# Forum Contacts & Links Estimating & Quoting  House fire - help required for price checking insurers SoW and pricing

## Luds

Hi All,  
We had a house fire on Jan 5th 14. It is a double fronted 3br w/b victorian cottage in melbournes inner west. Some minor structural damage, but the whole interior was guttered and requires strip and refit. After almost 11 months and four SoW' submitted by the insurer, we have only just received costings that our settlement offer is based on.  
I would be interested in learning what people within the building industry, think of the insurers pricing and SoW. All info is laid out on spreadsheets, and it will give you a great insight into their pricing if you want to quote for insurance work.  
Please let me know if you are interested in casting an eye over these thieves costings for us. And I will send the info.  
Cheers, thanks    
Luds

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## barney118

Enlighten us in a single post on the outcome  
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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## johnc

On one hand we have insurance companies trying to avoid being ripped off by fraudulent claims and possibly paying the minimum handicapped by the ability of the assessor, on the other we have claimants with certain expectations mixed with trades who sometimes over quote. Hardly a surprise that this is an area that has problems. I don't think calling people thieves helps, you have had an experience you aren't happy with but that shouldn't taint the whole industry.  
I have had a number of small claims over the years for things like accidental damage and break-ins and would have to say the claims experience has generally been professional and have never had any issues with our insurers, like most things it is often the person you are dealing with rather than the business that frustrates the process.

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## GeoffW1

John, 
I don't think Luds was all that serious. I believe you are right though when you say it mostly comes down to the people involved. We had a burglary after which the assessor and the insurance company were absolutely dreadful, and could certainly be described as arrogant thieves.  
These individual stories don't prove much though, and I believe nowadays there is so much media opinion around that sustained bad practice is soon brought to light (I hope). Take for instance the kerfuffle in Sydney between the smash repair industry and insurance companies. 
Cheers

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## Luds

Hi John, Thanks for input. What you say is fairenough, and I normally would of agreed with you until these past 11 months. They are the ONLY industry in Australia that the Unfair Contract Terms Act does not apply too..........yet! Was almost added in Fed parliament a year or two ago. And we are the only developed country that the insured has to come up with the value of their property, and not the insurer. Everywhere else it is the insurer that has to value prior to contract. Because they are the experts, and then they cannot argue over values.
Here is an example. just one. For two weeks, we were told by three different staff members. That the process was to photograph all our items, record them, box and store at their warehouse for our later decision. Then they ask how to get access with a skip. "Why do you need a skip?".....'we have decided at $40/hr, its worth tossing the lot'. Some of our pots were worth $400 and just needed a wipe for example. 
So, I give four people a hand to load one small 4m/2 truck twice with our "not worth cleaning" contents. They put a contract under my nose saying I agree to all costs. Of course, I amended the clause to say on receipt and approval of quote only. Anyway, four months later when they settle on contents they try and charge us $9.3K for throwing our items out that were meant to be stored!.......my sister is a lawyer. Wrote them a letter, and they have never raised the matter again. Then there is the dining room table they tried charging $5/day storage because it was at their Carrum Downs w/house. Well ,the very next day I was at their furniture restorers factory in Richmond approving his finish on the table, and took a photo of all of us  :Wink: ..........letter, never mentioned again

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