Direct Line Problem

[meglet]

We rented our house out for six months last year whilst abroad. I got landlord insurance from Direct Line to cover the structure and contents. Anyway we ended up coming home and last November moved back in. I rang Direct Line to cancel and they said it would cost £30 admin fee and according to them THEY SAY they told me to swap to normal home insurance. I didn't swap as I assumed the existing policy would still cover me - after I thought what does in matter who lives in the house? Now we've had a ceiling collapse and Direct Line say that as we the landlords have moved back in we are not covered. We have been paying the premiums. There isn't any clause in the contract stating that we should swap to normal insurance if we moved back in but they say they have listened to the call I made and they did make me aware. If I want to listen to the call myself it will cost me £10. Shall I fight it or give it up as a bad job?

[hc4361]

Pay the tenner and listen to the phone call. That's the first step

[EDDIE51]

listen to the phone call but be sure you record it.
Insurance companies will do anything to try to get out of paying a claim.

[meglet]

I have asked for a copy of the recording. Apparently this means they have to put in a data protection request (or something like that) so let's see. Thing is we have a hole in the roof that obviously needs to be patched up ASAP so I can see us paying for this anyway.

[cassa333]

Are you saying that they advised you to change your insurance (at no extra cost or max £30) so that you remained covered. You decided not to and assumed, even though they told you otherwise, that you were still covered and still continued to pay the premiums but then had to make a claim. Because you didn't follow their advice to change the nature of the insurance you are not covered.

What makes you think they should cover you? If it is because they carried on taking your premiums then you are quit possibly in error. They were entitled to consider the insurance for LL protection still in place untill you cancelled or changed it.

If they give you your premiums back you will be lucky. If they pay for the damage you should think yourself exceedingly fortunate indeed.

[black_cat51]

casa, as i read it meglet is not saying that
she is saying that when she called about the insurance it was going to cost £30 to cancel, so she thought she'd just carry on with it. She doesn't think they said that she wouldn't be covered as she was the landlord, but they are saying they did. She checked her policy and it didn't say anything about this so assumed it was ok.

[cassa333]

I rang Direct Line to cancel and they said it would cost £30 admin fee and according to them THEY SAY they told me to swap to normal home insurance. I didn't swap as I assumed the existing policy would still cover me

[black_cat51]

yes.

[cassa333]

'I assumed' just about says it all.

She should have assumed nothing and taken the advice given or looked into it a bit more. I think it may have been the £30 fee that put her off!!

It is the responsibility of the householder to get the insurance that is appropriate to their circumestances. LLs letting out property (wether the property is let out or vacant between tenant) need LL insurance. Someone living in their own house are not LLs and therefore need the usual home insurances.

Once again... The OP did not take the advice of the insurer and kept the LL insurance and did not change it to the usual household insurance.

[meglet]

Cassa I was insuring exactly the same items whoever lived in the house so it's not that much of a leap to assume the people living in the property made that much of a difference. The £30 fee was irrelevant. My point is that DL tell me they informed me that I wouldn't be covered, I am disputing that this fact was actually said. You may say it should have been obvious, clearly I am not as bright as you.

[twix123]

This is exactly the sort of problem that arises when people go for the perceived cheaper option of insuring through on-line websites rather than letting an insurance broker do the legwork to get the correct original cover, and any subsequent amendments, on your behalf!

[hc4361]

I disagree, twix. Using a broker just adds a link to the chain of possible mistakes.

meglet, as Direct Line were aware you moved back in to your house they should not have been taking your premiums under the old cover. The least you should expect is a refund of premiums since then.

[twix123]

Yes hc, but a broker would have been liable under their PI cover if they had got it wrong in meglet's situation and not arranged for the cover to have been re-instated to owner occupier!

[black_cat51]

i disagree HC, even if they knew meglet was now living there herself, she might have wanted the cover kept in place because she was planning on moving out in a few weeks and re-letting

[Canary42]

Whatever you do, get the hole fixed pronto (because small print specifies keeping property in good repair, another loophole insurance companies  create to avoid paying up)