Day 106 - 28th January 2011

                        I do a bit of research into other Insurance Companies policies and how their policy documents are set out.   The Halifax one is very clear on matching items and makes it clear in the policy that you have to take specific matching items cover for both buildings and contents.  The Direct Line policy doesn’t exclude matching items cover on buildings at all.  I check the up to date Barclays policy document.  I note that the writing is now much bigger and it is all more clearly set out.  The matching items cover information is now much further forward in the booklet and it is clear that there is separate cover for matching items on buildings as well as contents.  Clearly there has been some recognition along the way that my version of the policy booklet was poorly set out and not clear enough.

I send an email to Mark at Aviva. I tell him that I have now located the relevant wording relating to the exclusion and have taken some time to study it.  I point out that it’s not very clear that I needed to take out separate buildings cover for matching items.  I point out that in fact it doesn't tell me that I need to take it out at all - though it does tell me I need to take it for contents.  I tell him that the fact that the Key Point Summary section near the front of the booklet clearly details Contents matching items cover as a significant exclusion from the policy but doesn't detail it under the Buildings significant exclusions section.  You therefore draw the natural conclusion that it is not excluded for Buildings.  This is reinforced by the fact that it is also not covered in the exclusions section of the Buildings cover.  In fact it’s not until you get to page 28, hidden away at the bottom of a page and split over 2 columns in a section dealing with settling claims that you find any mention of it at all. I point out that I don't recall being told about matching items cover for buildings when I took the policy out and that the policy documents have done nothing to flag up to me that I should have asked about it.  I tell him that by the time you get to page 28 of an A4 booklet of technically worded content, your brain is really starting to lose the grasp on being able to make sure there are no nasty surprises ahead.

I tell Mark that somewhere along the line I have been let down as a customer, whether it’s in the selling of the policy, the wording of the policy or a combination of the two. I tell him that when I bought the policy I was under the impression that I was taking a policy out with Barclays.  I had no idea I was entering into a contract with Aviva.  I ask whether Barclays act as agents for Aviva and whether I should be following through some sort of complaint process with Barclays about the way I was advised when I took the policy out. Since I made my initial complaint direct to Barclays Insurance it would be nice to think that Mark will refer back to them on my behalf but I have a feeling I shall have to do it myself.

I tell Mark that I will be pursuing this matter further but in the meantime, my bathroom is still in tatters and I still don't have the information I need to be able to make decisions on how to move forward. I tell him that I asked Nadine at Asprea for some information on the 20th January 2010 but have not received a reply.  I ask if he can therefore provide me with the following information:

1.  The total number of square metres of tiling I have in my bathroom.  I tell him I don't know how to work out this information but imagine that the surveyor took the details when he visited on the 13th October 2010.

2. Which tiling will be classed as covered by the policy.  I ask him to please bear in mind that the stud wall housing the shower unit will have to be rebuilt from scratch and has tiling on both sides.  This information was requested from Nadine on the 14^th December 2010 but has never been confirmed.

3. How many square metres of tiling is classed as covered by the policy.

4. What the labour cost of carrying out the tiling is.  This information was also requested from Nadine on the 14^th December but, again, has never been confirmed. I also ask if he can please confirm that I will NOT be charged for any of the costs involved in removing and refitting any of the fixtures and fittings in the bathroom as the entire surface area of the floor has to be replaced under the policy which necessitates the removal of the fixtures and fittings.  I tell him that the surveyor confirmed this when he visited, but that the quote of £651.36 +VAT that Nadine provided me with for my share of the cost of replacing the uninsured tiling mentioned that I would be paying a proportion of the cost of removing the fixtures and fittings.  I tell him that despite several attempts to get her to clarify this, she has not done so.

I tell him that I would be grateful to receive a speedy reply to these questions.