Insurance Claim - I am so blimming annoyed!

[ELF1981]

I recently had my house broken into. Among the items that were taken was my Sony laptop. When I'd taken my house insurance out I'd specificialy had my laptop added as an item of value.
Now my insurance company is telling me they REFUSE to pay out for my laptop because I cannot give them a receipt - despite the fact it was a gift and the person who gave it to me does not have a receipt either.

What can I do? I'm really annoyed. They have told me that if I can provide a receipt for ANY laptop I have had (both were gifts, one upgraded the other) then they'll pay out.

I'm outraged that I had this listed as an additional item and have paid my premiums for this but they can still refuse to pay out.

GRRRRR

Could you maybe write asking for a copy of the phrase in the policy documents where it says that named items need to be supported by a receipt, or a copy of the voice recording of you taking out the policy when you were informed of this condition ? Is there a period of time applying to how long you might need to keep a receipt wrt a named item ?

Little sh1ts.

PS - Try asking for a visit from a Loss Adjuster maybe. Obviously their job is to lower the payout as much as possible but you will be dealing with a human in your living room and it can help IYSWIM.

Good luck.

thanks for the suggestions Hub
I shall get onto this today.

I guess from their point of view they are trying to establish that the laptop existed. It's a long shot but have you any other proof for example a photo with it in the background?

daisy, I appreciate your point, but IMHO when they accept an item is declared as an item of particular value (ie. 'named'), they are more than happy to take the additional premium, and if they didn't inform Elf of any additional conditions (you must have a receipt / valuation doc valid in the last x years, you must accept market value not new-for-old etc.) than that's their tough...

I appreciate people con insurers all the time, but frequently, in 100% kosher situations like this, they will attempt to wangle whatever benefit they can (IME).

They did ask re pics, but as I explained if the laptop was not in use it was in the drawer and nobody would think to take a pic of me using it.
I'd specifically stated it as a named item on the insurance, and explained that it was a gift, which they had no problem with. I just feel like they're trying to shaft me. All in all my claim came to 3k approx including the new back door. 1k was the laptop, the rest little bits and pieces.
They have now told DH that they will pay out on any receipt of a dell / sony laptop, including Ebay documentation. My sisters b/friend is searching through his because he'd brought the laptop my dad gave to me after buying it off it (long story!). So trying to track stuff down but it a while ago now.

ELF, sorry i haven't quite followed your last post - was it bought from ebay or a shop....either way the person who bought it for you should be able to get in touch with them to ask for proof of purchase and they should be able to do this from their records?

But have to agree that over-riding this is hub2dee's poing about asking them to show you where you were asked to retain a receipt - its all very well them asking you to prove you did have it, but can they prove you didn't?

C

Oh crikey...s'been a long day, hub2dee's poing (?) should read point and 'they should be able to do this' refers to the supplier....

I'll go away now....

What about a credit card reciept? Or if it was brought in pc world or whatever then they would have took your details and have a record of the laptop.

When you say you say that you specifically asked for it be a named itme on your policy did they ask for the make, model and serial no? The value of the item? Did it appear as a seperate item on your policy? Did you pay an extra premium for it to be covered?

I have worked in home insurance for too long to admit to. While I accept that it varies from company to company, for an item to be specifically covered (spec item) then proof of purchase is not a requirement re items under £3k but information about exactly what is being insured is?

When did you take out the policy? Did you ask for the laptop to be added at inception or to be added at a later date?

Many companies record and save phonecalls and you can ask to have the call listened to see exactly what you were told you would be covered for when taking out the policy. This is a headache for the company to find the call again and you may find that they would rather pay out than go through the whole process of finding the call.

I recently claimed for a laptop. I didn't have to send proof of purchase. Just the name of a shop I had bought it off, and two different quotes for a new laptop. I had got it on ebay. I stated ebay... it was second hand when we bought it.

