You're stealing from insurers!

I read with interest everyone's comments on here and have to say I agree that insurance companies are the baddies. You take out copious insurance polices protecting you from every thing and when you have to claim like I did when my house burnt down (from a tumble dryer that was insured separately with Home Serve) I had two years of hell. The hell starts from the moment the incident happens. Please remember not to have the inconvenience of a house fire on a weekend as it this not considered an emergency only your boiler breaking down is.. you are left with no home no where to live and no one to talk to until the Monday morning.. that's when the 'fun' starts. You are left to find your own accommodation, sort out hired furniture and the claim. It took 8 months before the cowboy builders were instructed so my house was left empty. I was burgled right after the fire as so many individuals are allowed access to what is left of your belongings every one denies liability. The loss adjustor didn't actually go into the house as he was frightened of asbestos contamination what happened to Personal protected equipment? I then had to haggle for everything including getting a new tumble dryer for my rented house. In the end of gave up with them and employed a loss assessor (bandits and thieves) I had to change builders twice and eventually I moved into a semi completed house. It took a further year to get the building site of the garden done, finish electrics etc etc. I had to go back and complain to the insurance company and eventually I got a sort of settlement not before I had to pay £20,000 on my credit cards to get my house habitable (flooring carpets etc). I still have an outstanding complaint which is now 21/2 years on. Do they respond to my emails no..This unfortunate accident has cost me hughly financial (no fraud committed) and emotionally and has taken two years of my life to get my home back. No price on that.. I had to cope with all that dealing with the loss adjustors, builders etc on my own and work in full time stressful job. Surprised I haven't gone completely mad. There are no advice lines or anyone you can get talk to at the insurance company as you get treated like they are doing YOU a favour. Disgraceful.

Tell you what Cliff, on the subject of insurance premiums, my car premium came in at £750 for the year after being £550 last year. When I went through the same company's website and input all the same details as my present policy, I got a quote at £500! - so I called the company. They reviewed the fresh quote and advised that I'd mis-quoted the cost of a prang I'd had 2 years ago. It was my fault. When the chap ahead stopped suddenly, I could not avoid him by swerving either side, owing to the choice of either a wall or oncoming traffic. This resulted in me requiring a new front bumper and bonnet and for him, a new bumper. Now I had calculated the cost as being about £2,000 tops/all-in for both cars, with both cars being fixed at 'approved' insurance repairers. Instead, I was advised the total bill had been £7,500! How the flaming hell did such a figure arise? I could have replaced the chaps whole car for that money and I'm now left to foot the subsequent premium increase(s). IT'S NOT JUST THE FRAUDSTERS Cliff, it's the flipping insurance companies themselves that are driving up your premiums and mine. They are not cutting the cost by managing it (apparently) through regulated repairers, instead they are perhaps lining their own pockets by charging hyper-inflated prices and then bumping the premiums too. BTW, I got them down to £500 and 'saved' myself the £250 they'd have 'stolen' from me!! People talk about the sector in which I work, being full of shysters, but the insurance industry has a number of parasites within it and they are screwing us all for what's left of our hard-earned.

@mouthyrob I've already told you that I don't care whether the staff drive to work in a Rolls or a Mini. You've forgotten that. i AM thinking about things for myself; and what I see is my insurance rising exponentially. I'm being forced to pay for other peoples claims; not only that, but for the claims of criminals who are making fraudulent claims, and also unscrupulous insurers who encourage their customers to make injury claims. The industry has the power to do something about this, but fails to do so, because there is money in it ... there can be no other reason. You've missed the point that premiums AREN'T tied to inflation; inflation is the cost of living and they darn well SHOULD be tied to the cost of living. They are increasing at a rate which is unfair and scandalously high given that the people paying these premiums aren't making claims; we are being penalised for the people that do make outrageous claims ... and that isn't fair ... as has been stated and argued by the majority of people on this thread. You can attempt to blow me out as much as you want, because you don't want to recognise this position. (and no, I'm not a primary school teacher, so you're wrong on that one as well.) The gender directive, fair enough. That my insurance premiums should increase by multiples because of other peoples actions ... no way. That's daylight robbery.