I'm looking at getting insurance cover for the water supply pipe and external drain cover from Homeserve. It's quite a bit cheaper than doing it as adding "emergency cover" to our existing house insurance. Anyone had any dealings with Homeserve - esp. regarding getting these things fixed if they do fail?
(Ot *2 ) I see there is an ominous clause which looks like they can start calling/sending marketing stuff (which I hate)... so much so I may not even go homeserve.
Comments elsewhere make them seem as dodgy as every other cover company. Also are you sure that "emergency cover" is actually to fix the fault, or just to stop the problem (it often is), eg if my water supply pipe breaks, their fix may be to turn off the stopcock in the road!
Steve
I had a bad experience with these people who were employed by my house insurers to repair a damaged drain. It took 6 months and having to employ a local contractor to get the job done properly.
Homeserve employ a limited number of specific teams to address different areas of work. If a team is not available, the work is further subcontracted with the associated problems that incurs. The policy seems to be to do a job just adequate enough to get the customer back on line and then get the hell out.
Rob
Rob
Don't you give companies like these bogus phone numbers (preferably their own)? There's no reason they'd ever need to call you for legitimate reasons, unless you've phoned them first - in which case you can update your details first. Postal stuff is (IMHO) OK as it doesn't cause an interruption the way answering a cold call does. Plus it keeps the posties in work.
I got myself my own 0871 number to hand out to all companies that don't have a geographic number and/or who I suspect might indulge in nuisance calls.
I usually entertain myself by keeping them talking for as long as possible...
On 22 May, 13:08, dave wrote:
From personal experience I'd would not recommend HomeServe. My central heating cover ended up with them following various administrative changes (it was originally Servowarm). The contractors they now use get the boiler started then leave quickly. When immediate further problems emerge, contractors say it's been 'signed off' and you have to start a new claim through HomeServe. Was without heating and hot water earlier this year during really cold spell as they lurched from problem to problem. Finally boiler was leaking onto mains inlet pipe. Their contractor's 'senior engineer' said it was a hairline crack in mains supply pipe. HomeServe repudiated liability since mains water supply pipe is excluded (even if it's the last couple of inches with the turns and joints going into the bottom of the actual boiler). Offered to meet their engineer or any assessor on site and show by at least three ways that the boiler was leaking onto the pipe (the first way was to put your hand over the pipe and feel the drips on the back of your hand). HomeServe refused point-blank and left me high and wet. Got engineer from yellow pages who turned up within half-an-hour, took five minutes to locate source of the leak and another five to get part number, prices and availability. I invited HomeServe to reconsider their decision and they then fixed it. Eight weeks after sending them the =A350 bill for calling out my own engineer, I'm still waiting for the money. Latest yesterday ( it took 45 minutes to get through by phone - and that was to their 'Customer Relations' division) was that they were passing it for payment, but that cheques can take up to 28 days to issue!!
Toom
Yes indeed - but ha well... this from their website:
========================= # Marketing Communication Preferences #
By selecting one or more of the options below, I am happy for HomeServe, its group companies of service providers, to use my details for the purpose of administering my policy, marketing and research purposes. I agree that HomeServe and its group companies of service providers can contact me occasionally with details of other products, services and special offers, which they feel may be of interest to me:
By Email By Post By Telephone By Text Message By Third Party Marketing
I am also happy for carefully selected third parties to contact me with details of products, services and special offers which they feel may be of interest to me using the same methods as indicated above. ============================================
Cunning eh. They need a tick top for the 4 options so you can turn them off - but the trailing last paragraph overrides the lot (no tick box - you *have* to be happy) :-)
Anyway, they also say you *have* to provide a contact phone number "for their engineers" to be able to contact me in case of whatever.
I have enough annoyance already from those damn autodiallers. No way I putting my real telno there.
Aye, true enough - but is a huge waste opf paper.
Well I'm just looking to get cover for fixing:-
1) cold water service pipe from road to house 2) external drainsAs both these would mean digging up large amounts of concrete!
So you probably don't want a company that can't tell the difference between a wet pipe and a leaking pipe.
Toom
What a wonderful idea. How easy to obtain are 0871 numbers (for free)?
In message , dave wrote
A how often do these go wrong in a domestic environment[1]? Furthermore, could they already be covered (with respect to accidental damage) in the buildings insurance?
[1]This types of insurance may only pay out if the drains/mains were in good condition at the time of taking out the insurance.
In my experience of nearly 50 years it's happened once. The wiped lead joint at the road stop c*ck failed after being in the ground the best part of 40 years. The water board repaired that for free.
Yep and may well not cover the costs involved if access is "difficult" like being under "large amounts of concrete". Or even if they do make the repair costs of reinstatement might not be covered. Read *all* the small print very, very, carefully.
Personally I carry the risk, it is minimal. Provided the installation is at regulation depth (>750mm) and you know where it runs so you don't let a heavy wagon drive over it or put a jack down on top of it.
Plastic just isn't going to fail. A joint might fail but I have a spade...
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