I am a Customer Relations Manager for Norwich Union

[Guest Aviva Support]

Hi beccus

 

I'm not a NU customer, but I wonder if you could give me some advice anyway. My house was flooded on 14 June, which I think was the first day of the recent horrific floods.

 

On Friday, the contractors (finally) came in to start stripping out the ground floor. Apart from doing an awful job, not finishing, and leaving live electric wires with (our) parcel tape on because they forgot to bring insulating tape, they have taken out a perfectly good and undamaged, fairly new double oven which was well above the level of our flood. I emailed Crawfords about it, who are our loss adjuster, who told us to raise any issues with the contractor.

 

My husband finally got a return call from the contractor this morning who says we told him we wanted a complete new kitchen. We did discuss replacing wall cupboards, which will partly be at our own expense as the originals cannot be matched, but at no time did we tell him to rip out items that have not been written off by our insurers. As far as we're concerned, we've given no instructions at all, but then neither have we seen the loss adjusters report from the visit a couple of days after the flood, or the instructions that the contractor has been given.

 

Should we expect to see such reports and instructions, and where do we stand about the cooker? It's our word against the contractor. This man has employed cowboys looking at the mess they've made of our house, and he's also been contracted to do the repair work, but we have no confidence in him.

 

If it is outside your remit to help non NU customers I understand completely, although I understand that you use Crawfords yourselves, so if there are things that are not as they should be it might help you to know. I do understand that everyone is very busy at the moment due to the freak floods, but patience is wearing a little thin.

 

Hi Caro

Firstly I'm so sorry you've had such a rotten time, my heart truly goes out to people who have suffered with the floods.

 

As you've already stated its difficult for me to give advice on any other companies, my only suggestion is if you have no joy with the loss adjusters/contractors directly (although keep on at them as they should tell you things) go to your insurance company and ask them to intervene.

 

I also double checked for you, but Loss Adjusters do not give their reports to customers, they are purely between themselves and the insurance company.

 

I'm sorry i can't say more, I hope you get this sorted out, good luck with the clean up.

 

Becca

[caro]

Thanks anyway Becca. I appreciate the advice. At least we have got insurance and another roof over our heads so we're better off than many people.

[Guest Aviva Support]

Awww. Glad your ok.

Becca

 

Ps I lurve your avatar!!

[zenith71]

Hello

 

Please can you explain why NU are trying to charge a me £50 cancellation charge when I paid monthly for car insurance and now they are threatening me with court action?

 

How can they justify £50?

[Guest Aviva Support]

I will look into this on Monday when back in the office.. if in the meantime you want to email me your policy number? rebecca.sibley@norwich-union.co.uk

 

Becca

[Guest Aviva Support]

Hello

I just wanted to pop this in here as a bit of advance warning!

 

I'm moving house in the next fortnight and have a week off work from the 13th Aug... as I am moving my internet access that week will be limited at best (my boyfriend says we probably won't set our new broadband up for a month or so ) so I may take a little longer to answer queries etc.

 

So just to let you know I haven't abandoned the board at all (I like it here) and will be back with avengance the week of the 20th Aug.

 

Please keep your questions and comments coming - I'll do my best ot answer them as quickly as I can!!

 

Becca

 

PS - I hate boxes!!

[feater]

Good luck with the move, seems like we are all packing for one reason or another!

[tandom]

Thank you Tandom

This is something I will need to look into on your behalf, but in the meantime its nice to be able to pass on your positive comments about our customer service.

 

Take Care

Becca

 

Hi Becca,

 

Are you now able to provide a response to my query?

 

Regards.

[Guest Aviva Support]

Hi Becca,

 

Are you now able to provide a response to my query?

 

Regards.

 

hi Tandom

I'm sorry i've not got back to you sooner, You had me stumped for a while!

 

Could you please email me your policy number and we should be able to get this confirmed - rebecca.sibley@norwich-union.co.uk

 

Thanks

Becca

[tandom]

hi Tandom

I'm sorry i've not got back to you sooner, You had me stumped for a while!

 

Could you please email me your policy number and we should be able to get this confirmed - rebecca.sibley@norwich-union.co.uk

 

Thanks

Becca

I have not yet made any claim and I am concerned that you are requesting my policy number and seeking to identify me when postings on this site are supposed to be on an anonymous basis.

 

Your company, which purports to be hot on customer service, contracts with customers to provide a service, namely legal expenses insurance, which is not supplied by yourselves and which you have no control over. There is some evidence that the company actually providing the service has been involved in dubious business practices. You appear to be unable to address legitimate concerns over Norwich Union's association with this company on this site.

