Avoid Life Line Insurance Avoid

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Dont know if this is the correct forum please move as you see fit.

I just wanted to share my recent experience with Car Phone Warehouse and their Lifeline insurance. I Bought a HTC phone off them and was sold insurance from Lifeline. I was told this was superior to O2 insurance etc as they get you a replacement phone really quickly and without fuss. Happy days 13 euro a month and off I go.

So recently my house was broken into, my wallet, phone and car taken. After dealing with the guards that day I went to the carphone warehouse to get a new phone. They gave me a old phone as a temporary measure and the form to fill in and a new sim.

A few days later I was filling in the form and noticed I should have told my network provider the phone was taken...whops I rang them straight away. The guards had asked me to not block the phone incase it popped up as I had the tracking set up on it (sim changed in the CPW that day). I explained the circumstances that I was pretty busy the day the phone was lost, to Lifeline as asked they consider replacement of my phone.

So basically they are now refusing to pay out due to the fact I should have informed o2 within 24 hours. I had been in to the CPW within 24hours and informed the insurance company. What this has to do with them I don't know, my claim is valid which they admit this in a letter however they refuse to pay on this technical point, which I feel is a land-mine placed in the contract to avoid paying. God knows how many others there are in the contract.

So when you need them Lifeline will not cover you and will find any way not to pay. Don't bother with their insurance its not worth it. Sorry to rant but really this is not on.

Kennie1

First thing you need to do is sit down and write a letter of complaint explaining your circumstance and that you were not aware that you needed to contact O2 also let them know that you contacted CFW that day and that even they did not advise you that you needed to contact O2. Explain to them that as soon as you realised that you had to contact 02 you did so, also explain that you feel as you have lived up to the terms of their contract as best you can and ask them to reconsider your claim.

The financial ombudsman comented last year that he is not at all impressed in the way that some insurance companies are conducting their claim process and imposeing conditions that it is not reasonably possible to comply with, so I would think that you would have a good case here if you were to esclate it to the ombudsman. Firstly though write to the company and see what their resposnse is and then you will be able to bring it to the attension of the financial ombudsman.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Written to them twice and explained the circumstances, also advised they check with the Guards if they feel, still they refuse on the grounds of not notifing O2 within 24 hours.

Kennie1

So next thing you need to do is write a letter to the Financial Services Ombudsman, enclose a copy of the claim form a copy of any letters that you sent to lifeline and any letters that you received from them. Explain on the letter to the FSO that the guards told you not to block the phone and you took to be that there was no need to contact 02 as the only reason you would need to contact them would be to block the number. Explain also that you were in with the CPW and as they sold the insurance you would expect the CPW would have advised you what you need to do i.e. you need to contact 02 within 24 hours, fill a claim form, get your policy details etc. Would be no harm if you could get a letter from the guards outlineing that they requested that the phone not be blocked as they hoped that they may be able to track it if it were switched on.

If you do not have copies of claim forms etc that's ok as you can request all of these from lifeline under the data protection act.

broker2008

Sounds reasonable. A link to this postmight make them change their mind. Online Joe Duffy Show.