Forum Topic

Well worth paying for insurance

I would like to say we have just renewed our annual cover for our washing machine. It is well worth getting cover because in the past year we have had to call out an engineer 3 times and it included labour and material whereas if we had to call in a plumber, that would have set us back by over £300.Our boiler is covered by British Gas and they are excellent.We have cover for drains, pipes, leakages, taps etc. The toilet was blocked so gave them a ring and they were here within the hour. Tap was leaking and they came and changed the washer.It is worth spending just a bit to be covered because in an emergency, you can get ripped of big time and waste time going through the yellow pages.Also make sure you have home insurance, both buildings and contents. The number of people I know who have no insurance yet have the money to spend at the pub amazes me.

Rhys Smith ● 4423d9 Comments

Retailers always try to pull a fast one on this. Amazon used to say that their Kindles were guaranteed only for a year and if it packed up after that, all they would offer was a discount on a new one. When enough people complained and the Times took the case up, they back-pedalled fast. You might still have to be assertive to get a free replacement out of them though.

Susan Kelly ● 4421d

Take a copy into the shop with you...I did this at MAKRO. I had to take the matter up with the manufacturer of a tv(Goodman's)directly as Makro the rule only applied to high street retailers. The TV went belly up after 13 mths but I received a new one a few weeks after sending the old one off(collected by courier free of charge). European law also backs this up.

Keith Iddon ● 4421d

Really?I hope you are right, but I could see attempts to convince a supplier of that descending to fisticuffs!

Tony Colliver ● 4422d

Point taken Christine - I tend to read things too fast and miss the exact content of a message - thanks for alerting me.

Gerry Tan ● 4423d

Have a look at the Sale of Goods Act. Goods are guaranteed for 5 years, not one.

Keith Iddon ● 4423d

Nigel said "excess" not premium, Gerry.  They are different things.  Insurance companies often have a higher excess to reduce the premium we pay.

Christine Daniels ● 4423d

Insurance is a rip-off. All insurance companies have big, flashy offices in town centres; then there's salaries, overheads and dividends to the shareholders. I doubt they pay back half of what they take in.If you can afford to insure yourself, then do it.

Susan Kelly ● 4423d

£20k is a costly premium for cover, but with events like sudden and unexpected sink holes appearing in one's garden I suppose its inevitable. Its a worrying time we live in.

Gerry Tan ● 4423d

Sadly though there are those whose budget is so tight that they simply cannot afford insurance.This is compounded for those who have been flooded where the premiums have risen to a point that they are prepared to gamble against insurance which has an excess for some of £20,000 for flood damage.

Nigel Brooks ● 4423d