Where would we be without the internet?

So in September 2010 I posted a blog about insurance companies, and mine in particular. I had a small leak of water which required £1000 of repair work and my insurer refused to cover it. Since then I complained and they agreed to pay the cost of repair, minus my excess obviously. The story goes like this:

I decided to rent out my flat, so arranged landlord insurance. When asked if the property was fully occupied I told them it was, because it would be in a couple of weeks (sort of the whole point of getting landlord insurance!) after I'd finished giving the place a fresh coat of paint. I got the policy documents through, checked the definition of 'unoccupied' and, as I was working in the flat four nights a week, the flat was 'in use' under their policy. Two weeks later I had the leak, prior to finding tenants. I submitted a claim and answered their questions truthfully, including telling them I had no tenants yet. This they did not like and they maintained that the property was unoccupied and not in use. I argued that there may not be anyone living there yet but it was in use, as it's hard to paint the internal walls from outside the flat. So we went around in circles. They appointed a loss adjuster who visited and was told the same story. The claim was repudiated.

Now in auld lang syne that might've been the end of the matter. Google Is Your Friend. Search: "Definition of unoccupied" and I found my way to the financial ombudsman website. Not surprisingly, this sort of situation has happened before and they publish examples of successful and unsuccessful appeals. Wouldn't you know it, there's a carbon copy of my situation described in detail, and the financial ombudsman upheld the appeal. Gotcha!

Procedure dictated that I complain to my insurer in the first instance, so I wrote them a pleasantly worded letter reiterating the situation and quoting their policy documents, and at the end referred them to test case on the FO website. They are allowed 8 weeks to respond. Last week I received a cheque for the full amount, minus excess.

T'internet...I thank you!