To start a Go Fund Me

[RainbowSlidders]

Our home was flooded in October 2023, again in January 2024 and April 2024, we lost everything from the ground floor and damp got upstairs and ruined things up there to. The material things are an inconvenience and expensive to replace but nowhere nearly as bad as the loss of the sentimental things. I have never felt stress and hopelessness like it, I would wish this on my worst enemy,

We have insurance they’ve been ok, traced and tracked the issue, made us water tight and dried us out (12 weeks of hell with dehumidifiers, fans, heat pads, suction tunnels etc). Thete are lots of things I stupidly didn’t claim for as it just didn’t register at the time that I needed to, the insurance company sent an adjuster but they only add what you request, this was an expensive mistake and my stupidity is adding up fast. Furniture replacement was through insurance mandates, they never seem to fully cover the cost of replacement. We currently have zero furniture because of this as we just don’t have the money to add. Carpet/vinyl/wood was a mandate for CarpetRight had to pay £350 extra on top for that as well, ordered it all in June paid with the mandate and then topped up in cash as requested, 8 week wait was due to be fitted this week. Had three letters in the post start of the week from the administrations they’ve gone bust!! I rang my insurance company how won’t help as they’ve paid CarpetRight, not sure how much more I can take.

I dislike the GoFundMe brigade so am probably not representative. I only ever give to those doing a charity event. Not people financing life’s unexpected (expected in some cases) events. O believe we need to take care of our own life events and I’d never ask anyone for money. Also depends on your insurers. I had a kitchen flood recently and was sent the money to my account for replacement flooring and decor etc. I never had to spend it in a designated place and actually they gave me more than the new porcelain tiles cost so profited. My house insurance I have made sure covers everything and is new for old. I valued absolutely everything when placing the value for cover needed. I included all clothes/lingerie/shoes/ make up/cameras/laptops etc. That’s huge amounts of money and not something to ever forget.

Hi OP. I'm sorry about your flooding. Sounds like a stressful nightmare.
My daughter is moving out of home soon, into her first flat, and I have sourced some items secondhand for her. There's an amazing FB group in the city where I live, and I got some bargains through that (Gumtree doesn't seem to be as popular these days).
Could you try something like that?

Surely the developer should be sorting not your insurance
unless I’ve misunderstood, name and shame!

@Clearinguptheclutter my insurance company have found the developer liable and will try and recover all costs from them. It hasn’t delayed our claim at all they’ve paid out as usual.

I called today, the value on the mandates is what the insurance company pays, they don’t pay the same amount as the general public it would seem. The mandate face value is worth 30% more more, so confusing they do it that way! So the mandates do cover the cost of replacement they just failed to inform me that they pay a discounted price.

So are they saying you can get the same furniture for the money they've given you?

@purpleme12 yes I am, thank you for pushing me to call them. I was not told that they charge the insurance company 30% less and it’s not on any paper work, seemed they just expect you to know. It now makes a bit more sense why you can’t order anything in the store of online and have to use the dedicated insurance hotline.

We live and learn, furniture has been ordered arrived in 12-15 weeks! We will have been fully redecorated by then.

you might have better luck if a friend does it on your behalf
but i see you have sorted it out now?

Oh I think I understand now. They're saying you have to purchase the furniture through one particular method

Turn2us can sometimes help support with grants for white goods/furniture etc, might be worth a look on their website?

Sorry you're going through it, I hope things pick up.

I am so sorry you had this happen OP. Nothing to add really, just had to say that.

Jesus wept.

People raise money for just about everything, including medical expenses, education costs, volunteer programs, youth sports, funerals & memorials, and even animals & pets.

I query the comprehension skills that deduce, that to be the same as messing up your insurance claim. Funeral...new sofa...yep, identical.

No, you are wrong there, you have picked just one phrase out. to see the wood for the trees, see the words "just about everything" in the bit you picked out but also the clarification that people can ask for donations for personal things for themselves, and see the direct reference "natural disasters" although that bit is unnecessary. It does not say anywhere what GFM is for, as the other poster had said, more the opposite - you can ask for anything in relation to anything.

My comprehension skills are generally pretty good, thanks.

Sorry I missed this.

I hope it all goes well for you, best wishes.

Dear me.

Set one up. See how that goes eh.

You mean the Local Assistance Fund. Household support fund is random vouchers or small amounts of money once or twice a year when the council decide and everyone eligible gets it. You can’t just call and request anything

Nope loadsss of carpet right customers lost a LOT of money when they went bust. Unfortunately that's often what happens when a company is forced into liquidation. It's legal, believe it or not. A lot of people have called into legal advice radio shows saying they've £500-£1,000 on gift cards for carpet right, only to discover that they they're now useless. Why should OP be any different to those people?

She wouldn't be complaining in relation to Carpetright, but about the fact that the insurance company hasn't effectively replaced her goods. If nothing else she may be able to get the amount she was covered for for the flooring uplifted on the basis it wasn't actually enough in practice as she had to pay extra, which would be better than nothing. It's worth a go, it costs nothing to complain to the Ombudsman.

@Bemusedandconfusedagain It's irrelevant now anyway as it sounds like it's been sorted.

@RainbowSlidders Re: Carpetright, I've heard from a lawyer on LBC that Tapi have been honouring some of Carpetright's customers who have existing orders as they have possession of CR's stock.

I never donate to Go Fund Me, sadly too easy for donations from well meaning people to be misused, official charities only for me.

Can’t you go back to the insurer, these incidents are very recent and they surely can accept as you’ve not been able to use your home until it dried out there are things you didn’t consider in the stress filled moment of the assessor’s visit? Surely the assessor could’ve seen you had under reported your losses as they must’ve been aware all the normal household items were unusable when they visited your property?

Can you claim any compensation separately from the developer or water company for losses/stress/inconvenience?

As for Carpetright - they gave you a voucher for a company you didn’t choose that went bust??

Are vouchers what all insurers give now? I’ve never claimed home insurance, what a nightmare!

I’d love to know the insurer, would be bodyswerving them!

I think you need to go to money saving expert forums, the insurance section and ask there. They’ll know how to help.

When I was burgled (only experience of insurance claim) it was a breeze and everything was more than compensated for. My policy was the second cheapest from a compare the market type thing and was no frills. Sounds like your insurance company need to be held to account here. So sorry this has happened to you. Must be a nightmare.

Also think you need to find out about some serious compensation from the developers. It may make your house difficult to sell.

Why has the insurer closed the claim? Surely with" new for old" you show the actual cost of lfl replacements ir receipts . Has the pipe routing been addressed ?

Re: Carpetright, I've heard from a lawyer on LBC that Tapi have been honouring some of Carpetright's customers who have existing orders as they have possession of CR's stock.

If its in one of the stores or warehouses Tapi have taken over, they are honouring it. If it isn't they aren't. If it's in one of the closed stores or warehouses or if it never made it out of Purfleet, you're fucked. And honestly, if it was in one of those stores still open, someone would likely have called you. Those working in closed stores tried to get as many customers as possible to take delivery of their goods before it all went to shit.

Whether someone is successful comes down to how they explained their situation and luck - luck as to whether the right people happened to see their request - etc. I personally think that having basics such as a sofa is extremely important.

This is the second thread on MN I've seen along these lines, in relation to someone wondering about setting up a GFM. I think some of the posts have been incredibly critical and might put off someone who really needed help and that is a terrible shame.

Sorry for the slight derail OP.

Are you being compensated by the developer for all the time and inconvenience and stress of sorting this out OP? I'd be seeking legal advice.

@nutbrownhare15 no we aren’t, right now I just want our house to be a home again, that is a fight for another day.