house insurance - should they give me a refund?

[bednobs]

uurrgghh the saga continues with house insurance. Anyway, i have just found out that my insurance company (aviva) claimed from my plumbers liability insurance when we made a claim for £4000 in 2009, and it has been re-rated as a £0 no fault claim. Should they refund me my excess that i paid? They are telling me that I have to arrange to claim my excess from the plumber/plumber's insurance, but that doesn't sound right to me

[boxtops]

They are right, if the claim arose due to the plumbers' negligence, you have to approach the plumbers' insurance company to recover your excess. This is the same in any negligence claim - if the third party insurers paid out to your insurers, they have admitted liability, so you should contact them to make a separate claim for your excess.

[boxtops]

PS your insce co will only have claimed the amount above the excess, which remains your responsibility. It is correct!

[bednobs]

Really boxy? I would have thought they would have claimed for the entire amount that it cost. Oh well!

[factor-fiction]

I think motor insurance works the same way

[johnny37]

Im not an expert but I would have thought the excess is nothing to do with the plumber. They should have settled the full amount from him. Insist on a refund.

[Hammer]

You made a claim and paid the excess, the insurance company sorted out your problem. Nothing unusual there. You made a claim, you paid the excess.

How the final bill between the insurers and the people who sorted out your damage was paid, and whose fault it was, is not relevant. Luckily, as has been stated, if the plumber’s insurance has admitted liability then you can reclaim the excess back from them.