schnipps said:
Hi,
Claim in for my PC from home insurance and it looks as if according to them i may have to either choose a replacement up to x pounds from certain large high street chain or vouchers for certain large high street chain. Can insurance companies force you to use a particular shop? At the end of the day i really dont want a replacement pc from any of those high street places as i could potentially get a better one for less from ocuk for example.
What type of PC is getting replaced? Is it custom specc'd, or bog-standard vanilla?
Essentially, insurance is supposed to leave you no better off, but no worse off, than you were before the incident that caused you to claim.
I've had several incidents (though not with PCs) where I've had insurance companies try to throw their weight about. For instance, after the stereo was nicked from the car, they tried to tell me the model of the unit they would supply as a replacement, and the name of the mobile fitting service they would send round to fit it.
I pointed out that while their proposed replacement was indeed the manufacturer's direct replacement for the model I had had nicked, it was NOT going in my car. Firstly, the front plate was incredibly tacky and looked like it has been designed by a new recruit from Mattel. Secondly, it no longer had a factor that was critical in my original choice of model, that being selectable interface colours including one that matched dashboard illumination in my car. And thirdly, it no longer had the high-voltage pre-outs necessary to efficiently driving the after-market amps in the car.
So no, they weren't supplying that model. The
exact model I had had nicked was still available (though MUCH more expensive than their proposed replacement), or I provided details of an acceptable alternative model (different brand), at a price between the two.
Oh, and no way was a bloke in a van fitting the unit. It was a specialist installation done by specialist fitters, and it WAS going to the same fitters for repair, regardless of any arrangement they may have with the company employing this bloke in a van. If I paid for expert fitting in the first place (and I did), it was being repaired to the same standard ..... and with the same standard of specialist cables, etc, as used up front.
The insurance company didn't like it, and didn't want to admit that what I wanted was "possible". So I booked the car in for replacement at MY choice of repairer, told them in advance what was being done, where and when, and to arrange for any inspection they required before that date, or at the repairer at the start of that date.
I also pointed out that the repair was such as to restore the system to the previous state (using the expensive direct replacement), and that if they wanted to save a bot of money, to contact the repairer BEFOREHAND to authorise the repair and to specify the acceptable alternative unit I had suggested. Oh, and if they didn't authorise repairs and payment, I would be adding any finance or interest charges incurred to my claim. And, if necessary, would be taking that claim to small claims court to get it.
I got my way.
Needless to say, do NOT push an insurer that hard unless you're prepared to do exactly as you threaten, if necessary. I was. Don't bluff, unless you're prepared to follow through if it's called, because it might be. I would
prefer the alternative unit I offered, but was happy with a direct replacement. I was NOT prepared to have the car worked on by a bloke in a van. No way. PERIOD. And I was quite prepared to use the courts if need be.
Schipps, insurance companies vary. Some provide excellent service, but other can be awkward and snotty with customers. Ultimately, whether you get what you want is likely to depend on :-
- How customer-oriented your company is
- Whether your reasons for wanting it your way are reasonable and justified or not
- How hard you’re prepared to push them, if they are snotty about it
It IS possible to brow-beat insurance companies, if you've got the cojones for a possible fight. Me? I love pushing them around.
Thing is, insurance compnaies will usually be looking to save money, and look at most decisions commercially. As a consumer, your decisions don't always have to be commercially motivated. For instance, I said I would add finance charges and/or interest if they didn't react within reasonable times. They told me they don't pay interest charges. Well, I had that argument over damage from a motor accident (different insurance company). They also said they don't pay interest, and issued a cheque without the interest. I sent it back, uncashed, and pointed out that the £30 (-ish, and it was about 20 years ago) interest was missing. They sent it back a second time, still without, saying they don't pay that. I sent it back, a second time, with a copy of the small claims court forms filled in and ready to go, with a seven day deadline for payment in full. The letter, while polite, was carefully worded to convey the impression that :-
1) I was pee'd off
2) It was now a matter of principle for me, and that having had them try to browbeat me and push me around, they either paid IN FULL, and on time, or it WAS going to court.
And, if I got as far as filing, and paying the court fee, that fee and other incidental costs would be added to the claim. Shold they then decide to settle before the hearing, ALL costs would need to be met or I would go forward with the hearing. In other words, I made it clear I was now not prepared to compromise at all, and was annoyed enough to act on principle whether I ended up winning or losing. The ONLY way they were avoiding going to court was to settle in full.
Do they really want to go to court? Not when they've been jerking me around unreasonably, they don't. The sum wasn't large enough for it to be commercially justified, and they were going to
publicly look like penny-pinching bullies if they tried.
The long and short of all that is .... no, they can't force you to a particular shop, unless :-
1) It's part of the contract that this will be their replacement
2) It's unreasonable for you to insist on something else
3) You don't have the stomach, or the option, to pick a fight if it proves necessary.