 

I am of the impression that your joining this site nothing more that a PR exercise intending to assure the public of your company's commitment to customer service and I would be interested to know how many customers complaints have actually been resolved by your intervention.

[Guest Aviva Support]

I have not yet made any claim and I am concerned that you are requesting my policy number and seeking to identify me when postings on this site are supposed to be on an anonymous basis.

 

Your company, which purports to be hot on customer service, contracts with customers to provide a service, namely legal expenses insurance, which is not supplied by yourselves and which you have no control over. There is some evidence that the company actually providing the service has been involved in dubious business practices. You appear to be unable to address legitimate concerns over Norwich Union's association with this company on this site.

 

I am of the impression that your joining this site nothing more that a PR exercise intending to assure the public of your company's commitment to customer service and I would be interested to know how many customers complaints have actually been resolved by your intervention.

 

Hi

We use more than one company for the legal expenses insurance and need your policy number to identify which one would be assigned should you wish to make a claim. However I can understand your misgivings, please rest assured I am not trying to identify you any further than this and if you do not wish to send me your number that is totally fine.

 

I will certainly look deeper into what I can find out about DAS legal services in general, when I am back in the office tomorrow.

 

I am on this site (and others) as a member of my companies customer experience team in a bid to extend customer service onto the internet, I have spoken too many people and taken their complaints/comments on board and where possible I have tried to help solve them. There are examples on this board of people that I have been able to assist.

 

Becca

[tandom]

I am grateful for your assistance.

[Rooster-UK]

Hi Tandom.

 

I've been reading this thread, with interest.

I note that you are a bit wary. I can understand that.

Be assured that Norwich Union is here as a guest of CAG to try to provide another service facility for the users.

 

Although it is all above board, obviously you shouldn't post your details in the open forum. That is why Becca has given you an email address to send it to. Notice that it is a Norwich Union email address. That can only be a bona fide N/Union employee.

If you send the details that Becca asks for, to that email address, then nobody on the forum will see it.

 

Regards, Rooster.

[Guest Aviva Support]

Hi Tandom

I have spoken to our legal advice line (0800 051 1701) and they have confirmed that DAS are the underwriters to our legal expenses insurance and would negotiate on behalf of our clients until proceedings went ahead in which case you would be able to appoint your own solicitor.

 

If you need further clarification (this is really not my area) please give the team a call on 0800 051 1701.

 

Becca

[xrchris]

Hello

 

Please can you explain why NU are trying to charge a me £50 cancellation charge when I paid monthly for car insurance and now they are threatening me with court action?

 

How can they justify £50?

 

It is rather high, i am guessing this is an NU Direct policy as NU only charge £10.50 for cancellation when it is dealt with via a broker.

[andyford2000]

Hi Becca,

 

just been pointed in your direction and was wondering if you could give me your thoughts on this.

 

Hi

 

I have mortgage with Stroud and Swindon and I believe Amicus Legal Ltd handled the legal expenses side of things.

 

I lost my job 2 years ago, might add it was unfair dismissal. I selected a solicitor to handle my case based close to home. anyway the case took a while to get to court. on reviewing my household insurance it turned out that I have legal expense cover, which covered me for this kind of thing.

 

i had a couple of weeks to go before my court date, so I contacted them to see if they would be prepared to cover my legal costs. I was told that I would infact have to sack my solicitor who was acting for me and use one of the solicitors on their panel. I explained that I wouldnt be able to do that as the closeness of the court date. they asked me how much it was probably going to cost for my solicitor. I informaed them that it was going to cost in the region of about £10,000.00. They said that if i was to use one of there solicitors they would cover the cost and it shouldnt be more than £2000.00 in any case. I wasnt sure how they could say that as they didnt know the complexity of the case. Anyway to cut a long story short as they say. I carried on using my legal team and was sent a cheque for £2000.00 towards the costs, meaning I had to pay the other £8,000.00.

 

what I suppose I really need to know is, are these people total cowboys and should they infact of coved the whole cost.

 

If this is so, do I have some kind of case to recover the rest of my money, if so, how do I go about it.

 

Helllllllllpppppppp please

[Guest Aviva Support]

Hi

From what i understand of legal expenses insurance (although this is only from what I was told in relation to our own cover) then you should be given the right to use your own solicitor when it comes to proceedings but the insurers will do their best (with their solicitors) to stop it going to court.

 

As I say, this is how i understand it to work, but without being able to look into the case I couldn't say more, i hope this helps.

Becca

[tandom]

Hi Tandom.

 

I've been reading this thread, with interest.

I note that you are a bit wary. I can understand that.

Be assured that Norwich Union is here as a guest of CAG to try to provide another service facility for the users.

