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Insurance - Accidental Damage

CaptnSpauldingCaptnSpaulding Posts: 5,370
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in Advice #1
Just wondered if anyone knew the ins and outs of Accidental Damage on home contents insurance?

Basically my mother's laptop now has a crack in the screen - she has no idea how it happened, whether she shut the lid to quick or if one of my younger brothers did it but won't own up.

Anyhow, as the screens to buy to replace it are over £150 she decided to try home insurance to which they said fine for a £50 excess fee and they will collect it tomorrow. If it seems worth replacing they will, if not they will give her a cheque for the value of the laptop.

We're hoping they'll fix it, if not where do we stand with the value? The laptop cost over £500 about 15 months ago, maybe slightly longer and has a bluray player, good processor and graphics card etc. If they only go by the value of that laptop model today, she won't get the same 'spec' laptop for that quote they give her I'm sure.

Do they go for the laptop's value today or go on what model it is and provide a similar model? She's really worried she will be left with a lower end laptop at the end of the day.

Thanks for any help in advance. Like I said we're hoping it'll just get repaired but just want to know her worst case scenario.

Comments

  • RoyalPRoyalP Posts: 194
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    #2
    CaptnSpaulding wrote:
    Anyhow, as the screens to buy to replace it are over £150 she decided to try home insurance to which they said fine for a £50 excess fee and they will collect it tomorrow. If it seems worth replacing they will, if not they will give her a cheque for the value of the laptop.We're hoping they'll fix it, if not where do we stand with the value? The laptop cost over £500 about 15 months ago, maybe slightly longer and has a bluray player, good processor and graphics card etc. Do they go for the laptop's value today or go on what model it is and provide a similar model? She's really worried she will be left with a lower end laptop at the end of the day.

    Thanks for any help in advance. Like I said we're hoping it'll just get repaired but just want to know her worst case scenario.

    May depend on how good the insurance company is. If she went with a cheapo one she may get shafted.
  • Keefy-boyKeefy-boy Posts: 13,613
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    #3
    It may depend on whether the policy specifies new for old replacement.
  • stevensdrsstevensdrs Posts: 1,705
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    #4
    Keefy-boy wrote: »
    It may depend on whether the policy specifies new for old replacement.

    It will depend on whether the policy states new for old and or fair wear and tear. On my policy you would get at brand new laptop to the original value (less excess) if a repair was not possible.
  • CaptnSpauldingCaptnSpaulding Posts: 5,370
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    #5
    she did mention new for old, so would that mean a same spec laptop or better ie, any value as long as it's a same spec or better than what she has?

    Sorry about all the questions but never claimed before!

    Thanks
  • simon40simon40 Posts: 620
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    #6
    They will fix the screen as it is the cheap option.
  • jsmith99jsmith99 Posts: 20,382
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    #7
    I doubt whether you could buy a new laptop with the same spec as an old one, as everything gets bigger and faster. So the replacement would need to be a better spec, in my opinion.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,959
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    #8
    stevensdrs wrote: »
    It will depend on whether the policy states new for old and or fair wear and tear. On my policy you would get at brand new laptop to the original value (less excess) if a repair was not possible.

    No sure you are correct there, you would get a new computer with the same spec but at the cost it is now not when bought.
  • TommyGavin76TommyGavin76 Posts: 17,066
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    #9
    I wouldn't bother. She is saving £100 but will have to declare the claim on any quotes for the next 5 years. You'll lose more than that £100 by then.
  • susie-4964susie-4964 Posts: 23,143
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    #10
    TommyGavin76 wrote: »
    I wouldn't bother. She is saving £100 but will have to declare the claim on any quotes for the next 5 years. You'll lose more than that £100 by then.

    Personally, I'd not claim for such a small amount, it's too much hassle. Find a local small computer repair place, they'll probably do it cheaper and better. Home insurance (in my view anyway) is intended as disaster protection, so get the cheapest policy that will provide you with adequate cover, and just take minor hits yourself.
  • YosemiteYosemite Posts: 6,192
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    #11
    susie-4964 wrote: »
    Personally, I'd not claim for such a small amount, it's too much hassle. Find a local small computer repair place, they'll probably do it cheaper and better. Home insurance (in my view anyway) is intended as disaster protection, so get the cheapest policy that will provide you with adequate cover, and just take minor hits yourself.

    This is the sensible option because ...
    TommyGavin76 wrote: »
    I wouldn't bother. She is saving £100 but will have to declare the claim on any quotes for the next 5 years. You'll lose more than that £100 by then.

