Direct Line Fee Before Claim!

[bainbrig]

Direct Line want us to pay them £250 BEFORE they’ll even look at our burglary claim!

This is the excess. Is this legal? Is it normal? What choice do we have?

BB

[TonyV]

Read your policy documents and see what that says. It is the only way that you will know. Maybe hidden in the small print somewhere?

[diddlydo]

We had to pay our £1000 subsidence excess up-front before having an actual start date for the repairs. We did query this (with the Co-op) and were told it was "normal".

[ummmm]

Subsidence is a bit different to a burglary.

I/we have made a few claims over the years and the excess was deducted from their payment.

[douglas9401]

I had to pay the operative who picked up our bent car the agreed excess before he took it for repair.

Seems to be an insurance thing.

[jno]

when you say "look at" do you mean before they'll send in an assessor, or before they'll even open a file?

[bainbrig]

jno. Before they’ll send in an assessor. And what happens if they reject the claim? Do they just keep the money?

[vetuste_ennemi]

I thought excesses were pre-agreed, such that you pay a lower premium if you took a bigger hit. Surprised that an insurance company would impose a minimum excess of £250.

[jno]

beats me, BB, I've never heard of this practice before. Good luck with it.

[bainbrig]

I’ll tackle them later. But one thing occurs to me - supposing we were more typical OAPs, and had no access to £250 (no cards, etc). Then what?

[woofgang]

I guess if its in the T and C then you would have read them before taking the insurance and would gave gone elsewhere?

[bainbrig]

Very precise, woofgang, but no of course we didn't read the 6 point Terms & Conditions. If it HAD said there was an upfront fee equivalent to your excess (£250 in our case) before they'd assess a claim, we'd have been out of there like the proverbial rats.

[Ellipsis]

My understanding of an excess is that if your claim is say £1500 and your excess is £250, then you'll get £1250. If your claim is less than £250 then you'll get nothing.

A fee that you'll pay them to come out does not sound like an excess, but what do I know? If you have to pay them a fee in advance to come out then, as long as your claim is for more than the excess, I would imagine you'll get that fee back one way or the other.

[teacake44]

Its their way of finding out weather or not its a false claim. If it was a false claim then one wouldn't want to come up with any up front payment, as they have no money, hence the false claim.

[woofgang]

teacake I don't think so. There must be many people who can't just immediately cough up the excess, especially if they have had a domestic disaster and have had to find the cash for other immediate needs....also yes you know it will have to be paid in the event of a genuine claim but to have to pay iot even before the clain is investigated, IMO turns it from an excess to a fee.

[teacake44]

Investigated is just a term they use, may be to set your claim in motion would be better to understand. As regards to not having the money at this time, I'm afraid its what you have agreed to.

[ummmm]

That's what the loss adjuster is for.

[Peter Pedant]

yeah apparently - christ BB

https://www.money.co.uk/excess-insurance/what-is-excess-insurance.htm

scroll down to
For example, if your car insurance excess is £250, you have to pay this before you can claim on your policy. But with excess insurance, you then get the £250 paid back.

which clearly says - pay before claim ....sorry

[this is not too difficult is it? I am getting quite a lot of:
"me no understand wot PP thay" on AB today. my fault I am sure]

[THECORBYLOON]

If there were no excess, the premium would be higher. It saves you money if no claims are made and it saves the insurer when it needs to payout.

[ummmm]

BB - is this about your garage being burgled?

[teacake44]

TCL spot on, swings and roundabouts, you can't have your cake, and eat it.