 

Although it is all above board, obviously you shouldn't post your details in the open forum. That is why Becca has given you an email address to send it to. Notice that it is a Norwich Union email address. That can only be a bona fide N/Union employee.

If you send the details that Becca asks for, to that email address, then nobody on the forum will see it.

 

Regards, Rooster.

I repeat that as I do not have a claim, I see no reason to provide my policy details.

 

My question which has only been partly answered was whether a company like Norwich Union, hot on customer service, had any concerns about putting their policy holders into the hands of a company with dubious business practices over which they had no control and whether I could appoint my own solicitor if I wished to make a claim.

 

Norwich Union first advised that they dealt with many legal expenses insurance companies before confirming that DAS were indeed the underwriters for their policies (therefore this is out of their control). They also advised that if I issued proceedings I could appoint my own solicitor and DAS would pay. They have not advised whether they had any concerns about putting their policy holders into the hands of companies with dubious business practices.

[Guest Aviva Support]

Apologies tandom, i did not notice that part of your question. Obviously dubious business practices is something we do not take lighlty, I will need to get these claims investigated higher up.

 

Becca

[Guest Aviva Support]

Just a brief reminder that as of 5 pm today I shall be out of the office and off of the internet *gibber*.

Please keep your questions coming though...

 

Becca

[Darce]

I have not yet made any claim and I am concerned that you are requesting my policy number and seeking to identify me when postings on this site are supposed to be on an anonymous basis.

 

Your company, which purports to be hot on customer service, contracts with customers to provide a service, namely legal expenses insurance, which is not supplied by yourselves and which you have no control over. There is some evidence that the company actually providing the service has been involved in dubious business practices. You appear to be unable to address legitimate concerns over Norwich Union's association with this company on this site.

 

I am of the impression that your joining this site nothing more that a PR exercise intending to assure the public of your company's commitment to customer service and I would be interested to know how many customers complaints have actually been resolved by your intervention.

 

I am not convinced that Norwich Union are adverse to doing business with companies of dubious business practice. There are no ethics where money is concerned. DAS was probably the cheapest quote. Incidentally, only approximately £2 of the £16 cost of legal expenses insurance goes to the legal expenses insurer the rest goes to the household insurer.

 

I was informed of the dubious business practices of Hill House Hammond which was owned by Norwich Union and had dealings will DAS. They were a broker for other insurance companies policies as well as their own policy Haven Insurance. They would advise policy holders of a cheaper insurance companies policy at the end of the year's cover but if documentation was delayed and an accident happened between covers they would transfer the policy holder to Haven at the same cheap price. There is a concept that premiums should be based on risk but this was not the case with Haven which resulted in higher than normal amount of claims which had been intentionally put there therefore higher premiums had to be paid by the policy holder. Hill House Hammond was of the opinion that it did not matter whether it was the share holders or the policy holders who paid for these claims therefore it always fell to the policy holders. Norwich Union was made aware of this practice but did not act.

 

It may now be the time for the government to step in and regulate insurance companies who appear to be unable to regulate themselves. The FOS is nothing more than a dog without teeth.

[Brumie]

Hi

My name is Becca Sibley and I am a Customer Relations Manager for Norwich Union, I have joined this site in the hope of being able to extend our Customer Service onto the internet

 

Hi Becca,

Can you advise on the best course of action to take regarding the following problem:-

 

We have a static caravan that has been affected by the recent flooding.

 

The assessor has contacted us to advise that is has been written off and requires replacing, the caravan is covered by the VANGUARD new for old policy protected by Index linking (or so we were led to believe!)

 

The van is a fairly high spec Willerby that is no longer in production, having taken professional advise and inspecting various vans ourselves and consulting the glass's guide the equivalent replacement is the Willerby Aspen MK5.

 

The Insurers are informing us that the maximum payout is the Index linked sum insured, This sum is £10k short of the quotations we have obtained to replace the van with like for like new for old on the same pitch at the same site.

 

I do understand the clause about sum insured, but as the policy is "protected" by Index linking I would assume that the sum insured,(calculated by the insurers) is the actual cost of replacing the caravan, due to the fact they have to work out all the cost involved and set the premium accordingly, otherwise the premium for replacing our caravan on a new for old basis is merely a guess, and I should have done all the assessing myself and have it underwritten myself and not pay the insurers for the service they purported to provide.

 

Are we as consumers expected to obtain quotations to carry out all repairs in every eventuality every time we take out an insurance policy?? Or do we use the services of a reputable insurance provider!

 

There are a number of other insurers on the site and they have covered all the costs involved replacing Identical vans. We have found out that our premium £450 is way above the premium paid to the other insurance that have settled the claims new for old like for like.

