Recently BBC’s Money Box highlighted an area where claims advice by an insurance company call centre could prove to be costly by giving erroneous advice to their customer.
The case in question arose when the customer in question that bought the insurance policy rang the call centre to notify of them of a potential claim. The staff member (at the call centre) duly advised their client that his claim would be met in full.
A few days later the claimant rang the Insurer Claims Department to take the claim further but was then subsequently told that his claim would not be covered under the policy terms despite what he had previously been told.
Although the insurance company tried to wriggle out of it by saying the call centre staff member “did confirm no claim can be guaranteed over the phone” the point remains that confusion can arise where such a simple mistake can, in the end, prove costly especially when the customer has acted on that advice.
OPINION: In our view always follow up your telephone conversation with an insurer by email or relevant communication where possible by confirming what was agreed; also note the date, time and with whom you had the telephone conversation.
If you’re serious about being covered, our advice is to use the services of an insurance professional such as a Broker. Titan Insurance have been a leading provider of Business Insurance for a quarter of a century providing sound advice and cover to Business owners. For more information please call 0207 731 3700.
