Insurance claim:

[arallsopp]

Ok. So just over a month after my DFs got nicked (http://cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=17390), the insurance company have finally come good and approved the claim. All in, there's a few pennies shy of £2k gone, once I've included the contents of the panniers and accessories.

All was looking good, and then they say, "You'll be contacted by wheelies.co.uk in the next few days, who will arrange replacements."

As far as I can see, wheelies don't actually stock a lot of the stuff that went. They have no Marins at all that I can see, no foska kit (I love those shirts), no Ortlieb panniers, etc. What they do have are lots of (slightly overpriced) accessories.

Anyone had any dealings with wheelies? Can they source stuff they don't list on their site? If not, can I just tell my insurer I want to use my LBS instead? Why oh why can't they just give me a cheque!

All in, the list looks like this:

Marin Highway One, (+£56 of components onboard), Cateye EL320 / LD600 lights, Topeak Einstein Master Blaster 2 Pump, Push Mini Bell, Cateye Strada Wireless 8 Computer, Abus Granit Lock.

Marin Bolinas Ridge (+£94 of components onboard), Shimano M540 SPD Clipless Pedals, Racks for panniers Cateye, EL320 / LD600 lights, Blackburn Mini Air Stick AS1 Pump, Abus Granit Plus 51 Lock 230 mm, Xlite Enduro Ski Bar Ends, Delta AirZound 2 Horn, Specialized Nimbus Armadillo (Front + Rear), Cateye Strada Cadence Computer, Bontrager Race XL Acc Seatpost (carbon), Ortlieb Back Roller Classic panniers,

In the panniers:
Altura Nightvision Overtrousers, Foska Marmite road cycling jersey, Foska Dennis the Menace road cycling jersey, Topeak Alien RX-E multi tool, Specialized 20" inner tube, Specialized 24" inner tube, Park TR1C Tyre & Tube Repair Kit, Schwalbe Marathon Racing Folding Tyre, Finish Line Dry Teflon Lube (4oz bottle), Kryptonite Kryptoflex key Cable Lock, Kryptonite Kryptoflex 7ft (padlock), 2 pair of shorts, stuck to at least 3 energy bars either leaking from their wrappers, half opened, or thrown back in the bag as 'too revolting to eat early in the ride'.

Thiefs. Grrrr..

 

[simoncc]

I know a few people who've been in this position. It turned out that buried in the small print was a clause where they agreed to get their replacement stuff from a supplier nominated by the insurer. In two cases the nominated supplier was Halfords and that was that. In another case the person managed to eventually get the insurer to give him cash, but less than he'd hoped.

Having worked for an insurance company I know that the old days of giving cash to policyholders have long gone, as insurers use their bulk buying power to replace stuff more cheaply than the policyholder could. This is all about keeping premiums down and also making sure that people don't just claim that thefts have happened to get some ready cash to pay the mortgage or whatever.

 

[arallsopp]

Simoncc: that's what I'm afraid of. A little web digging turns up plenty of horror stories re wheelies service and competency, and to be honest, I'd rather badger my insurer incessantly and take 80% of the cash than have to buy £2k worth of bike unseen, without a road test.

User: good find! That could be very useful in my next phone call to the insurer. Reading through, the OP got a cheque for his LBS, less the discount the insurer was getting at Hellfrauds. I'd take that any day.

Beats me we pay for cover though. Thank god they didn't take the recumbent. Its named on the policy, costs around £2.4k, and would have faired pretty badly under a wheelies 'like for like' equivalent...

 

[Noodley]

Beats me we pay for cover though....

Exactly.

Why?

 

[Keith Oates]

Definition of an Insurance Company :

A bookmaker that cheats on his bets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!