making an insurance claim - buildings insurance

[mandimoo]

my insurance company has told me that if they send someone to assess a claim (which i may or may not make depending on what seems to be the problem, if i can ever get to the bottom of it), then it will count as a claim, even if they decide its not covered by insurance. then we will lose no claim bonus, but still not have any pay out. is this normal? surely if they decide its not a valid claim, then it isnt a claim and therefore should not be recorded as a claim by them. we suspect some movement in the property, but unsure as to how longstanding, even though we have only recently become aware of the problem. weve had 4 builders out, who have told us that its 4 different things.

[buildersmate]

You might do better to post this in 'Insurance', MM.
However I am not aware that there was a formal 'no claims discount' system used in this industry for Buildings Insurance - certainly I've never benefitted from it. That is not to say that the companies don't load the premium according to the claim history that one declares when completing a new policy proposal - but it is not as simple as 30% off after 1 years' NCD that widely operates with motor vehicles.
I cannot guess what game your insurer is playing at.

[redcrx]

ive had it happen. I owned a flat and we spoke to the freeholder about problems we had. Unbeknown to us he called the insurers who told him they could do nothing (he did nothing to repair the building either).

When it came to renewal time the premium had jumped by over 30%. When we queried it we were told that we had "claimed". They classed the insurance assessors visit as a claim.

[4getmenot]

insurance companies are all different. Only people that can tell you the answer is yours x

[bednobs]

it costs them money to appoint an insurance assessor and to have them visut you, so it makes sense

[ABerrant]

Just think about the terminology you have used to explain the situation -

"send someone to assess a claim" - this means a claim has been made, regardless of whether said claim results in a payment.

This is true of all forms of insurance coverage (buildings, motor, etc.). When asked by an insurer if you have made a "claim" it refers not to any payment received but the act of you attempting to obtain the payment, even if the attempt is refused.

[buildersmate]

I've no doubt that you are right, AB.
But with motor insurance, if you make a claim on your own insurer which is the result of the actions of another party that resulted in your loss, and hence your insurer gets its costs back, that doesn't impact your NCB?

[ABerrant]

Regardless of any impact (or lack thereof) of a non-fault claim upon a motorist's NCD, the claim will be factored into the following year's calculation of the renewal premium, or must be declared upon application for cover by another insurer to allow them to factor it into their premium calculation.