a notional quote, as a kindness?

[adaese.livejournal.com]

Good grief! That is appalling wriggling.

The first builders I spoke too asked me, outright, if I wanted them to pad the quote up a bit. I'm beginning to wonder just how many honest people there are left in the world.