Direct Line insurance

A few weeks ago I posted I'd had no problems with them.

Talk about inviting fate.

I have an ongoing claim for a pair of hearing aids.

Two people have verbally agreed that my claim will pay out £2500 (minus
£100 excess) and I could go ahead and order new ones.

Got phone call on Friday from a Senior **** at DL.
"Sorry sir, two people dealing with your claim have made (the same)
mistake, and you're actually only entitled to £1500. We can assure you
they will be sent for re-training. Have a nice day."

Just written letter to senior claims handler at their head office
pointing out the error of their ways. (each hearing aids replacement
value is £1330, under their single item limit of £1500)

I shall be taking my three car insurances and two buildings and
contents insurances elsewhere come renewal.

Grrrr....

 

frag emerged from their own little world to say

Make sure you avoid Tesco's insurance then. It's underwritten by the same
bunch of cunts.

I got a good house ins. deal through Asda - rebadged Norwich Union about
40% cheaper than NUDirect.

 

wessie scribbled:

Ah, cheers. I was thinking of switching to them.

 

I've got my car insured with them. I wanted to insure the bike with them
also. They have been heavily pushing their bike insurance here in Spain.
Turns out, you have to insure a car with them for 13 months before
thay'll cover your bike. WTF's that about?

--

Paul.
CBR1100XX SuperBlackbird
BOTAFOT #4
BOTAFOF #30
MRO #24

 

I went right off them when I asked for a contents insurance quote, the girl
sneered at me when I said I rented the house, when it came to contents I
wanted 40k of cover and she pretty much refused to believe that anyone in
rented accomodation could have that much worth of contents. I pointed out
that 2000 cds got 2/3 of the way there without counting anything else.. I
shall never use them!

 

I had hassle with this lot a few years ago. The claims dept. were a bunch of
tossers. In the end, I did what it said in the policy document and addressed
my complaint to the Chief Executive. It was then referred to a different
department who sorted it to my satisfaction. I don't think you'll get a
result with the senior claims handler.

If all else fails there's always the financial services ombudsman. This is a
fair and - most importantly - free service, which is binding on the
insurance co.

As the septics say, don't get mad, get even.

 

Big Tony scribbled:

Writing to the SCH was step 1. The CE is step 2 with a registered,
signed for letter.

And then this.

And then small claims court, if it might be worth it. This has really
pissed me off and I'm quite prepared to waste a few grand getting back
the grand they owe me.

 

IMHO if you don't get a result with the ombudsman, you've got very little
chance in the small claims court. But I'd be surprised if it went past step
2.

 

frag scribbled:

<snip>

Update : Wrote letter to senior claims bod.

Received a few phone calls (whilst in Majorca so didn't answer them).

Phoned them when back in UK, they've reviewed the case and agreed they
were wrong, I am right, and the full payment is winging its way to me.
Plus another £100 for the hassle.

<happy>