Motorhome Insurance claim, 'not much fun' (1 Viewer)

[Lenny HB]

£1500 for a fridge door no wonder the premiums go up

The price is for a complete fridge.

 

[WSandME]

If you have made a claim against ANY motor insurance policy you must declare it when taking out another policy for any motor vehicle, they're the 'rules'.

The way I read it (Ts&Cs) is that you must report ANY incident, regardless of whether you make a claim. I have read of people's consternation regarding just how trivial an incident needs to be before you can ignore it.

 

[Minxy]

The way I read it (Ts&Cs) is that you must report ANY incident, regardless of whether you make a claim. I have read of people's consternation regarding just how trivial an incident needs to be before you can ignore it.

To be totally correct, then yes, but can you really tell me that people DO tell their companies about stuff they don't need to make a claim for ... I doubt it.

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[Techno]

Not on your Nelly

 

[Brian Hankins]

Not sure if I'm being a bit thick with this question but would appreciate some feedback.

Returning from Spain at the end of October, travelling from Haro (Rioja capital) to Santander our fridge door flew open breaking the hinge and pulling the wires out connecting the door control panel to the fridge.
We decided that we would claim against our insurance policy, taken out with the Caravan and Motorhome Club, the C&MC then inform Devitts, who then pass onto AXA, the underwriters. No problem so far! I agreed with AXA that I could use a local company to look at the problem and get a quote, which I did and they were very good. AXA then sent an insurance assessor to look at the fridge and take photographs. All parties agreed that the fridge needed replacing at a cost of around £1500 + VAT and labour.
At the beginning of November I purchased a Motor-scooter and trailer to tow on the back of my motorhome, I also had to insure the bike which I did through Bennets, specialist motorbike insurers, that give 90 days insurance cover in Europe per trip, so ideal for multiple trips.
A couple of days ago I had notification from Bennets that they required another £35 to insure the scooter because they had been informed of an outstanding claim from another insurer. I eventually found out that the claim I had put in for the fridge was the outstanding claim that would affect the motorbike insurance. My fault to an extent, I suppose but it didn't cross my mind that a fridge door falling off in transit on my motorhome would impact on my motorbike insurance. Apparently there is a database that is shared by insurance companies to check on outstanding claims.
Sorry this is getting a boring now, to cut to the chase, should a claim on a fridge or anything that is part of the habitation of the motorhome impact on the insurance of a totally different vehicle? Should the Caravan & Motorhome Club and its partners be looking at the type of claim before putting it into their Claims database? I suppose it will also now impact on our car insurance when it is due!
Am I being paranoid or are my feelings of being ripped off genuine? The other question is I always say do not share my personal information but hey that's gone out the window too.

Thanks for the various advice, much appreciated.

Just to clarify a few points for those that have made comments on how the accident happened.

* The lock on the fridge was on
* The hinge at the top left broke loose from the door
* The fridge was full
* The force of the door opening also forced the plastic locking device open
* The road was pot holed, uneven and cracked, I drove down a hill around a fairly steep curve and hit a pot hole.
* The fridge door opens onto a corner bed
* The fridge door hit the bed with such force that it also broke the wooden base of the bed (not part of the claim)
* The wires connecting the fridge door control panel were pulled from the loom in the fridge, hence replacement
* I am claiming for the whole fridge, 175L Tall upright fridge
* This is the first insurance claim I have ever made, (this is not an excuse this is a fact)

I was pretty peed off when I wrote this thread, due to the fact that the insurance company were trying to get an additional 20% of the replacement cost from me, on top of the excess. They have now retracted this as their policy clearly states that I am fully covered apart from the excess. The additions to my insurance policies are negligible compared to the cost of replacement. I've also complained to the insurance underwriter that they need to get my permission to use any information about me as I had clearly asked for this. They are currently investigating my complaint. The moral of this is too many of us accept these situations without question, don't, because if you don't nothing will change and the answer will always be NO!!

 

[DBK]

Thanks for the various advice, much appreciated.

Just to clarify a few points for those that have made comments on how the accident happened.

* The lock on the fridge was on
* The hinge at the top left broke loose from the door
* The fridge was full
* The force of the door opening also forced the plastic locking device open
* The road was pot holed, uneven and cracked, I drove down a hill around a fairly steep curve and hit a pot hole.
* The fridge door opens onto a corner bed
* The fridge door hit the bed with such force that it also broke the wooden base of the bed (not part of the claim)
* The wires connecting the fridge door control panel were pulled from the loom in the fridge, hence replacement
* I am claiming for the whole fridge, 175L Tall upright fridge
* This is the first insurance claim I have ever made, (this is not an excuse this is a fact)

I was pretty peed off when I wrote this thread, due to the fact that the insurance company were trying to get an additional 20% of the replacement cost from me, on top of the excess. They have now retracted this as their policy clearly states that I am fully covered apart from the excess. The additions to my insurance policies are negligible compared to the cost of replacement. I've also complained to the insurance underwriter that they need to get my permission to use any information about me as I had clearly asked for this. They are currently investigating my complaint. The moral of this is too many of us accept these situations without question, don't, because if you don't nothing will change and the answer will always be NO!!

A belated welcome to the Forum!
And good luck with this saga. I think the extra 20% they asked for was cheeky but I don't see anything wrong in anything else you've described. If you make a claim on a motoring insurance policy, which you have, a record of the claim goes on the insurance industry database. This is to allow other insurance companies to check your claim records.
I suspect, when you took out the bike insurance, there was a question about previous insurance claims. Your 'fridge claim should have been declared. It wasn't a typical motoring accident, but it was a claim. I'm not sure if they would class it as a no fault claim. You may find out when you come to renew the MH insurance.

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[sedge]

There is a central database used by all UK insurers governed by law in the form of the regulations of the Financial Services Authority (to whom the Financial Ombudsman himself 'belongs') which was already in operation before I retired in 1998.

Reference to the small print of any insurance contract (again by law) without exception MUST reveal that. You always have to sign or in the case of 'on line' contracts, click to tick a box, to say you have read and accept ALL terms and conditions - and I therefore know 100% that you have no chance whatever of 'getting out of it'.

I do agree though that it's DAMNED annoying when a failed break-in to the hab door of a moho parked on a road in Brighton on a one-off trip which wrecked the door frame and had to be completely replaced and was claimed for, also affects the premiums or the two cars and three motorbikes you also own, insure and run. Just like us at that time though you just have to gnash your teeth, bear it - and stop moaning!

Try a - wry! - grin instead - uses far less muscular effort mate.