Stolen Bikes

[MarkF]

I posted a few weeks back that my family's bikes were stolen. Since then I have been looking at Globe's, Sirrus's, Horizion's, Discovery's with all the informed common sense of a magpie.

I've already bought my good lady a Discovery but have been stopped in my tracks by a friend of mine. He told me that when his bikle was stolen he was given a cheque for the amount and was told to remit a receipt for his new one.

Obviously I don't want to do this. Has anybody heard of this before?

 

[bonj2]

are you sure he wasn't talking about having had an insurance payout?

 

[MarkF]

Yes, he received his payout for the amount he had claimed for his stolen bike. He said his insurers then wanted "proof of purchase" for his replacement bike.

 

[bonj2]

Yes, he received his payout for the amount he had claimed for his stolen bike. He said his insurers then wanted "proof of purchase" for his replacement bike.

so why's that a problem for you? are you intending to spend the money on crack?

 

[MarkF]

I have no wish to buy exactly the same value bikes, that is all, I have not over claimed, on the contrary in fact.

 

[Elmer Fudd]

I have no wish to buy exactly the same value bikes, that is all, I have not over claimed, on the contrary in fact.

.

If it's a new for old policy, get yourself a better bike and ask the LBS to write you a note saying this is the 'nearest equivalent' now to what you have had stolen. This obviously doesn't work with stolen £400 bike and new £1000 bike !

Not that I would ever condone fraudulent behaviour.

We'll leave that to the people who claim mileage allowances for a small car from the hard working taxpayer, but actually use a motorbike and use all the excess "benefit" to pay off their finance agreement.

 

[andy_wrx]

I can't see the insurer complaining if you have spent more on your replacement.

If say a £400 bike was stolen and you replace it with a £1000 bike, they'll probably happily pay you £400 (well, they'll doubtless send you an insurance-company-speak letter telling you they're limiting it to £400 not £1000).
However if you were claiming for a £1000 bike and replaced it with a £400 one, they might not be that keen giving you £1000 and you spending the remaining £600 on something else

 

[Elmer Fudd]

I can't see the insurer complaining if you have spent more on your replacement.

If say a £400 bike was stolen and you replace it with a £1000 bike, they'll probably happily pay you £400 (well, they'll doubtless send you an insurance-company-speak letter telling you they're limiting it to £400 not £1000).
However if you were claiming for a £1000 bike and replaced it with a £400 one, they might not be that keen giving you £1000 and you spending the remaining £600 on something else

I was thinking along the lines of "like for like" andy.

 

[MarkF]

Weeks later and I've heard nowt from my insurers but.......Halfords rang me last night to ask questions about my stolen bikes

It seems that my insurers have asked them for a replacement cost quote and I will get credit with Halfords, no cash or discretion as to where I purchase!
This seems a load of bollox to me, how are Halfords going to supply me with Dawes competetively? I was looking to replace my MTB and Discovery with one bike, a higher spec Discovery or maybe a Horizon but they say I will have to buy 2 bikes to replace the 2 stolen! I don't bleedin well want 2 bikes.

As for my son's bike they can't locate a cost, that's surprising as I included pics and original purchase receipt.

Worse, I've already replaced my wifes bike with a 201 Discovery, she needs a bike for work each day.

 

[MarkF]

Well, I am getting credit with Halfords to the value of £1100, what pile of crap

How difficult can it be to source Dawes replacement bikes that are available all over the web? My insurers say "take-it-or-leave- it", it's a like for like policy. I think I will refuse and get some legal advice, trouble is by the time it's sorted it'll be bloody freezing.

 

[GrahamG]

That's a bit crappy - I'll be sorting house insurance soon; any tips on who this was?

Also, you might be able to insist that you want to use another shop - Halfords are able to do this as part of their bike2work and their insurance replacment works in the same way I believe. The whole idea of replacing two bikes with one sounds quite practical, have you tried just explaining this to the insurers? You have a voucher with Halfords, all you have to do is spend the money so surely they can't dictate what it goes on?!

 

[MarkF]

That's a bit crappy - I'll be sorting house insurance soon; any tips on who this was?

Also, you might be able to insist that you want to use another shop - Halfords are able to do this as part of their bike2work and their insurance replacment works in the same way I believe. The whole idea of replacing two bikes with one sounds quite practical, have you tried just explaining this to the insurers? You have a voucher with Halfords, all you have to do is spend the money so surely they can't dictate what it goes on?!

It's Churchill. I have motor insurance with them too and they were very good when I pranged my car recently. Maybe, after never making a claim, making a motor and a contents claim within 10 days of eachother has started alarm bells ringing with them?

There is no point me trying to explain about wanting one bike to replace two, there are only dopey jobsworths on the phone who keep repeating the "like for like" mantra. They told me Halfords stock an excellent range of bikes! I don't have a voucher, I am told to expect "credit", not sure in what form this will be.

I'll look into the Halfords scheme, cheers.

 

[bonj2]

It might be in the form of a traveller's cheque made payable to halfords - this was how a home insurance clalim for my parents' house was settled years ago, or they might expect you to buy it and then reimburse you, if they do this try and not accept it as there's no reason why you should have to bankroll it, it's not for them to assume that you're able to.

An idea - could you not find the cheapest of the cheap kid's toy bikes, it might be say £30 - and buy this as 'one of the bikes'? Ask for it not to be assembled, and then don't even get it out of its box, and sell it on ebay as new. Does your insurance specify how similar the new bike has to be to the old one, or just that it has to be 'a bike'?

Also remember that halfords can apparently source any bike - the muppets on the desk might not know this though, so they might have to have it drummed into them and you will probably have to keep ringing up and badgering them.

Let us know how you get on...

 

[MarkF]

The bad news is the fact that I have already replaced one bike has thrown a spanner into both Halford's and Churchill's systems, it's proving an insurmountable problem for them to solve.

The good news is that I can order one bike for myself to replace my 2 stolen ones, so it'll be a Dawes 601 Discovery definitely. Or a Sirrus or a Globe or an FX. But this will only happen if they can sort out the "problem".

I might get the bike this year.

 

[bonj2]

The bad news is the fact that I have already replaced one bike has thrown a spanner into both Halford's and Churchill's systems, it's proving an insurmountable problem for them to solve.

The good news is that I can order one bike for myself to replace my 2 stolen ones, so it'll be a Dawes 601 Discovery definitely. Or a Sirrus or a Globe or an FX. But this will only happen if they can sort out the "problem".

I might get the bike this year.

!god it's a nightmare isn't it when you have to work out what to tell them based on how easy it's going to be for them to 'key it into their system'.
Remember that it's their responsibility to restore you to the position you were in before the insured event took place.