Strange problem re home insurance disaster!!!!

[Daisy4571]

Hi Folks

I have home/buildings insurance with John Lewis and that includes Home Emergency insurance. Called them out via the Home emergency as waste was coming up the bath via the plug hole. Someone arrives from a drainage company trying to unclog this ...........and next thing I know he has broken something connecting the pipe to the waste and water starts pouring through downstairs ceiling all over my hall. He is mortified - helps me mop up and leaves promising he will tell his company. The company calls me saying sorry that happened we will get a plumber out to fix this. Someone comes this evening and he says oh sorry this is a huge job actually - bath needs ripping out and bla bla bla then walls will need retiled. I am horrified as he says he obviously cant do this as too big a job - so need to wait TILL AFTER THE HOLIDAYS........so he has gone - I cant have a bath/shower. I call my own insurance company who said look this has got to be left to the drainage company to sort as they caused this..................then I get a call from the engineer who caused this saying oh how did u get on..........then he said look Ive told my boss this wasnt my fault as its obviously an old bath (was fitted 4 years ago)

So I dont know what to do. I called the drainage company back and they said they will call back in TWO MINUTES BUT NEVER DID. No one is callingme back - help me please - I have never had to claim on my insurance - I dont know what to do

[des8]

Re: Strange problem re home insurance disaster!!!!

Hi and Welcome
Sorry to hear about your problems.
Could you post a link please to your policy wording, so we can see exactly what insurance cover you have.

My initial reaction is that it is your insurers who are liable, the plumbers etc only being their agents.
The problem of course is the timing of this catastrophe... trying to find a tradesman over Christmas and accessing the replacement parts will be nigh on impossible.

Also you may have to wait for responses on here as it is now late evening and peeps will be busy with family matters.

[Daisy4571]

Re: Strange problem re home insurance disaster!!!!

Hi I have 'plus cover' with John Lewis Insurance.

Am hoping this link will open up. I dont have cover for accidental damage. I have Home emergency cover

https://home1.johnlewis-insurance.co...&ssbinary=true

[des8]

Re: Strange problem re home insurance disaster!!!!

Thanks for the link
Basically I'm out today and tomorrow, so may not get to look at this until Boxing Day.
Hopefully others might be better placed to advise you before then
Try not to stress too much over Christmas

[Amethyst]

Re: Strange problem re home insurance disaster!!!!

Oh what a pain for you !!

The Drainage company were agents of the Insurance Company and they have made a home emergency problem ( waste coming up through the pipes) into a major problem. The cover seems to be for "Repairs necessary to restore the service or prevent further damage to the home as a result of failure or damage to the plumbing or drainage system." but seems their tradesman has caused "further damage to the home as a result of failure or damage to the plumbing or drainage system" so fixing that damage should be down to the insurance company. The replacement of the bath ( why ?? ) and tiling would like need to be covered by the drainage companies insurance however it seems they have created a new emergency which should be covered by the exclusion " Dripping taps or any other parts of the plumbing or drainage system where water is safely escaping down a drain. " because the water is not safely escaping down a drain and also the exclusion "Repairs which are made by anyone other than the tradesperson authorised by us." as the tradesperson was authorised by them. Their policy wording is more about what they won't cover than what they will so seems to be a read between the lines job.

So if you ran your taps in the bath/shower now there is no waste system ( as the tradesman broke it) and it would simply run down the walls ? I don't think a 'repair to prevent further damage ' would be classed as telling you not to use it, which is where things seem to be ?

So I'd say it is John Lewis who are liable, but it could be treated as a new home emergency for getting it sorted and useable for now? But as Des says, getting a tradesman to fix it today is going to be an uphill fight.

Can you do any kind of temporary fix to the waste ( though you'd have to clear doing anything yourself with John Lewis first ) or has the waste pipe and flooring (ceiling? ) under the bath been destroyed so it would be dangerous to fill the bath and use it ?

Home Emergency
If you need to make a Home Emergency claim, please contact us on the relevant number stated below, depending on which policy you have:
If you have Home Insurance from John Lewis Finance - call us on 0330 102 2750
Or, if you have Specialist Home Insurance from John Lewis Finance - call us on 0330 134 8166
Our trained advisors will provide immediate advice on how to minimise the impact of the emergency. They can also organise a qualified tradesperson to visit your home.

[Daisy4571]

Re: Strange problem re home insurance disaster!!!!

