Help and advice needed

[Galaxy66]

I have a very close friend whose elderly mother has lost everything apart from a few personal items in the recent floods in Morpeth.

She has just called in to our house in a very stressed state because of all that is involved. The house is a single storey bungalow.

She has just come back from a meeting on site with the insurance assessors, her mother was insured for £30,000 contents.

They have literally been required to think of and list all of the items that have been lost in the flood, every single item!!.

I feel they have been rushed into the final figure, all the time the assessor was saying "oh you can get them for only £x" quoting cheap suppliers like DFS and B&Q, Argos etc

Considering she was covered for up to £30000 I feel they have been taken advantage of in coming up with an amount as low as £9600 plus the cost of large Domestic appliances, television etc.

So what they are saying is her mother's "life" was worth only £9600 plus.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Mal.

 

[photon]

I guess an Assessor can be employed on her behalf and there's an Ombudsman as a last resort.

 

[Steep]

Tell her not to sign anything.

 

[Canon Bob]

Mal,

I may be wrong but I think you have got the terminology slightly wrong.

Insurance companies employ "loss adjusters" to save them money and beat the price down.
Policy holders then employ "loss assessors" to argue the case.

It's normal that the two then get together and find some middle ground and hence the reason for the initial low valuation. It's now upto your friend to get an assessor to fight her corner. I belive that they work on a % of the amount gained....the first consultation is usually free andthey they see what they can get out of it.

Bob

 

[erding]

Firsttly she should not sign anything until she is comfortable with their offer.

Well the insurance company has been quite happy to take her premium for £30k.

Does her contents policy offer replacement in the event of a loss? Replacement with a inferior/cheaper product cannot be regarded as replacement - it has to be of similar brand/quality as the lost item.

Is she is able to recall the actual cost of a few major items that are subject to this loss or identify similar products from the stores where she would normally purchase such items and compare to what the insurance company is actually offering - any major discrepency is a negotiating point in her favour. If there are consistent discrepencies in valuation which favour the insurance company she should contact the Insurance Ombudsman and Citizen Advice Bureau. Very likely the insurance company is likely to try protract the matter out so force her to settle on their terms.

 

[Galaxy66]

Photon, steep, Bob,Tom, thanks for the replies and advice, Sorry I can not comment much, I do know she has "new for old" cover.
Although she has not signed anything, they have been given a copy of the figures they come up with and it states in a heading that "it is agreed etc"
I have emailed to her a link to this thread.

I just feel that under the circumstances when the family was under great stress having lost personal items it was rushed through.