# Lightning damage to TV and SKY system



## bond-007 (18 Jul 2007)

I am insured with Eagle star via 123.ie. Yesterday we had a thunderstorm with lightening and the ESB supply went off. When supply was restored 3 hours later we discovered that the TV and the sky system were not working. Tried another tv with was still working and the Sky is deffo not working. Tv is working in the bed room but the Sky+ there is also not working. Our landline is also out of action too. 

In this sort of case is it usual to allow you to get the system replaced and send them the receipts or will they send someone out to look first before you can get repairs/replacements? 

It is going to be hell without the tv so I am anxious to sort this out soon.


----------



## pat127 (18 Jul 2007)

*Re: Lightening damage to TV and SKY system*



bond-007 said:


> I am insured with Eagle star via 123.ie. Yesterday we had a thunderstorm with lightening and the ESB supply went off. When supply was restored 3 hours later we discovered that the TV and the sky system were not working. Tried another tv with was still working and the Sky is deffo not working. Tv is working in the bed room but the Sky+ there is also not working. Our landline is also out of action too.
> 
> In this sort of case is it usual to allow you to get the system replaced and send them the receipts or will they send someone out to look first before you can get repairs/replacements?
> 
> It is going to be hell without the tv so I am anxious to sort this out soon.



Talk to Sky. My neighbour's dish got hit 2 weeks after installation destroying the LNB and the digibox. Sky replaced them free of charge


----------



## bond-007 (18 Jul 2007)

*Re: Lightening damage to TV and SKY system*

Sky won't talk. It is not a warranty issue and they say its an insurance issue. I reported the damage to eagle star today and I have still not got a claim number or a handler. How long should that take normally?


----------



## ClubMan (18 Jul 2007)

Does your policy cover this sort of damage - i.e. either under lightning damage or other accidental damage (if applicable)?

When you say that the _TV _and _Sky _stuff is not working what do you mean? No power when switched on? Have you checked all plug and internal fuses just in case that's all that's wrong?


----------



## bond-007 (18 Jul 2007)

Everything lights up but the items are not working.


----------



## dee06 (24 Jul 2007)

Call back Eaglestar claims, sometimes they do fob you off with 'someone will call you back' for a household claim and never come back to you.

Get a claim ref and handler name and ask for a claim form to be sent to you.
Call Eircom re the landline to report the fault. If it's a line fault after the lighting they should fix it, I don't think they will charge. 
But if it's the handset damaged, you'll have to get a new one. Eircom will tell you anyway after they have looked at it. 
In that case you'll need a letter from a telecoms company to say they inspected the phone and the sky equipment and that their opinion is that the equipment was lightning damanged and beyond economical repair.  
Ask also for a written estimate of the replacement cost.
Send the letter and the estimates in with the claim form and then harrangue them until they have agreed the payment amount. At that point then you can go ahead and repair it. I think the excess on the claim will be €125 (confirm with company).

Alternatively make your broker 123.ie do their job and get them to do all of the above!! 
(Except getting the estimates and letter, that  you will have to do anyway)


----------



## kathy d (24 Jul 2007)

You broker will be able to interpret your household policy and tell you if you have the appropriate cover for this event.
Fingers crossed for you - let's hope the sky is not the limit here!!

Kathy d


----------



## bond-007 (24 Jul 2007)

There is a 500 excess on the policy. In view of this it may not be economical to claim.


----------



## LUFC (25 Jul 2007)

No wouldnt bother claiming, as your insurance will go up next year & you wouldnt be able to shop around due to the claim. unlucky.


----------



## dee06 (25 Jul 2007)

That's an extraordinarily high excess for Eaglestar. 
Did you volunteer for it?? i've never handled a house policy with an excess as high as that for lightning claims.


----------



## bond-007 (25 Jul 2007)

Nope, i just noticed it when we had to dig out the policy. It was never mentioned by 123.ie at the inception stage. I will read the policy again to be sure.


----------



## bond-007 (26 Jul 2007)

dee06 said:


> That's an extraordinarily high excess for Eaglestar.
> Did you volunteer for it?? i've never handled a house policy with an excess as high as that for lightning claims.


I have re-read the policy carefully and the excess is indeed €500. This is increased to €1500 for landslip type claims. In view of this I won't be staying with 123 next year.


----------



## ClubMan (26 Jul 2007)

The default excess with _123.ie_ (i.e. the default selected on their web form) is €500 (10% discount) but you can also choose €125 (no discount) or €1K (15% discount). Remember that _123.ie_ are just the broker and the policy is underwritten by somebody else (maybe _Eagle Star _at the moment as mentioned above - but this changes from time to time as far as I know). Personally I generally choose the higher excess in such cases on the basis that the insurance is really only for serious/disaster scenarios and anything more minor I will usually "self insure" for. To be fair when you apply the terms & conditions/policy booklet are clearly available and you have the usual 14 day (?) cooling off period if they don't suit you. People need to read the terms & conditions of the policy at the time of purchasing insurance and not just when a problem arises. If you are actually at risk of landslides and the €1.5K excess for that event does not suit then you probably need specialist cover.