I got a phonecall from the insurance company and they asked me to pay the first £50, wether they could fix it, or replace it, I had to pay the forst £50. I said yeah no probs. Anyway the guy called me and said the motherboard was screwed and they recommended I got a new laptop... and I could upgrade, a cd rewriter etc.. which wasnt on the old one.. for just an additional £60 (On top of the £50) So I said yeah, still cheaper than me going out and buying one... he then called me back to say their wholesalers were haing a sale and I could have the laptop for just £20 as well as the first £50 So, a new laptop for £70....I was a happy bunny... the courier delivered the laptop, along with a letter from the guy who was working at the computer place, it said that he had managed to get it cheaper and all I owed was the £50

So I really can't understand why they are being so fussy with you re: receipt. I mean, I stated an ebay shop... why don't you just tell them where you bought it and let them call the shop & ask?????

It's such a long story over the laptop. Initially I had a Dell which I was given as a b.day pressie from my dad when I was 18 so 7 years ago. Last year my dad had brought a Sony from my sisters boyfriend (which he'd had a while himself, brought through Ebay but no longer on his Ebay history). Dad was not getting on with it so he gave me the Sony, I gave the Dell to my sister, and my dad brought a new laptop.
Admittedly I did not inform the insurance company that I'd changed from a Dell to Laptop but either a Dell or Sony would do me.
I'd paid extra for the laptop on the insurance and it was something stated when we first took the policy out. When we'd re-mortgaged a few years ago I'd rechecked that they had the laptop listed as an item of value, and they said they did, and we added DH's computer, and my collective jewlery. Named items of value were above £500. in value as per the insurance policy.
The lady at the insurance company says she is just jumping through the set hoops, but it's annoying. I'm going to dig the full policy out and see what it says.
They have said they'll pay on any receipt for any Dell or Sony laptop even if not in our name, and I dont understand why they are willing to do this - I could get any laptop receipt in that case, surely?!
I'm going to call the woman tomorrow to clarify everything. The thing is, although we have the computer at home, it's DH's pc and he uses it for games / internet etc, whereas the laptop is mine, and I use it to write stories on, and I'm in the process of sending them out to agents etc, so I'm having to faff about on the PC etc.

It isn't as if there wasn't enough damage done to the house anyway so this just adds insult to injury. We came home, back door frame completely trashed, door smashed in, glass everywhere, other bits and bobs broken in the house. We have only just got the new door fitted today, and we were broken in on the 5th

But thanks for all the posts anyway.

start a post asking if anyone has a receipt they can lend you then. I can't help, I have an asus.

Kelly, thanks for the advice, I have just done that.

Hmmm... not really sure about that tbh as it puts you in the position of supplying an irrelevant (ie essentially 'fake' document in relation to your claim IYSWIM. I would probably still go on the angle of 'show me where in your policy docs / T&Cs is says a receipt is needed and for how many years one is to keep it' etc. It sounds like the person you are speaking to is being jobsworth / obstructuve; you might like to ask for a supervisor or simply deal with them in writing - this tends to have great impact more promptly.

hth

(send it recorded too... I wouldn't trust them further than I could throw them, LOL. Theses big insurers seem to have the most diabolically crap computer systems (right Lact8 ? LOL), and they will inevitably not be able to find your letter when you phone, but this only means your next (stinking) letter has more impact when you submit it with a copy of your first plus evidence of posting etc. etc.)

Good luck

DH rang today as I'm still not sure how they can say "give us any receipt even if not in your name and we will honour the claim". He spoke to a supervisor, they are going to get in touch with the insurance company (this company is acting on their behalf) and if they give her the go ahead, they may just honour the claim.
I'll keep you posted!

Was just going to say if the lady is jumping through set hoops you can ask to speak to her line manager. They are perfectly capable of settling without receipts, quotes should be fine, it's all about negotiation and you just have to keep going until you get a manager who can do what you want. Keep a diary of calls too as it gets confusing who you've spoken to.
Worst case scenario you stick a new laptop on a credit card and send them that receipt.
Good luck