Insurance companies. LV insurance specifically.
I slipped in the shower in May and put my knee through the bathtub. Checked and it was covered by my buildings insurance so made a claim which was approved.
They sent out a company called Gallagher Bassett who sent a young lad over to fit the replacement bath as repair wasn’t possible. This was a Friday and he left the bath half full of water saying to leave it overnight and drain in the morning.
Saturday morning I go to the bathroom and the bath is empty. Weird I think and go downstairs to make a cuppa, where I find water dripping from the ceiling on the kitchen.
I call LV and they send me £40 compensation and tell me someone more senior and more competent will be out Monday morning to resolve. Monday morning the same kid comes out and refits the bath, does a terrible job with the finish but I think sod it at least it’s fixed.
Until my GF takes a shower and water starts coming out the ceiling again. I call again and again they promise to come out and resolve, new guy from Gallagher Bassett this time seems better, seems to have fixed it and once the ceiling is dry they send out a painter who takes one look and says it needs replastering first.
Plasterer comes out from GB and leaves my kitchen covered in plaster but at least fixes the ceiling. Then painters come over and leave while I’m on a work call. I go in to find that they’ve bodged the job: used the wrong shade of paint, have just roughly painted around bits and not properly covered the water marks in the ceiling. And again flecks of paint all over my kitchen. Sod it I think, as long as the bath is fixed and I wanted to repaint the kitchen anyway.
A week later the leak reappears. I call LV and tell them I’m done, they need to send someone competent out and while they’re at it they can repaint my kitchen properly. Another GB employee comes out, claims it’s the sealant that’s the issue and paints a small patch of wall the correct colour and says he’ll have to wait to do the ceiling as it’s damp.
Another couple of weeks and the leak appears again so I call LV and GB and say frankly I’ve lost all confidence and I want a new contractor and I want everything they’ve done wrong fixed including the newly squeaky floorboards in the bathroom, the now not working extractor fan, the mould problem that’s appeared in my kitchen cupboard, the lot. I’m done.
They agree to send a loss adjuster and a specialist leak company out. I agree. Loss adjuster comes out and is shocked at how bad a job they’ve done and tells me the leak company will be in touch.
Just had a call from the leak company asking for £350 excess. I laugh and say no and call LV who initially claim that’s my excess for water damage. I laugh again and say they’ve caused the water damage and I’m not paying them a penny. Back on hold and they say they’ll “delay” the excess until the leak report but if their company says it’s not their fault I’ll need to pay the £350. I’ve told them my next call will be to the Financial Ombudsman.