    ... this is certainly true.
  • FritzFritz Posts: 147
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    #12
    New for old cover gives you a new machine with the same spec as the old one - otherwise they'd be replacing it with something superior to what she already had. It's been 10 years since i worked in household insurance but I'm fairly sure that won't have changed!
  • susie-4964susie-4964 Posts: 23,143
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    #13
    Fritz wrote: »
    New for old cover gives you a new machine with the same spec as the old one - otherwise they'd be replacing it with something superior to what she already had. It's been 10 years since i worked in household insurance but I'm fairly sure that won't have changed!

    When my son's computer got nicked in a burglary, the insurance company gave him a reconditioned "as new" model in exchange, as the nicked one was no longer available. He'd rather have had the money, as computers were falling in price at the time and he could have got a bargain!
  • spikydogspikydog Posts: 1,926
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    #14
    I claimed for my daughter's laptop about 18 months ago as the screen was broken. Cover was new for old but we ended up with a much better spec laptop as insurance company gave us what we had originally paid for it new which buys better now.

    The insurance company had been increasing premiums year on year and we hadn't shopped around. Insurance settled our claim, then we switched to a cheaper insurer who provided same cover for less (even declaring laptop claim!).
  • stringmanstringman Posts: 252
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    #15
    Fritz wrote: »
    New for old cover gives you a new machine with the same spec as the old one - otherwise they'd be replacing it with something superior to what she already had. It's been 10 years since i worked in household insurance but I'm fairly sure that won't have changed!

    Not sure thats true with tech kit

    I had an old plasma monitor ( not a TV) that was broken
    they would not replace it with a TV but with the compariable model by the same manufacturer (Fujitsu)
    my monitor was only VGA res but the replacement was SXGA
    I also opted for comet vouchers instead.
    so I got a huge wodge of cash vouchers for it
    Mind you the cost when new was £9K !! (not that i paid that for it)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 196
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    #16
    Read the terms and conditions of the insurance, somewhere in the small print it should say whether the replacement is offered by specification or price, and whether she is entitled to cash or vouchers etc instead of a replacement.

    Different policies will have different terms so anyone else's experience of 'my brother/auntie etc got X as a replacement' is not much use.
  • The VixenThe Vixen Posts: 9,829
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    #17
    CaptnSpaulding wrote: »
    Just wondered if anyone knew the ins and outs of Accidental Damage on home contents insurance?

    Basically my mother's laptop now has a crack in the screen - she has no idea how it happened, whether she shut the lid to quick or if one of my younger brothers did it but won't own up.

    Anyhow, as the screens to buy to replace it are over £150 she decided to try home insurance to which they said fine for a £50 excess fee and they will collect it tomorrow. If it seems worth replacing they will, if not they will give her a cheque for the value of the laptop.

    We're hoping they'll fix it, if not where do we stand with the value? The laptop cost over £500 about 15 months ago, maybe slightly longer and has a bluray player, good processor and graphics card etc. If they only go by the value of that laptop model today, she won't get the same 'spec' laptop for that quote they give her I'm sure.

    Do they go for the laptop's value today or go on what model it is and provide a similar model? She's really worried she will be left with a lower end laptop at the end of the day.

    Thanks for any help in advance. Like I said we're hoping it'll just get repaired but just want to know her worst case scenario.

    Be careful the £100 could cost you more in renewal premiums, check how many other claims she has had.

    It's a small claim make sure that it is worth it before you make it. Check out affects on renewal premiums.
  • hugsiehugsie Posts: 17,497
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    #18
    When my laptop was dropped and the screen cracked I rang the insurance to see hwat they could do, 2 days later I recieved a giftcard for £600 for a replacement. The original laptop only cost £400 and I had told them this. I never even had to send the laptop off. I was therefore able to keep all my data from the hard drive.

    I was really surprised there was no actual check of the laptop!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1
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    #19
    Hi Hugsie,

    Which inurance company were you using, please let me know as I am planning to insure my laptop but can;t find any good insurance companies for insuring my laptops.

    Regards
  • SproggSprogg Posts: 16,160
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    #20
    Generally speaking, the insurance company will "leave you in the same position as before the loss". They'll either fix the screen (cheapest and most likely option); offer you a similar laptop from one of their suppliers OR offer you the 'cash' - which will be in something like Argos vouchers but only for the same amount as the laptop supplier would have charged them - so therefore much less than what you or me could go out and buy one for.
  • TommyGavin76TommyGavin76 Posts: 17,066
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    #21
    chandu2008 wrote: »
    Hi Hugsie,

    Which inurance company were you using, please let me know as I am planning to insure my laptop but can;t find any good insurance companies for insuring my laptops.

    Regards

    Any household insurer will insure a laptop under items out of the home.
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