----------



## bond-007 (26 Jul 2007)

Fair enough, lesson learned. With the 500 excess there really is no point in persuing a claim. It was a freak incident and more than likely the claim would only pay €100-150 max taking into account the excess on the policy. 





> If you are actually at risk of landslides and the €1.5K excess for that event does not suit then you probably need specialist cover.


I would assume that you would have to declare that if you were at risk of a landslide at proposal stage and at that point cover would be refused?


----------



## ClubMan (26 Jul 2007)

bond-007 said:


> I would assume that you would have to declare that if you were at risk of a landslide at proposal stage and at that point cover would be refused?


Perhaps - my main point is that if landslides are a negligible risk to your property then the €1.5K excess is largely irrelevant. I wonder do other policies also stipulate higher excesses for this and other specific risks meaning that the policy offered via 123.ie may not be as unusual as you seem to think? Ultimately I believe that you are being a bit unfair in *seemingly *insinuating that the cover offered via _123.ie _may be somehow limited, flawed or cutting corners and that this is the reason that you will switch insurers next time around (mind you - you don't have to wait and can switch any time and your existing insurer must refund any unused premiums on a pro-rata basis).


----------



## bond-007 (26 Jul 2007)

I have at no point insinsuated that the cover is limited etc or anything even close to that effect.


----------



## ClubMan (26 Jul 2007)

Fair enough - that's just how I read this:





bond-007 said:


> I have re-read the policy carefully and the excess is indeed €500. This is increased to €1500 for landslip type claims. In view of this I won't be staying with 123 next year.


----------



## dee06 (26 Jul 2007)

Sory to hear you have to bear all the loss yourself bond-007. 

I personally would not be comfortable with that kind of excess for a claim and I can understand you being miffed.  I think it would be better to be asked to select a higher than average excess, not just have it taken as a default. 
Some people don't mind bearing the smaller losses, like clubman says, however it's been my experience in claim situations that a lot of people are even a bit put out about the €125 excess.

You can ask them to reduce it at next renewal to the standard €125 if you prefer.

A €1k to €1.5 k excess is common for subsidence claims across the companies though.


----------



## ClubMan (26 Jul 2007)

dee06 said:


> I personally would not be comfortable with that kind of excess for a claim and I can understand you being miffed.


Why should anybody be miffed when they have explicitly agreed to the excess at the time of taking out the policy!?!


----------



## dee06 (26 Jul 2007)

ClubMan said:


> Why should anybody be miffed when they have explicitly agreed to the excess at the time of taking out the policy!?!


 
Because he did not seem to be aware of it. 

As he said " _Nope, i just noticed it when we had to dig out the policy. It was never mentioned by 123.ie at the inception stage. I will read the policy again to be sure_"


----------



## ClubMan (26 Jul 2007)

dee06 said:


> Because he did not seem to be aware of it.
> 
> As he said " _Nope, i just noticed it when we had to dig out the policy. It was never mentioned by 123.ie at the inception stage. I will read the policy again to be sure_"


Yes - but when this happens the fault lies with the policyholder (for not reviewing the form when applying or the policy documentation when the transaction is executed - and availing of the cooling off period if necessary) and not with the broker/underwriter.


----------



## dee06 (27 Jul 2007)

ClubMan said:


> Yes - but when this happens the fault lies with the policyholder (for not reviewing the form when applying or the policy documentation when the transaction is executed - and availing of the cooling off period if necessary) and not with the broker/underwriter.


 
Yes you're right on that of course.

Still think they should not have a default excess that's 3 times the average for that insurer. 
You should be asked to postively select that by at least ticking a box or selecting it from a list. You can skip past  very easily as the default of €500 is already selected.

It has been held in many old contract law cases that unsually onerous terms and conditions should be highlighted for the attention of the purchaser.


----------



## ClubMan (27 Jul 2007)

Whatever about the default selection for the excess field the form must be filled in by the applicant and they get at least one further chance to review the details before submitting them. Even after purchasing they have a 14 (?) day cooling off period during which they can cancel cover and get a full refund.  Even after that they can cancel the policy and get a pro-rata refund of unused premiums. Can't see how this can be a case of anything other than caveat emptor to be honest.


----------



## Moral Ethos (27 Jul 2007)

Possible sharp practice on 123's behalf. Maybe a complaint to the insurance ombudsman is in order. You probably won't get anywhere but it might force 123 to change their practices.


----------



## bond-007 (27 Jul 2007)

A little strong there Moral. Actually Mrs. Bond took out the policy whilst I was away on a business trip so I was not aware of it until at least a month afterwards. Anyways lesson learned, won't be caught out again.

Purely as a matter of academic interest how much would a payout of say €500 to 600 increase a premium of €250 odd on renewal.


----------



## dee06 (27 Jul 2007)

bond-007 said:


> Purely as a matter of academic interest how much would a payout of say €500 to 600 increase a premium of €250 odd on renewal.


 
It *should* not do anything to your premium with Estar as they don't operate a no claims bonus system.


----------



## ClubMan (27 Jul 2007)

But you will most likely be loaded if you shopped around at renewal time. By how much I have no idea...


----------

