Insurance companies are nothing but sharks
13-May-2008
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Insurance companies are nothing but sharks

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Well that’s my opinion anyway! They swarm around you trying to out quote each other when they smell the money, but are nowhere to be seen and don’t want to know when there’s a claim to be settled.

Motor Insurance and Home Insurance

I’m speaking from experience here and mainly about motor insurance although I suspect the story is the same for any type of insurance.

I had my beloved motorcycle stolen from right outside my house last summer in the middle of the night and even although was properly insured, I am still left paying for the bike to this day because the settlement I received did not even come close to covering the value of the bike.

It took around three months to get what money I did out of the company that insured my bike and much of this time was spent with letters going back and forth or on the other end of the phone while some clerk gave me the “but that’s the best we can do” speech! Meanwhile, I had to get around without a bike as I could not afford to go out and buy another one and didn’t want to enter another finance agreement just yet. Apparently I got off lucky though, because claims can take an awful lot longer to process and I’ve heard of people waiting up to six months for their cheque.

I still can’t help feeling that these cowboys care more about extracting money from you than they do about covering your losses, which is after all what we pay them for in the first place. Also, various reasons are given for why the premiums are all going up including increasing statistics for theft and vandalism. The latest one I heard about was these ‘No win No Fee’ companies that fight for compensation on your behalf are forcing some insurance companies to hike their premiums to cover their losses.

Insurance companies and high premiums

More to do with insurance companies

Quote Search
Okay, we've established we actually need insurance compnies regardless of how the treat us. So quit beating your brow and have a look at Quote Search, at the very least there's a comprehensive list of all the major insurance companies in the UK.

The Review Centre - Insurance Companies
Here's a hands on list of user reviews from one of the major review web sites. Would be a good idea to have a look here before signing up with one.



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I worked for them they are a joke! the people that work there are basically mainly over paid women with egos bigger than their ability and student not wanting to stay there.
*MUG  21-Apr-2008 12:14

 
I'm glad to see Ms Sibley respond. I worked for the loss adjusting company who handles Norwich Union claims and they are a nightmare. It was and still is so understaffed. I never had time for my work because it was just phonecall after phonecall of angry customers. It's hard to explain to people that you haven't done the work on their claim because you're too busy answering complaints. Norwich Union did act like they cared when a customer complained to them but their choice in loss adjustors leaves much to be desired, at least as of September, 2007. Any time they took a claim off my hands was a blessing for the customer and for me.

I can also see both sides of the issues. Insurance companies make mistakes, but customers also have to shoulder some of the blame. I am sorry to hear about your bike. Did you read the policy to understand what you purchased? In general, people don't want to pay the higher premiums that will fund a fully functioning claims department. You need to review your insurance needs every year. Change brokers if they can't give you good advice. Don't give up on your claim if you know it's genuine. Contact the financial ombudsman.
*Ms M  04-Mar-2008 21:02

 
I'm glad to see Ms Sibley respond. I worked for the loss adjusting company who handles Norwich Union claims and they are a nightmare. It was and still is so understaffed. I never had time for my work because it was just phonecall after phonecall of angry customers. It's hard to explain to people that you haven't done the work on their claim because you're too busy answering complaints. Norwich Union did act like they cared when a customer complained to them but their choice in loss adjustors leaves much to be desired, at least as of September, 2007. Any time they took a claim off my hands was a blessing for the customer and for me.

I can also see both sides of the issues. Insurance companies make mistakes, but customers also have to shoulder some of the blame. I am sorry to hear about your bike. Did you read the policy to understand what you purchased? In general, people don't want to pay the higher premiums that will fund a fully functioning claims department. You need to review your insurance needs every year. Change brokers if they can't give you good advice. Don't give up on your claim if you know it's genuine. Contact the financial ombudsman.
*Ms M  04-Mar-2008 19:48

 
ILikeToMoan

My name is Becca Sibley and I work for Norwich Union. If you want to email me the details I will investigate. I would need your name and policy number - rebecca.sibley@norwich-union.co.uk.

