Home insurance

Have a look at Hiscox. They don't require vast lists of everything you have, and do not have ridiculous security requirements, like having all windows in unoccupied bedrooms locked at all times.

Nigel

I really must sort out some specialist insurance too... do Hiscox offer policies that would cover the HiFi only, or would I have to move all my home contents to them? Thanks.

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do Hiscox offer policies that would cover the HiFi only, or would I have to move all my home contents to them?

You have to move all your home contents to them.

I am currently testing the Hiscox claims system after some young idiot with no known parentage drove his Astra into our front garden just after midnight in August - he was over the limit.

The claim for untrashing the garden will be just over the excess and I want them to get all the money back from the idiot's insurer.

I am waiting to hear back from them.

I also wanted them to support a claim for punitive damages but their legal folk would not support the concept.

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Home Insurance.....EEEK!

It's his house, so I don't typically see those bills... I do know that he has State Farm insurance, though, and they aren't writing any new policies in Louisiana.

Thanks ROTF,

Punitive damages in this circumstance seem perfectly reasonable to me Derek!

I once had a woman crash into my rear while I was stationary at lights - her excuse was that she was unwrapping presents for her young son who was sitting in the passenger seat! (luckily not hurt). The policeman who attended the scene took a fairly dim view of her driving abilities and recommended that she attend a driving reabilitation course instead of getting points - she would have to pay £500 costs. A few months later the police called me to close the case, and told me that she had displayed a 'poor attitude' on the course so they had sent her to court - £2k fine, 12 month ban, and her insurance had to fork out £12k to fix my car! Justice served imo.

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had to fork out £12k to fix my car

Good grief what do you drive?

Well strictly speaking not all this was for the car, but around 8K was, complete new rear end on a Merc CLK! Also claimed diminution of value as a fixed car is never worth as much as a 'unblemished' one, and my wife had whiplash so we claimed her treatment and time off work.

Steeve (all) I do not have answers, but a story that might lighten your day

I was (was) with a well known "standard" company. I got hit by lightening one evening and made a claim next morning.
That afternoon 2 guys turned up to assess the situation. Everything was zapped, including consumer units getting blown off the wall, even my Marshall guitar amp that was not even plugged in the wall, all electrics, phones, TV's & aerials & cables, burgler alarm cables were just black carbon tracks ..... The only thing to survive was my Rega TT

The insurance cmpy contractor rewired the house starting in 1 day completing in 2 days. All the boxes phones, TV's were replaced like for like (where possible) or latest model or eq. I was so overwhelmed by the speed, cooperation & downright nice to do business with people that I wrote a letter thanking them.

Now the Punch Line - at renewal time my premium went up 50%
Lightning does strike twice

A word in favour of Direct Line.

We had a large value and complex claim a few years ago for legal expenses when we sued the Leeds Liverpool canal company after leakage affected our home. From start to finish the insurer could not have been better. Fast to deal with the problem, a dedicated claims adviser who always seemed to know what was going on and the appointed legal agent was excellent. Really good service.

We also found them very helpful when insuring a single expensive item (a work of art).

I know the market is competitive on cost but service counts a lot too in my book.

Bruce

Some pictures of the rogue car at

http://homepage.mac.com/cwog/Car%20smash/index.html

I filled in an online application for Hiscox but due to the flooding issue was told I would have have to speak to someone over the phone which I did. The guy said he would have to speak to the underwriter and promised to come back to me but never did. That sort of thing really annoys me so they are off my list and in any case they were very expensive even with a larger than average excess.

Have eventually gone with More Th>n Select, which I think is where More Th>n farm out policies they don't want to take on themselves to third party insurers. They do not class audio equipment as high risk and therefore do not ask for them to be itemised. Also they were relaxed as long as I lived over 400 metres from the River Nene and its canals, which I do.

Steeve

The problem we have had is getting a company to insure individual items with a replacement value over £1500. Is an LP12 /ittok/dv17 1 or 3 items, was another stumbling block.
A lot of companies seem OK to cover until you try and press them, they seem to think £1500 is more than enough to cover ALL of a hi-fi system.

Halifax will do a total cost of £20k on valuable items - they recommend Hiscox if you go over this limit. I'm not recommending them, but I have had no problems with them so far.

I need more than £20k though as a replacement value.