Thank you both for helping. All that has been done is a pipe has been removed now to stop water travelling along to nowhere and spilling back down the floor into my ceiling - but that means we cant use the bath/shower as water would then just run out the plug hole which now has nothing to connected to it. I am so miserable as I am a foster parent and had to have a child that was in my care yesterday taken away - more disruption to her life. So no one has contacted me since this man came and blocked off a pipe under the bath. I dont know who I should call - so reading your reply I am now going to call John Lewis and see what they say. I can accept - as have no choice - that I wont be able to get washed in my house and can go to my mums along with my son. There is a local plumber to me who said he would happily come and get all this sorted for me but I have never made a claim before so dont know how it all works. I feel I am out of my comfort zone and sinking so bad

[Amethyst]

Re: Strange problem re home insurance disaster!!!!

If you can speak with John Lewis and tell them your plumber can get things working for you if it won’t cause more problems with the insurance .... that seems like a good plan. Take photos of everything now so their isn’t any dispute about what problems were caused by their tradesman later on - I know it’s frustrating and tough particularly at this time of year but do try not to let it overtake everything else, you sound like you have other worries so just try and concentrate on making Christmas great for your son - think my son would be delighted if he didn’t have to bath for a couple days ... so make the best of things regardless of John Lewis and look after yourself and your son and like you say you can get washed at your mums and I’m sure she’d be happy to see you over Christmas anyway xxx

[des8]

Re: Strange problem re home insurance disaster!!!!

Hope things are working out for you.
Don't think there is anything constructive to add to Amethyst's comments, so will await your further news.

Just confirm to the insurers in writing (email will do) any conversations you have with them, noting date, time and person.

[Daisy4571]

Re: Strange problem re home insurance disaster!!!!

Well I have an update. The engineer who caused the damage for some reason went back on everything and told his manager it was caused by an already faulty part? But thankfully he had sent me a text message earlier the day it happened saying that his call centre have been notified of what had happened and he had told them it had to get fixed asap! So this is the state of play now - this company have now agreed to pay for all repairs. My insurance company phoned me to say that I have to get the bath fixed and the retiling done (as tiles will get broken ripping out bath) also to get the ceiling replastered in the hall. I asked if I was to send in estimates first but she said no I have to go ahead and get the work done and send in invoices. She said this call was being recorded as all calls were and not to worry things would change.

So today I had a tiler out who said to me there is no way to find the tiles that are on the wall - and that unless I am wanting a row of different tiles then I am going to have to get all new tiles. He said this is normal in cases like this - its not normal to me and I am very nervous to call up the insurance and ask if this is okay - will this other insurance company be happy to pay all this? Is this normal!

[des8]

Re: Strange problem re home insurance disaster!!!!

Good to see they are on top of it, and things are being done as they should be.

Regarding your phone call: they may have a recording of it, but I doubt you do , so write confirming the conversation and your understanding of the situation.
Tell them that your tiler has told you the whole bathroom will need completely retiling as your existing tiles cannot be matched, and you are instructing him to do so with tiles of the
same quality as existing.
Confirm they are meeting all costs.
Request their advices within 24 hours if you have misunderstood the instructions.

That way you put the ball firmly back in their court, so there can be no misunderstanding

[seduraed]

Re: Strange problem re home insurance disaster!!!!

Email everything to them asking for confirmation. Also record the conversation . Let them know you are recording. Make sure that you have understood . So day to the insurer " Am I right in saying you are authorising me to get the bathroom repaired and the tiling done without getting quotes? " I suspect what will haplenty is your insurer will talk to the insurer of the original plumber and the bill will fall on them.

[Amethyst]

Re: Strange problem re home insurance disaster!!!!

Well I have an update. The engineer who caused the damage for some reason went back on everything and told his manager it was caused by an already faulty part? But thankfully he had sent me a text message earlier the day it happened saying that his call centre have been notified of what had happened and he had told them it had to get fixed asap! So this is the state of play now - this company have now agreed to pay for all repairs. My insurance company phoned me to say that I have to get the bath fixed and the retiling done (as tiles will get broken ripping out bath) also to get the ceiling replastered in the hall. I asked if I was to send in estimates first but she said no I have to go ahead and get the work done and send in invoices. She said this call was being recorded as all calls were and not to worry things would change.

So today I had a tiler out who said to me there is no way to find the tiles that are on the wall - and that unless I am wanting a row of different tiles then I am going to have to get all new tiles. He said this is normal in cases like this - its not normal to me and I am very nervous to call up the insurance and ask if this is okay - will this other insurance company be happy to pay all this? Is this normal!

Ahh that is better news. I hope you managed okay through Christmas and had a lovely time without this being too much of a stress xxxx ( and I agree with the other advice to get things confirmed in writing as you go along )

[Daisy4571]

You do know this post is almost 3 years old

[Daisy4571]

Guys this post is ALMOST THREE YEARS OLD! Insurance companies in my case were great! I got a complete new bathroom and it wasn’t classed as a claim on my part - the contractors own insurance paid for it all