 

So having paid over the odds for over a decade we are left with a shortfall of £10k, hope you can advise.

 

Brumie.

 

(Counting the bricks on my house as we speak, just in case.........)

[smarts]

I am a Norwich Union policy holder and I am impressed with the company's commitment to customer service in that you have joined this site. However, I note that the legal expenses insurance on your policies is provided by DAS Legal Expenses and after considering other threads on the insurance site, I do find it somewhat surprising that a company so hot on customer service would place their policy holders in the hands of a company where apparent concern exists in respect of their dubious business practices. My policy/contract is with Norwich Union and not DAS and I would be extremely grateful for your confirmation that if in future I have cause to make claim on the legal expenses part of the policy, you would be prepared to arrange for a different company to deal with this on my behalf, or alternatively,my own solicitor.

 

I have never posted before but am now unable to resist

 

The Consumer Action Group has done amazing things. It has placed power back in the hands of ordinary people and forced big companies like Norwich Union the largest insurance company in the United Kingdom to listen to the voice of ordinary people, no mean feat. The placing of an customer service advisor on this site is a calculated PR exercise designed to convince the ordinary people that Norwich Union is committed to customer satisfaction.

 

Norwich Union provides most of the business for the legal expenses insurance companies and for that they have high expectations. If the legal expenses insurers accepts a claim from a policy holder of another insurance company and the third party is insured with Norwich Union they advise the legal expenses insurer that they will withdraw their business if the handler proceeds against the Norwich Union policy holder. If the handler continues, asserting their loyalty to their client, Norwich Union will use the business relationship to make unsubstantiated allegations to managers about the conduct of the handler. The legal expenses insurer cannot risk the loss of the Norwich Union business and will then seek to convince the client that their claim will not succeed or else they will pay the claim themselves to prevent any complaint to the FOS.

 

The reason for Norwich Union doing business with companies of dubious business practices? Tandom must now make his/her own assumptions on the reasons behind the relationship.

[Guest Aviva Support]

Hi Becca,

Can you advise on the best course of action to take regarding the following problem:-

 

We have a static caravan that has been affected by the recent flooding.

 

The assessor has contacted us to advise that is has been written off and requires replacing, the caravan is covered by the VANGUARD new for old policy protected by Index linking (or so we were led to believe!)

 

The van is a fairly high spec Willerby that is no longer in production, having taken professional advise and inspecting various vans ourselves and consulting the glass's guide the equivalent replacement is the Willerby Aspen MK5.

 

The Insurers are informing us that the maximum payout is the Index linked sum insured, This sum is £10k short of the quotations we have obtained to replace the van with like for like new for old on the same pitch at the same site.

 

I do understand the clause about sum insured, but as the policy is "protected" by Index linking I would assume that the sum insured,(calculated by the insurers) is the actual cost of replacing the caravan, due to the fact they have to work out all the cost involved and set the premium accordingly, otherwise the premium for replacing our caravan on a new for old basis is merely a guess, and I should have done all the assessing myself and have it underwritten myself and not pay the insurers for the service they purported to provide.

 

Are we as consumers expected to obtain quotations to carry out all repairs in every eventuality every time we take out an insurance policy?? Or do we use the services of a reputable insurance provider!

 

There are a number of other insurers on the site and they have covered all the costs involved replacing Identical vans. We have found out that our premium £450 is way above the premium paid to the other insurance that have settled the claims new for old like for like.

 

So having paid over the odds for over a decade we are left with a shortfall of £10k, hope you can advise.

 

Brumie.

 

(Counting the bricks on my house as we speak, just in case.........)

 

Hi

Thanks for your comment, apologies I haven't got back to you sooner but I will get this looked into for you this week.

 

Are you happy to send me some more details to my email address: rebecca.sibley@norwich-union.co.uk and I will be able to look specifically at your policy and the claim with my colleagues in claims.

 

Thanks

Becca

[Brumie]

Hi

Thanks for your comment, apologies I haven't got back to you sooner but I will get this looked into for you this week.

Are you happy to send me some more details to my email address: rebecca.sibley@norwich-union.co.uk and I will be able to look specifically at your policy and the claim with my colleagues in claims.

Thanks

Becca

Hi Becca,

Thanks for your response, I am more than happy to supply you with any info you require, the only additional information as far as I can see, would be the policy number & address along with the names of the broker & assessor along with a copy of his letter to us, Please advise as to any further info you require.

As they say timing is everything..... I am off to Greece for a fortnight as of this evening, so I'll forward the details upon my return, in the meantime could you post a reply with the current info, and I’ll read it from Greece.

Best regards,

Brumie.