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shropshiregirl
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shropshiregirl is offline
Shropshire
Joined: Jun 2013
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19-11-2019, 01:35 PM
1

Very Annoying!

When we first took out Contents Insurance 45 years ago, it was the top of the range ''Golden Key'' policy with an Insurance company called Commercial Union. It cost more but it covered every eventuality of mishap with no excess charges, so thought it was worth it.

As everyone knows, throughout the years, Insurance companies were bought out by other Insurance companies, and so it was with Commercial Union being taken over by Sun Alliance, and several take-overs by other Insurance Companies since, we have ended up with Aviva Insurance. Of course, the premiums still went up over the years,and during all of these years, we have only ever claimed for a hole in a carpet in the early years when a hot coal fell out of the fireplace. apart from that, we have never claimed.
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However, what was always galling was that upon every annual renewal, there always seemed to be new exclusions added. So many in fact that the present policy resembles nothing like the original policy we took out.

This latest renewal policy really takes the biscuit! Aviva have kindly included a leaflet to inform us that Aviva Contents Insurance will now have an excess payable of £450 excess for any burst water pipes etc.

How do they get away with it? It certainly doesn't pay to be a loyal customer anymore. I appreciate that Aviva give a small insignificant sum as a loyalty bonus, but it is peanuts compared to the exclusions and excesses they are forever adding on every year. If I went for the top of the range policy now, it would be eye-watering, but that is what I feel I should still have as originally taken out.

Has anyone else had this £450 excess on burst water pipes or is it just Aviva? I know you will say shop around, but I shouldn't have to. I should be fully covered for what I paid for originally, or is that pie-in-the-sky?
CoffeeCake
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Northamptonshire
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 133
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19-11-2019, 03:49 PM
2

Re: Very Annoying!

I have a combined buildings and contents insurance to which i have added optional legal expense cover and optional home emergency cover.
The “water relates” excesses ate:
Escape of water (buildings water damage) this includes your buildings £200 excess
Escape of water (contents water damage) this includes your contents £200 excess
Your not shopping around hurts no one but you. I shop around every tear and use cash back websites to get rebates. This year I receive £95 back by purchasing the insurance via the Quidco website.
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Baz46
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Somewhere rural 'out in the sticks', UK
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19-11-2019, 05:25 PM
3

Re: Very Annoying!

There are no surprise problems like that for me as I do car and household insurance through an insurance broker. Each year they compare companies just as many people probably do on these comparison websites. They know what my requirements are, usually the same as last year so my renewals are based on that. Should there be any changes they let me know at renewal but usually they have already sorted out a company with the same conditions as I require. They do all the work for you and premiums are good too. One time the premium even went down! They get their payment by commission from the insurance companies for all the insurance they place with them, not on your individual premium.

In the event of a claim, I had one earlier this year on the car insurance when a pheasant didn't look before crossing the lane and damaged my cruise control sensor – £450 for recalibration or worst case scenario you £1450 for replacement sensor if damaged. I claimed and didn't have to fill in any forms, just one phone call to the insurance broker and that was it. They even arranged for the garage to be paid by the insurer with me paying the excess amount on the policy.

Well worth giving it a try, if you want the name of the insurance broker I use, it's a well-known broker, then PM me. I don't think we can put that kind of advertising on here.
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Shropshire
Joined: Jun 2013
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20-11-2019, 11:45 AM
4

Re: Very Annoying!

Thank you both for your responses. Will look at both of your solutions and take it from there. Thank you again.
rcs60h
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Bedfordshire, UK
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 48
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27-11-2019, 07:38 PM
5

Re: Very Annoying!

Do people really believe that Brokers or Independent Advisers are such a good choice ?
They will recommend an Insurance Company for you, but their Salary is dependant on the commission from these Insurance Companies so the likelihood is that they will recommend the company that will pay them the most commission.
The best way of choosing an Insurance Company is by Recommendation from friends, family and acquaintances, but remember this, someone who has been treated badly will tell everyone they can but when they have something good the rarely need to say anything.
I don't need household insurance where I am, but many years ago I worked for one of the older small Insurance Companies called Wesleyan and back then they had some of the best General Insurance policies (Household, Buildings, Cars, Caravans and such like) on the market, so it may be worth having a look for them.
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Dodge
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Kent, UK
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27-11-2019, 08:31 PM
6

Re: Very Annoying!

The town where i used to live in Shropshire had an insurance broker and i used it for my car insurance. Nothing was hidden and nothing was 'pushed' on to me. All the necessary details were taken, put into their computer system and out came a list of insurance companies. The computer monitor would be turned round so i could see the list which showed the name of the insurance company, the price of difference insurance levels and any excesses.

Because it is the broker who deals with the insurance companies, they are the best to advise on which ones give them hassle and which ones not. I would then pick one, the broker would then print out the insurance cover documents, pay the broker fees (cannot remember what i paid) and that was it. Some weeks later i would get a welcome pack from the insurance company i had chosen. Come renewal time, the broker would send me a letter explaining if my current insurance company was still good value for money and if they were not, they would show 4 alternative offers or i could go in and talk to the broker again.

Everything was explained simply and timely, no rushing and no pushing to a preferred insurer. Best insurance experience I've ever had.
realspeed
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South coast
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14-12-2019, 09:37 PM
7

Re: Very Annoying!

Like everything else it pays to shop around not just auto renew any policy
 

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