Insurance company slow to pay up

To cut a long story short a bad lightning storm took our lift out. The insurers disputed the parts replaced and eventually the repair company conceded and reduced the bill. this bill was paid by the community at the advice of our administrator but the insurers have still failed to re imburse us. How do we put pressure on them to cough up?

Answer to your question is vote with your feet .( when your renewal is due look for another insurance company).

Answer to your question is vote with your feet .( when your renewal is due look for another insurance company).

That is already in the plan, its just a metter of trying to get our money back first.

Antonio:  

I would suggest you use the complaint forms route.  That gives the insurance company 10 working days to satisfy your claim or it gets dealt with by official channels.  That results in considerable costs and inconvenience for the other party, but none you you,  and just asking for the forms very often gets the required result.

Changing you insurance company does not recover a cent for you and the company probably don’t care.

I have explained here several instances when I have used the Complaints Forms, even with the National Police, and in every instance they have worked.   Corte Ingles was the last time and from saying I could not have a refund, produced a refund as soon as I mentioned the forms. 

The important thing is to ALWAYS COMPLETE the form never accept a promise that things will be resolved.   If they are,  then you tear up the forms.

Not a lot of use to the OP now, but in future always get the claim approved by the insurance company and then use their approved repairer, no money then changes hands between the insured and the repairer.

Hephaestus, the problem with that is that it was only by changing parts that the lift maintenance company worked out what was faulty. The insurers asked for the faulty parts to test and queried whether some of them were faulty or not. The maintenance company after a joint meeting with the insurers agreed to reduce the bill but the administrator advised that we pay the bill or the maintenance company would not come out to even emergencies.

johnzx, do we get the complaints form from the insurers or is it a generic form?

Antonio, you're putting the cart before the horse, the lightening storm damaged the lift, the insurance company either cover it or not, if they do then it's their responsibility to sort it out. I'm guessing that you were not using the insurers approved repairer, am I correct?

Antonio:  do we get the complaints form from the insurers or is it a generic form?

Normally one would ask the company (shop, business etc) however, they are downloadable on the internet.  (With my Corte Ingles complaint I downloaded them and took them with me to the shop).

The forms may vary slightly from Region to Region, so ensure the web page is for where you have the complaint .

Hephaestus,the administrator got the people out to repair the lift and the insurers told him it was covered up to a certain limit. As far as I know the company are approved and like I said earlier the administrator arranged the payment and the insurers met with the company who repaired the lift to argue the toss over what was necessary and what was not. Personally i also expected them to pay direct but the president followed the advice of the administrator which I thought at the time was a bad move but am now trying to pick up the pieces and get some money back. It sounds like the complaints form is going to be the only route.

johnzx

Sorry to hi-jack this thread but the claim form you are talking about is 'hoja de reclamacion' right? And you say this is downloadable from the internet?

I'm having problems with a company in Tarragona and despite several phone calls and emails requesting this claim form, it appears they have no intention of sending one to me so I'm wondering how I can actually make a claim against this company.

It seems that a lot of Spanish companies like to play 'Call My Bluff' regarding these claim forms. They'll push customers to the limit with bad service and only when claim forms are requested do you get the problem solved.

The Hojas de Reclamación.

I do not know why people are reluctant to ask for the forms.  It is so easy.  If you are dissatisfied with a product or service ask for the forms.  Say you will call the Policía Local if they do not produce them.  If they do not, call the police. The police should attend, demand the forms and if not produced, issue a fine and close the establishment.

As I said, usually the business will resolve the issue if you appear you will follow through.  Unless you get satisfaction immediately never be put off completing the form by promises. If you leave it then almost certainly all you are doing is delaying the process.   If you complete the form and you then get satisfaction within 10 days, that is an end to it.  You do not have to take any further action. If not resolved take the Consumer’s Officer copy to that office and they will pursue it.

I just Googled   “'hoja de reclamacion' andalucia English”. 

One of the results was:-       

http://ws040.juntadeandalucia.es/hoja/hojas/impresionFrom.do

Thanks johnzx

The Spanish appear to accept bad service and maybe making a claim doesn't even cross their minds. 

We bought a sofa from Conforama which broke under guarantee. After several weeks of sitting on the floor and getting no response from the manufacturer I began to get impatient, my partner (who is Spanish) didn't really see the problem and was happy to let them take their time. After nearly three months I convinced her to go to Conforama and fill out a claim form. We asked for one, and the supervisor came to try and talk us out of it but we remained firm. We filled out the form and went home. Later that afternoon we received a call from the sofa manufacturer and by the end of the week we had our replacement sofa.

These forms do work and people do need to use them more often, I try to convince my partner that poor service in Spain will continue until the Spanish start to stand up to it.

@john. Who is the authority that they are frightened of? I've read you saying before that even police stations have these forms - so who would discipline the police? Would it work asking a tardy Junta planning department for a form? The possibilities sound endless. Perhaps the chap in pain with a hernia and an EHIC on the other thread should have asked the surgeon who refused to operate for one, lol.

The process is ‘prosecuted’ by the Consumers’ Office, initially at the town hall but if not resolved, at provincial or regional level. Not sure which as I have never had one not resoved very quickly.   I even made a complaint, using the forms, against the Consumers Office in the town hall and that worked too.

The chap in pain:  It would appear he was not being dealt with unreasonably but as any other user would be.  So yes he could ask for the forms but he would be acting unreasonable in my opinion. The Regional Medical Services have a set of  'Rules and Obligations'  on display at hospitals, medical centres etc. and on line, which ensure a pretty good level of service.

Johnzx, I am emailing our administrator and instructing them to request this form from the insurers and will update as to how we get on.

Fingers crossed!

Antonio. I am sure your Admin will know they can download the form from the internet and serve by Burofax

Johnzx, thanks again, though the administrator should be telling us this not us having to find out and tell him what to do.

Antonio, it sounds like your Administrator is a bit lightweight.  If the insurer is not settling the claim it may be good advice from Johnzx but it's basic stuff the guy should know. 

You don't say the time frame involved, or the reason for the insurers not settling the claim.  Have you asked them the reason?  All insurers work with similar structures throughout the EU these days.  What you really should be doing is sending an email to the insurer headed "Complaint" and including the claims reference and a simple synopsis of the situation.  Usually within a very short space of time you will receive a reply or explanation.

You are best off using the denouncia route if you get no reply to your complaint email.  What is more, when you issue the denouncia you need to demonstrate you have tried the proper route first.  You might look silly with the police if the insurer is expecting something from you.  So do talk with the insurer first.

Changing insurer is at this stage may be a sterile exercise.  Also there is a true expression about jumping from the frying pan...  You need to communicate with the insurer.  It is quite possible they don't even know they've upset you.

Cynic I may be, but I just wonder what type of relationship the administrator has with the repairing firm  he/she has a responsibility to the owners, it would have been easier to do the job properly.