building insurence

[west ham fan]

I have got Building & content insurence. Ihave got a semi det; Hse, there is a crack on the outside wall travels from the eves towards the ground, in roughly the same area in side the house is also a crack at the top of the stairs. My question /queery is should I beable to get a structual engineer to check this out through my insurence, without being penalized, as when I have just asked the Company in the past to see if I can claim ie; my glass oven door shattered they said it was not covered fare enough but when my renewal arrived for the insurence it had gone up, I queeried thi and they said even though there was no claim and no payout they still class it as I had made a claim, which has now means any enquirey I make/ claim I have to pay the first �200.00, so I am wondering how much a independant survey would cost. thankyou

[CheekyChops]

I can't answer your question about the structural engineer but regarding the oven door, I think you have been sticthed up.

Just ringing the insurance company and asking whether you are covered for something should NOT mean that your insurance goes up, it is NOT a claim and they didn't actually pay up. To increase your insurance �200 just for this is taking the p!ss, are you sure that's all it was for? If so I would be looking for a new insurance company.

I tried to claim for my mobile phone last year, was told it wasn't covered, no problem. This isn't a claim and my insurance hasn't increased as a result of it.

[pauln90]

A full structural survey could cost you �600 upwards. As a first step why not ask the opinion of a good local builder. He might know more about the history of the area and any causes/remedies.

Check your insurance policy carefully. Mine says I have to pay the first �2000 towards repairs if subsidence is discovered.

[themas]

As said, check the policy. There is bound to be an excess for subsidence but it should be towards the cost of the work, not the initial investigation. There's no point in getting your own structural engineer - if work is needed you must do it through the insurer & they will only want to start with another engineer of their own choosing.

Insurance companies have complaints procedures & an independent complaints body - again, look at your policy. Use it in relation to the oven door issue.

I would agrre you should look for another insurer but it is not the right time now - to change & then immediately ask for a subsidence investigation would look very odd to the new insurer, & in any case you would have to declare the possibility of subsidence existing on the proposal form.

[west ham fan]

Thankyou all for your answers. When my insurence sent my new policy through and I saw the �200.00 excess and the premiums had gone up I rang them to ask why, that is when I was told quote "you have made 3 claims in 2 yrs" I replied "not me" oh yes came the answer, you claimed for accidental damage to PS2 which we refunded the cost of a new 1 (less �50. 00 excess), I agreed to that, then I was told you enquired about fridge that stopped working because the gas had emptied then you rang in for claim form to replace shattered glass oven door, to which I replied yes but I received nothing not even forms, the fridge you said was not accident fair enough, then the door. I said to them if I go into a shop and ask to look at a pair of shoes just because I looked I am not asked to pay for them, I was just told that is their policy. they say I am a high risk customer I have been with them 12 yrs and have made 2 claims as I see it for which I was refunded.So I am stuck with them because if I change the new company will also think that I have made all these claims. They have got me by the short and curly's

[themas]

As I said, go through the complaints procedure.

[lespots]

change your insurence company now, if they don"t cover they can"t charge