In article <
[email protected]>, Al Ford
<
[email protected]> writes
>Hi all,
>
>I'm gutted - just dropped my 1 year old Ribble 7003 bike against a corner of a wall inside my
>house. There's quite a significant dent in the top-tube, does anybody know if it's actually worth
>claiming on my household accidental damage insurance for a replacement frame? I.e. will my premiums
>go up! lol
>
>Has anybody else had this happen to them?
>
>Cheers
Had a similar problem early this year, frame damaged in accident in my garage. Claimed for
replacement frame. Mega hassle.
(Bike insured as separate item on contents policy for circa UKP1500 replacement.)
Insurance company put me on to company in Wales which handles their bike replacement/repair. Welsh
Company doesn't deal with company who built frame (SJSC Thorn Audax frame), so I was told I had to
choose another one. Arguments like "It says Thorn on the insurance policy" totally wasted.
Eventually went for Argos in Bristol. Good frame but necessitated trip to Bristol, Ins co would not
pay for that. Slightly different frame geometry meant replacing brake & gear cables, Ins co wouldn't
pay for that.
Discovered when frame delivered that rear dropouts on Thorn are a different width than the new
frame, needed to get new axle & get wheel re-dished. Ins co wouldn't pay for that. Seems as a
cyclist I should have known that the dropouts might be different, despite experts in Wales seemingly
not knowing the difference between an axle and a hub.
Arguments with insurance company that all the above expenditure was directly because they chose to
deal with my claim through one of _their_ agents fell on stony ground. At the end of the argument
the insurance company said if I wasn't happy with the Welsh mob I should have come back to them at
the beginning. No mention of this at the time. Whole process (mainly because frame had to be built)
took from mid May to late August. Sizeable chunk of my cycling season that.
Oh, and yes my premiums went up.
Far be it from me to suggest anything, but the complete loss of the bike via theft seems easier for
them to handle.
Good luck!
Pete
Remove crude Spam trap to reply.
Peter Grange
