Is it just me!!!!

ADI34722

Hi everyone.

Is it just me or are the guys in DSG Ireland and Coverplan ripping everyone off?

Just to fill you in a bought a laptop 2 years ago and got the 3 year accidental damage cover on it. €900 and another €150 for the insurance. Anyway before xmas i had an accident. I fell down the stairs with the laptop in hand. Was very sore and being 16 stone I fairly damaged the screen and broke some plastic around the keyboard. Stupid i know but it does happen.

I called there ironiclly named "Helpline" as there not helpful in the slightest. Explained what had happened and they sent a van to pick it up. 2 weeks went by but it was xmas so thats fine and i got the laptop back. Its still in the state i sent it with a letter that there is "unexplained" damage.... Yea i dont know either.

If i wanted to i could write to this Mr Perryment fella and ask for an investigation. So i did. About a month later i got a phone call from a guy in HM Investagitions. Very nice chap and i explained what had happened. He said that he couldnt decide over the phone if to reject or confirm and would pass it back to DSG. Fair enough as he didnt see the laptop and couldnt decide.

Once again about 3 weeks later i get a letter from DSG saying that HM have rejected my claim and are sorry about it but they consider the matter closed.

Now im not an angry man but this got me boiling. I contacted the financial ombudsman to make a complaint. The fact that HM told me on the phone that they cant make a decision and DSG said they rejected it didnt sit well. So i phoned HM to find out why there didnt tell me on the phone.

Low and behold the DID NOT reject it. In fact he read the report to me over the phone and it says they cant make a decision at all.

Under the Freedom of Infomation act i can request all relevent infomation regarding my claim from DSG Ireland for a fee. Think its about €5 which i dont mind paying. I was inform by there staff that they "Dont do that here".

This is as far as i have gone so far. Complaint is in and waiting on a reply from the Ombudsman. Can anyone think of any other avenues i can explore?

Dave

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

If it's with the Ombudsman you should not take any other course of action until they come back to you.

ADI34722

Cool so. Has anyone else had a similar experiance with them?

RangeR

What do the terms and conditions of the insurance contract state? Does it cover accidental damage as well as theft or breakdown?

And more specifically, does it state what it DOESN'T cover?

funkyjebus

if they have written insurance in ireland then they must be regulated by the financial regulator and all complaints should go to them. Ask for in writing an explanation why the damage is not covered and the relevant policy wording to back up their refusal.

jor el

ADI34722 wrote: »

He said that he couldnt decide over the phone if to reject or confirm and would pass it back to DSG. Fair enough as he didnt see the laptop and couldnt decide.

This really has nothing to do with DSG though, and they shouldn't be involved. You bought an insurance policy, and you should be dealing with the insurance company. DSG have no input in this, apart from acting as a broker in selling the insurance policy.

If HM haven't made a decision, then they need to make one. They may be relying on DSG to give an assessment on the damage, but it should not be DSG's decision to pay out or not.

All insurance companies will have a get-out clause, for deliberate or non-accidental damage. Now, if they're going to claim that you caused the damage deliberately, and that you lied on the insurance claim form, then they had better be prepared to back that up. This is where your argument with them should be. You've made a claim for accidental damage, and you need them to tell you why they believe it wasn't accidental, if that's why they're rejecting the claim.

funkyjebus

jor el wrote: »

If HM haven't made a decision, then they need to make one. They may be relying on DSG to give an assessment on the damage, but it should not be DSG's decision to pay out or not.

Unless they have delegated claims handling authority.

But agree otherwise, they need to give full details of their decision to refute the claim. Then you can pick that apart, but do advise them your are writing to the FR and they may well pack in and pay. I've seen this many times.

ADI34722

The letter stated that the refusal is due to "Accidental Damage caused by neglect". When sold to me in PC World the sales staff said if anything happens to it like if i dropped it or my dog destoryed it or something. Im not blaming the sales person but if you think about it just about any damage cause "Accidentally" could be considered Neglect. I cant think of any suitation that couldnt be considered Neglect.

funkyjebus

Ask for the policy definition of accidental. Also ask for there definition of neglect. They are chancing their arm with this.

ADI34722

funkyjebus wrote: »

Ask for the policy definition of accidental. Also ask for there definition of neglect. They are chancing their arm with this.

Thats what i figured. I take it you havent called there "Helpline" before. Its easier said than done. If i hear "Im sorry we dont do that here" one more time, i will lose my head.

funkyjebus

You are entitled to a copy of your policy wording under law. Any failure to do so their part will result in legal ramificartions from the FR.

there is only one port of call for this and that is the financial regulator. Call the company, advise them of your intent to take this further , if no go then proceed with the FR, who will be on your side given your stated facts. keep long detailed file notes of all conversations and get names and ask for a s much in writing as you can, if they say they can't issue wording, ask for that in writing. Also ask to speak to a supervisor. If they refuse anything, just say sorry what did you say your name was ?

Thats the only thing that I would do and I'm an insurance broker.

ADI34722

funkyjebus wrote: »

You are entitled to a copy of your policy wording under law. Any failure to do so their part will result in legal ramificartions from the FR.

there is only one port of call for this and that is the financial regulator. Call the company, advise them of your intent to take this further , if no go then proceed with the FR, who will be on your side given your stated facts. keep long detailed file notes of all conversations and get names and ask for a s much in writing as you can, if they say they can't issue wording, ask for that in writing. Also ask to speak to a supervisor. If they refuse anything, just say sorry what did you say your name was ?

Thats the only thing that I would do and I'm an insurance broker.

Thanks Funky. Should give me something to do on my day off monday.

Chonker

ADI34722 wrote: »

. Think its about €5 which i dont mind paying. I was inform by there staff that they "Dont do that here".

Dave

Can you clarify, You pay €5 and then the staff have to hand over all your files? Who gets the €5? Doesn't sound like something anybody can do in a store.

Go in to a store and politely ask a manager to forward your case to customer services for you. Thats the very least he or she could do for you.

Best of luck with it.

RangeR

Monkeylicious wrote: »

Can you clarify, You pay €5 and then the staff have to hand over all your files? Who gets the €5? Doesn't sound like something anybody can do in a store.

Go in to a store and politely ask a manager to forward your case to customer services for you. Thats the very least he or she could do for you.

Best of luck with it.

The data protection act has a provision that you can ask any company for the details they have on you. Said company may charge an admin fee for collecting this information. This would be the €5. I'm not sure what the maximum charge is.

I believe the Freedom of Information act is for info [not specifically about you] from public bodies / government agencies

ADI34722

Monkeylicious wrote: »

Can you clarify, You pay €5 and then the staff have to hand over all your files? Who gets the €5? Doesn't sound like something anybody can do in a store.

Go in to a store and politely ask a manager to forward your case to customer services for you. Thats the very least he or she could do for you.

Best of luck with it.

The €5 euro is kept by the company but it is so everyone doesnt ask. At least thats the answer i got.

driverite

Happened twice with my dad, First time the laptop gave up the ghost claimed on his insurance but they told him he didnt have any....he let it go then after a month or so after rang the company in England and low and behold they gave him is policy number( he had misplaced the recepit). So he arrived back in and they had to replace it.

Just recently the new laptop gave up aswell and went to claim on the insurance....(it was an old model). And they said they dont make that model anymore and offered him 100 off a new one. The insurance he bought was €250 four years ago. promising a replacement laptop if anything happened.

He said no he would go to a solicitor.they gave him a brand new laptop....these guys are cowboys. Just trying it on with people