Home Insurance

The Weird and Wonderful World of Insurance Claims



You may be mistaken for thinking that the life of an insurance claims handler could be a pretty boring one. Under that dusty and rather boring exterior beats the heart of a sometimes altogether more interesting career. Joking aside, the insurance industry does have its more entertaining points and if you know where to look you can find claims with a surprising amount of hilarity.

Take the story of the digital radio that fancied a “dip” in the pond. I came across the story whilst researching this article and found it to be quite amusing. Picture the scene; a blissful, warm summer’s day, the radio playing nearby and quite suddenly “splash”. Did the radio fancy a cooling dip in the pond you ask? Not quite. It was revealed during the course of the phone call to the claims advisor that the policy holder’s granddaughter had decided the fish in the pond were missing out on the music. Wouldn’t it be nice to share it with them? Oh dear….

Whilst reading this story I find another detailing the Labrador who it seems had a penchant for modern art. You can probably guess where this one is “leading”, if you pardon the pun. Well the unfortunate home owners were to have their liking of modern art put to the test when they returned home. Upon doing so they found their dog had dipped his tail in a tray of white emulsion and proceeded to wag it all over the carpet, sofa, walls and so on.

If you find yourself becoming the victim of this type of “accident” I would highly recommend ensuring you have a home insurance policy, believe me, you need it.

I thought I’d make a foray into the world of car insurance claims next to see what amusing tales could be found there also. Well I certainly wasn’t disappointed. I found a list of some of the strange explanations given by claimants, here are a couple; a customer collided with a cow and was asked; “what warning was given by you?” to which the customer replied; “my horn”. When asked what warning the other party had given, he replied; “Moo”. Imagine trying to keep the conversation serious after that one.

How about the claimant who gave the following description of events; “I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in- law and headed over the embankment.” Somehow I doubt he realised just how humerous that sounded at the time.

As my final note I’d like to tell you of the gentleman who rang to claim on his travel insurance for a stolen camera. Quite a normal and serious happening you may think and not one that should be given as an example of a strange or funny claim. The thing is, you haven’t asked who, or “what” stole the camera yet. The answer is more unusual than you may think. There he was minding his own business, whilst visiting Gibraltar, when a monkey (which I presume would have been a Barbary ape) harassed him and proceeded to steal his camera. Even the most hardened claims advisor would struggle not to find that one funny.

So there you have it, next time you take out an insurance policy of any kind remember that one day you too might find yourself fishing for a radio or grappling with a monkey for your belongings and relax, safe in the knowledge that however strange you claim is you will be covered.

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Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 Travel Insurance No Comments

10 Tips to Home Repair



Owning a home is just the beginning. There are regular upkeeps and maintenance that ensure that your home not only looks beautiful all the time but is also secure from internal damage and external weathering. Home repair is an exhausting and challenging proposition for homeowners. Especially if you are totally new to the task.

As a result, the long list of tasks to be delivered within a short span of time can be quite unnerving. Most the times some minor tasks are overlooked leading to further damages. This hampers the job even further. A ready list of ‘KNOW HOW’ before the next session of home repair can act as quick tips to help you get the job done easier and better.

Dos -

1.Go through a quick inspection of your building or apartment. Maintain a checklist of the areas that have to be repaired. Always invite the home inspection officer a few weeks ahead for consulting and thorough inspection. It would help to identify the problems areas before home repair.

2.A lot of time the DIY technique helps to save your valuable resources. It includes activities cleaning, waxing, remodeling of furniture and floors. Even issues like painting, redesigning the rooms and gardening can be accomplished without any professional help.

3.Always check whether your home insurance covers the cost of accidents and home repair costs. Only a few banks and mortgage firms provide additional loans for home repairs. Often the home insurance provider cover gardens as well as your home office contents.

4.It very important to check with the homebuilders and home improvement firms before signing a contract. Consult your real estate attorney regarding the legal details of the working terms and conditions.

5.Always opt for the builders and home repair service providers who cover an annual maintenance and repair. It is done over minimal fees that can be repaid within no time by the home loans. Always remember to renew the service contract with your home improvement firm.

Don’ts -

6.Never assign the task to a home improvement firm outside the territorial or zonal builders. You would be breaking the laws.

7.You must hire professional help for specialized technical home improvement tasks like plumbing, wiring, gas lines, roof repairing and brickwork. When comes to installing your fireplace or repairing the electric geysers never rely solely on that do-it-yourself tendency. Neglecting serious cable wires or that plug on the kitchen sink may cause further accidents.

8.Do not ever tie-up with any contractors or builders outside a working contract. Do check about the background of the company.

9.Never forget to ask your home insurance provider the details of the contents insured. An ideal home insurance would provide the costs of home repair. It should include your house and its fixtures, fittings, garages, bicycles. Some of the companies would even provide you with insurance for the tennis court, swimming pools, bathtubs, gates, walls, patios, driveways, walks and fences. Most often the insurance firms are not willing to cover such objects. But with the monetary funds from mortgage and home loans it becomes convenient to pay for home repair.

10.Never sign any legal documents regarding work contract before scrutinizing.

And most importantly — planning plays a crucial role. It becomes necessary to discuss the details and the schedule with all members of the family before conducting any home repair activity. This will add to the comprehensiveness and reduce the need for change later.

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Monday, September 14th, 2009 Home Insurance No Comments

Home Insurance Quotes and Leads in Minnesota



Find Home Insurance Quotes and Leads in Minnesota

It is always recommended that you use a homeowners insurance company and seek tips and advice from a reputable and reliable insurance agent.  Only qualified and professional insurance agents can offer the correct insurance coverage. 

Below are examples that need to be considered with an agent when asking for a quote on homeowners insurance: 

1.  Most homeowners policies will also provide coverage for loss of use. This means that if you need to live somewhere else while the house is being restored the insurance company will pay for this expense.

2.  In addition to the coverage’s mentioned, there are many other coverage’s to consider depending on the type of house, the contents in the house and any other structures located on the property. We recommend a review of your coverages be handled by a local insurance agent. 

3.  Make sure that your personal possessions are properly covered. We recommend that personal possessions are insured at replacement cost NOT actual cash value.

4.  Liability coverage is also included on most homeowners policies. This is very important. The minimum on most policies is $100,000. We recommend at least $300,000.

5.  Be certain to Make sure you have enough insurance to cover the cost of rebuilding your house at current construction costs. To figure out the amount of coverage needed, take the total square footage of the house and multiply by current local rebuilding costs per square foot. For example: A 2000 square foot home with local rebuilding costs of $150 per square foot (2000 * 150) comes to $300,000 of dwelling coverage.

Below are some imperative details that need to be considered with an agent when asking for a quote on life insurance: 

When you obtain the answers you are now in a better position to get a correct life or homeowners insurance quote.  Just as an owner of a home needs insurance on their house, an insurance agent also needs homeowners insurance leads that will generate him activity for their agency.  Find top homeowners insurance agents by your zip code and learn how to get listed today.

We offer the best homeowners insurance source of information for our visitors offering them top homeowners insurance agents by your zip code and a Learn the Basics section about homeowners insurance.    

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Tuesday, May 26th, 2009 Insurance Quotes No Comments