Good settlement from Saga

[Wapping]

I somehow lost a bag between Mill Hill (north east London) and home (London E1) containing an eclectic mixture of items. The lot, came to about £1,400.

I called the Saga claims line on Saturday morning, to report the loss, which had actually happened a week or so earlier. I then updated (increased) it again on Monday morning, when it dawned on me that I had also lost my Enduristan small items bag, which held all my electrical bits and bobs.

Saga were excellent. The only minor quibble was over coverage of my Garmin XT. Saga classified this as an automotive device (which was excluded) but I successfully (politely) argued that it’s dual-purpose ie. It can act as a handheld, too. This they then accepted and included its replacement in the overall settlement.

What was key is that they were happy to:

A. Accept screen shots of Amazon ‘past purchases’ as proof of ownership.

B. Accept my word that I had lost my RayBan sunglasses, for which I had no receipt at all.

C. Accept a verbal list of small items, with no receipts at all.

D. Accept an email confirmation of my ordering of an Enduristan bag, as confirmation that I had lost the bag, which I had purchased years ago.

The screenshots were easy to upload via the Saga claims portal, via a link they sent me.

This morning, after confirming that the XT would be now be included and me confirming that the price offered by Saga to replace the headphones was indeed fair, they agreed to transfer the full claim amount into my bank account, which will be with me in a day or so.

If we assume that Monday was the earliest that Saga would have set the ball rolling properly, that is 24 hours to turn the lot around and pay.

Leaving aside that the claims department is all based in the UK, they are uniformly polite and helpful. The people you speak to do listen to a reasonable proposition that an item should be covered, if there is a bit of a grey area, my Garmin XT being a very good example.

Probably not the cheapest insurer I could have found but, when it comes to a significant claim that is well in excess of the annual premium and it’s settled promptly, initial purchase price does (to some degree or another) go out of the window,

 

[Monsieur]

A good recommendation indeed.
Just realised I’ve not had a home insurance claim since I bought my first house in 1987!

 

[Wapping]

Just realised I’ve not had a home insurance claim since I bought my first house in 1987!

Unfortunately, insurance is a contract of indemnity, not an investment

Had I lost just a few pounds worth, I’d not have bothered. It was only when I sat down and totted-up the wonderfully eclectic mix of items, that I realised I was well north of £1,000. That is too much to write off.

There was no question about my delay in reporting the claim (I had been home from Le Mans for a few days, before I realised what had happened) and no debate as to where or how it was actually all lost. No request along the lines of “Did you report the loss to the police?” and no debate over me subsequently increasing the claim on Monday. It all rested on me making a truthful statement as to the circumstances and the items claimed.

PS One of the items, Saga had mispriced, offering me £80 instead of the £34 I had claimed. I pointed out their innocent error.

 

[brut33]

Insurance companies are a fcukin rip off, I heard it here.

 

[Mr Bean]

I put a claim in for a new ceiling after the embedded shower mixer sprung a leak and wrecked the kitchen ceiling. To trace the leak I needed to cut a large hole in the ceiling. I duly traced the leak and repaired it.

Anyhow, I put a claim in for the plastering. The insurers noted that the claim was for the ceiling repair only, but not the decorating, and asked why. I told them that I'd painted it and there was no cost. They then bumped up the claim by £250 to compensate me for my time and a few quid of paint.

I think I was with LV at the time.

 

[Greg Masters]

PS One of the items, Saga had mispriced, offering me £80 instead of the £34 I had claimed. I pointed out their innocent error.

There’s a place for you in Saga heaven!

 

[Pukmeister]

I put a claim in for a new ceiling after the embedded shower mixer sprung a leak and wrecked the kitchen ceiling. To trace the leak I needed to cut a large hole in the ceiling. I duly traced the leak and repaired it.

Anyhow, I put a claim in for the plastering. The insurers noted that the claim was for the ceiling repair only, but not the decorating, and asked why. I told them that I'd painted it and there was no cost. They then bumped up the claim by £250 to compensate me for my time and a few quid of paint.

I think I was with LV at the time.

I had similar with a leaking bedroom radiator not long after I bought my current house. It had obviously been slowly weeping at floor level and trashed the carpet/underlay and chipboard floor panels beneath. Luckily it was over my integral garage so no damage downstairs.

I made a call to discuss and mentioned if they would pay for the materials I am happy to do the work myself plus I needed to redecorate anyway. They rather generously paid for me to lay a whole new floor in the room plus have a new carpet and cover all my plumbing and decorating materials. I probably saved them a heap in labour so it was a win/win for all of us.

 

[ChasMill]

Unfortunately for every Ying, there is a Yang.....
My ancient mother decided to let Saga (her home insurers) know that she was having her bathroom replaced. The builder confirmed that he had £2M of liability insurance, to replace a bathroom that had been installed in the 1960's.
The delightful lady from Saga then informed my mother that there was an additional premium due of £70, or her policy would be cancelled.
This was then confirmed in writing but not before the same lady had repeatedly called my mother threatening to cancel her policy unless she paid up.
My sister (over from France) then spoke to another Saga representative, complaining that they were bullying an 85 year-old woman with no good reason. Said representative then called back a day later saying that there was no additional premium to pay.
A good end result but pretty unpleasant behaviour from one of their chimps.

 

[G&T]

Just realised I’ve not had a home insurance claim since I bought my first house in 1987!

Nor I. Makes you wonder.

 

[jonnie comet]

I somehow lost a bag between Mill Hill (north east London) and home (London E1) containing an eclectic mixture of items. The lot, came to about £1,400.

I'm wondering what happened to your bag?

I get.. 'somehow lost a bag'..but do you have a theory as to how you lost it? Sounds like a nice find for someone.

Cracking outcome

 

[dean0n0]

Contact your local bobby, it's probably been handed in.

 

[Wapping]

I'm wondering what happened to your bag?

I get.. 'somehow lost a bag'..but do you have a theory as to how you lost it? Sounds like a nice find for someone.

Cracking outcome

I either left it on top of the car or, left it outside of home at getting on for 01:00 AM.

 

[Big Si]

Unfortunately, insurance is a contract of indemnity, not an investment

Had I lost just a few pounds worth, I’d not have bothered. It was only when I sat down and totted-up the wonderfully eclectic mix of items, that I realised I was well north of £1,000. That is too much to write off.

I've usually written off possible smallish claims due to high excesses and the worry of how much the premium will go up the following year.

 

[Wapping]

Of course, if you have a high excess (mine is £250 by choice) then small losses will inevitably fall beneath the policy’s attachment point.

I have never seen the point in worrying too much about the renewal premium. Clean (no claims) renewal premiums have been going up, so you might as well get some benefit.

I have always advised clients to claim, under reinsurances whose premiums excesses and claims can run into millions. Nobody truly thanks you for saving insurers money.

 

[Pepsi]

Your premiums will probably now go up for the next five years so that they can recoup what they’ve paid you.
Nothing in life is free.

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

Weren't my Oakley sunglasses in your bag as well Wapping? Oh and a Cube E-Mountain bike and a 2007 Repsol replica Fireblade?

 

[busy builder]

We had a accident just before Christmas 2022, a car pulled out onto A9 and we ran into the back of it. We are still waiting for Saga to get this sorted with our legal cover, as the other party is saying we ran into him....as I expected him to.