dacouch:

I'm amazed Vicissitude included MMA in his list of decent Insurers, any onein the trade has an opinion on them and I have never met anyone who has a good opinion of them except that they are cheap. I always advise every one to give them the very very big swerve.

Bit surprised about NIG as they used to be good but are going through a "Transition" period at the moment (Read poor claims service)

As you said, it's an opinion. MMA are no where near as bad as others and I've never experienced any problems with them. When they do try to dismiss a claim I get involved and then it get's settled. It's how you approach them. It's business!?

NIG's 'transition' are putting Underwriters' out of jobs so the morale is low. They won't be around forever.

I'm amazed Vicissitude included MMA in his list of decent Insurers, any onein the trade has an opinion on them and I have never met anyone who has a good opinion of them except that they are cheap. I always advise every one to give them the very very big swerve.

Bit surprised about NIG as they used to be good but are going through a "Transition" period at the moment (Read poor claims service)

I'd never recommend MMA. Their service in respect of a Buildings Policy which we have has been appalling. We were given a contact name of a claims manager in Cardiff and have never been able to talk to him (Mr Bailey). I've spent many hours trying to sort out their systems, and time and again we've been given information that directly contradicts what they have said before. So, formal complaints to them and copied to FSA. In the meantime our kitchen which was flooded two months ago continues to rot. For a family of four that's quite trying. Be very cautious!

cheers for the info landsharks,doesnt sound like you were treated well

Would welcome any more examples of bad service.

Im more inclined to go for more than as they were the cheapest at the time,but gonna do some research and shop around a bit more,

Stay well clear of Zurich - at Christmas our washing machine flooded the ground floor and their response was completely useless. Their agents (Chemdry) attempted to call once, left a number that was unattended and that was it. Over the so-called festive period I ended up forking out a small fortune for carpets to be cleaned and then buying a new washing machine.

Zurich's response: Our agents operate a skeleton service over the holiday period, they tried to contact you but couldn't. You sorted it out yourself so what's the problem?

Letters sent to Zurich complaining of their service were also met with "... what do you expect at Christmas ..." attitude.

Referred the matter to BBC's Watchdog and to the Insurance Ombudsman having exhausted all the normal channels but why should anyone have to do this for a fully paid up policy?

SHARK!

cheers for the info vic.

I think with home insurance, it does depend a lot on the area of the country. Different insurers are good in different areas.

Hiscox are certainly not the cheapest, but offer good cover. Ecclesiastical, MMA, NIG. I'm going to kick myself for saying this, but Norwich Union don't offer bad cover for home insurance either. Doh!!! I still wouldn't use them on principal though (lol)!

If you're living in areas like Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, East/South London, etc. then you really want a company that will look after you in the event of a claim. Well, actually, regardless of where you live this is the level of service you want but within these areas the claim rates are higher and therefore the likihood of a claim is increased. Avoid cheap toot insurances as you'll rarely get back what you've lost. It's very important that those living in the areas mentioned keep records and receipts of any expensive items purchased too. In the event of a theft, particularly in the aforementioned areas, the insurance companies generally send out investigators who will want to see proofs of purchase and assess the area/property.

I wonder if this post will spark a debate. LOL!

Just want to get a few opinions about who is the best home contents insurer in terms of service and level of cover,done a search already on here for my area in manchester and top 10 prices are now much difference in price.

Want peoples opinions about service and level of cover for certain insurers.