[Misc] Emergency Home Insurance - What's a reasonable response time?

[ATFC Seagull]

Thought I'd tap into the collective mind of NSC.

We have full home insurance complete with emergency cover. A couple of years ago we had an issue where a leaking pipe was causing flooding and causing the boiler to shut down (in January). It took them 48 hours to send someone out, luckily we had got someone to stop the leak by then - who did it as a favour, not an option now. We did complain informally and they apologised, saying that their response wasn't reasonable, we aren't compensation chasers so we left it.

Tonight we've got a broken toilet (only one in a house with 2 young kids) that is also leaking out from under the bowl. I've called out and they've said someone can come between 8am-12pm tomorrow. I would argue this isn't really what I am paying for, as that's clearly not treating it as an emergency. I could probably get a normal plumber out tomorrow afternoon (perhaps that's optimistic). I'll be setting the alarms tonight to keep checking it.

I wasn't expecting someone to turn up with sirens on and lights flashing within 30 mins, but am I being unreasonable to expect them to get someone here within a few hours? Perhaps I am, I've not really got anything to compare to.

 

[swindonseagull]

MAke sure you turn the water off at the mains and look through yellow pages for a call out plumber..

I called out an electrician a few years ago on house insurance, turned up the next day with NO diagnostic equipment....I managed to trace the fault with the aid of an electrician buddy ( it was believe it or not a laptop charger causing house power to trip off all the time.)

The following year at renewal they wanted to put up the price £100 because I called out an electrician...I kicked up a right stink so they dropped the charge.... changed insurers was not going to be ripped off.

Reasonable time for call out depends on what it says in T's and C's

 

[beorhthelm]

depends on contract but id expect 4 hours for water leak. the potential for damage and far greater claim would make it in interest of house insurance to cover that, and you'll probably find they do.

see if the pipe to toilet has isolating valve, newer should, flush to empty the cistern then stop refilling and scoop out the remaining water (if clean) will reduce leakage. can fill and flsuh when needed.

 

[Paul Reids Sock]

I would assume it is similar to what your water company would classify as an emergency.

It is all in how you describe the problem. ‘Water is trickling out the bottom and I can’t use the toilet’ means they will come tomorrow.

Call them and say it has got worse, it’s now pouring out and you can’t find the ISV. I would imagine they will then come a bit quicker to avoid a larger payment on the home repairs.

Annoyingly it is often about playing the game.

Like I say, my experience is from water companies but they are pretty much the same when it comes to attempting to avoid doing anything quickly and will say that the description lead them to believe it wasn’t an emergency

 

[Sirnormangall]

Thought I'd tap into the collective mind of NSC.

We have full home insurance complete with emergency cover. A couple of years ago we had an issue where a leaking pipe was causing flooding and causing the boiler to shut down (in January). It took them 48 hours to send someone out, luckily we had got someone to stop the leak by then - who did it as a favour, not an option now. We did complain informally and they apologised, saying that their response wasn't reasonable, we aren't compensation chasers so we left it.

Tonight we've got a broken toilet (only one in a house with 2 young kids) that is also leaking out from under the bowl. I've called out and they've said someone can come between 8am-12pm tomorrow. I would argue this isn't really what I am paying for, as that's clearly not treating it as an emergency. I could probably get a normal plumber out tomorrow afternoon (perhaps that's optimistic). I'll be setting the alarms tonight to keep checking it.

I wasn't expecting someone to turn up with sirens on and lights flashing within 30 mins, but am I being unreasonable to expect them to get someone here within a few hours? Perhaps I am, I've not really got anything to compare to.

Same thing happened to me a few weeks ago. My emergency service company, Homeserve, couldn’t get anyone out to me within 24 hours. So I got in a local firm who fixed it in 2 hours. I complained to Homeserve formally and, give them their due, they refunded entirely the costs I incurred on the local plumber. Remember that a lot of these Homeserve type contracts are now deemed to be insurance products and are regulated - so you can always refer complaints to an Ombudsman if you need to.