As you know, my house was burgled in April and electrical goods and my jewellery box stolen. Of course I rang the police and my insurance company to let them know. The police were very efficient, but no leads were found. My insurance company, Aviva, were very good with the electrical items, settling up quickly and taking note of my needs and requests. When it came to the jewellery it was a different story … and here my saga begins.
Aviva deal with claims though a company called iVal. They were very efficient to begin with, ringing me up and getting me to list and then describe all thestolen items, not easy when they want dimensions and details for every item. They even sent a nice man round to value some of the more unusual pieces. Still, it was done, I tried my best, even finding photos of a couple of things. One piece in particular was an Edwardian pendant left to me by an Aunt. Here it is.
The jewellery was duly valued and iVal let me know the valuation figure they had worked out. No problem there either. However, they then began to insist that they "replace" my jewellery by giving me a card for Goldsmiths, a High Street jeweller. I pointed out that all my jewellery was pre 1930s, much of it older than that and as such it couldn't be replaced at a store like Goldsmiths who don't even deal in second hand jewellery. As a minor concession, after a quite heated discussion, the rep agreed that they could let me have £1000 in cash and the rest on the card. She also threatened me that if I didn't agree to their terms, they settlement figure would be substantially reduced. I was already upset following the burglary and so just agreed. Once I'd got over the phone call, I realised that I'd allowed them to browbeat me into accepting something I didn't want and rang them back to say that I would visit Goldsmiths as a gesture of trying to fit in with their requirements, but I was far from happy and if what they were able to offer me was unsuitable, I would expect them to provide some different options.
Now comes the amazing part of my story. In August, whilst in Birmingham with my daughter Ruth, I decided to have a ring valued … there were a few things that didn't get stolen … and we happened to pass Fellows Auction House and decided, on spec, to call in with the ring. They gave us the valuation and the Catalogue of July's jewellery auction to look through to give us an idea of what they sold. Imagine my amazement when, turning over a page, I saw a pendant identical to mine. It was such a shock. When I compared it to the photo, it was identical in every feature. I emailed Fellows and asked them what the likelihood was of there being an identical pendant of this era, explaining that I'd had a pendant identical stolen. How amazing that we just happened to walk past Fellows, that they gave us that particular catalogue ….. coincidence? God does work in mysterious way sometimes.
They put me in touch with one of their associates, a man called Geoff. He told me that in all likelihood the pendant was mine and that I should contact my insurers and the police. He also said that, although the pendant had been bought, the retailer who'd bought it hadn't sold it and it would be held pending enquiries. He asked me how I was getting on with the claim and when I told him about iVal and their attitude towards me he told me a few very useful facts I was unaware of:
- If insurers are unable to replace items stolen on a like for like basis you may be entitled to request the full monetary value
- The insurer is unlikely to get away with applying the preferred supplier discounts available to them on new goods if your items were second hand or antique
- They are bound by the Treating Customers Fairly Code of Practice
- You may request to deal direct with the insurer if you feel you are getting nowhere with their representatives instructed under delegated authority
Armed with this information, I went back to Aviva who informed me that iVal had told them the insurance claim was settled! I was shocked and told them the full story, emphasising that I felt I hadn't been treated fairly and saying that I no longer wished to have any dealings with iVal. Initially, they tried to make me continue dealing with iVal who offered me a discounted cash settlement, like 2/3 of the initial valuation. they also told me that Goldsmiths had made jewellery for me …. I had asked them to give me quotations and sample opals which they had failed to do ….
At this point, I wrote a stiff letter to Aviva pointing out the rights listed above and threatening to make an official complaint to the insurance ombudsman. Aviva couldn't have been more apologetic! But even so they still tried to give me the discounted cash settlement …. However, bolstered by my new knowledge, I emailed them, reminding them of their legal obligations regarding second hand jewellery. I received a prompt reply apologising for the misunderstanding and offering me the full amount. They also gave me £100 in compensation for all the hassle.
So … take note … if you are ever in the unfortunate position of being burgled and having to make an insurance claim, find out your rights and stick to your guns. These companies take full advantage of your emotional fragility and your lack of knowledge.
What a difference that visit to Fellows made. Thank you to Fellows and to Geoff who offered me some helpful guidance and supported me through the dealings with iVal and Aviva. The police enquiries are ongoing, but it's quite exciting too that I might finally be able to buy back my pendant too.
Recent Comments