It is part of my role to see what is happening online and get involved, to try and extend customer service online.
*Becca Sibley  27-Feb-2008 15:39

 
Norwich Union have now emailed me asking why my next door neighbour was not helping out with this case ? Der ! He's passed away.What kind of people work for these organisations ? So I emailed back to let them know the persons name was Cheryl Munday don't think she has a clue even where her Ass may be as she replied near enough telling me she ran the company and not to email her again.That definately is the cold shoulder but not the end,as I will percevere with this bunch of lame ducks if only to annoy.
*ILikeToMoan  10-Feb-2008 22:20

 
Norwich Union are having a laugh !! I had home insurance with these set of clowns and my nextdoor neighbour drove his caravan into the side of my garage,at the time we checked the garage and all seemed ok but when the first rains came the garage flooded. This is where the nightmare started.....they put me onto their legal claims ooops ! they gave me the wrong one then they gave me another ooopps ! this wasn't anything for legal but I should go back to insurance co,then they sent me a carpet cleaner ooopps ! he wanted to clean my garage ? why when there is a leak ?went back to NU they said ooopps ! bit of a mistake will send you someone else.Yes and they did an assesor but all this guy wanted to do was measure my house up he was an excitable little puppy so finally I let him measure up ooopps ! he gave me the bad news I was £80,000 under insured,well I took my foot from out of his rearend just as I booted him out with a smile on his pitiful face.Meantime next door neighbour died.Now I have had an email asking why my neighbour is dragging his heels this has gone on for some 18 months with plenty more incident inbetween including the assessor asking me to commit an illegal act by removing rubble adjacent to my garage that is on my neighbour property he thought may be part of the whole incident.Now my neighbours wife has got altzeimers and cannot remember anything........Well youv'e gotta laugh coz this is what you pay your premiums for.
*ILikeToMoan  26-Jan-2008 23:00

 
We were burgled about a month ago. Our insurance company won't pay up as they say we didn't have the right type of lock on our front door. We have had the same lock since moving into the property 11 and a half years ago and we have no memory of them stipulating a specific type of lock when they sold us the policy. Is this legal?
*Haze  27-Nov-2007 20:22

 
My friends car was damaged by the car parked next to hers catching fire via an electrical fault. Both insurance comanies said that she has no claim against the other parties insurance comany (NIU) and she as a single parent struggling with life as it is has to find £300 this close to xmas!
Insurance companies should not be allowed to do this, they take the money and say NO! to any claim.
If anyone knows a way round this please reply via posting on this site.
*Sue  28-Oct-2007 22:58

 
my sisters huspand commited suicide fortunatly her policy covers suicide, but they will not pay out untill the death certificate is released most companys will except an interim certificate, but not hers. not only has she got to suffer the loss of her huspand she is in a finacial mess. it stinks
*janey  17-May-2007 21:09

 
My sister has just informed me that you dont put www. before your email address sorry iam not used to computers.
*jordan,sheffield.  28-Apr-2007 20:12

 
My ford focus was outside my house and caught fire in the middle of the night due to an electrical fault, my neighbour woke me, between him and me we put it out . I thought it would have been repaired it was not that bad ,but they have written it off,my ins company is royal sun alliance, after weeks of messing me about with various offers they have now refused to pay me out because they asked for my license and my dads ,who is a named driver and now are saying that because my dad has 3 points for speeding ,which I genuinely did not know about my policy is void .I am gutted I still owe £5000 on the car which I have to pay ,what is worse I have asked for the car back and they said I cant have it if any one has any ideas please email me at www.Lulapomona@aol.com
*jordan ,sheffield.  28-Apr-2007 20:02

 
I am fully comp and went through a ford that was a little deeper than I thought, the engine has sucked up water and does not work, will the insurance pay for this?
*Big B  01-Mar-2007 17:59


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