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Are you sure you're insured? Beware these 10 small-print surprises
From car modifications to storm damage, here are the T&Cs that could scupper a
claim on your home, car or travel insurance
Only one in five Which? members say they understand the terms and conditions of their insurance policy 'very well.'
This is hardly surprising, given that policy documents can run for many pages and include lots of jargon. Unfortunately, skipping the small print could end up costing you if you later need to make a claim.
Here we look at the common traps in home, travel and car insurance and how you can make sure you're properly covered.
1. Wear and tear is your problem
Disputes over wear and tear claims came up more than any other in our research.
Wear and tear exclusions apply to both car and home insurance. The best way to avoid a claim being rejected is to carry out regular maintenance checks, such as keeping your car's water and oil levels topped up, and checking the windows and roof of your home are in good condition – especially in the colder months.
- Find out more: 5 surprising events your home insurer might not cover
2. Don't assume all your valuables are covered
It can be hard to know how much your belongings are worth, but if their value is higher now than when you took out your contents insurance policy, you could find yourself underinsured.
Most contents insurance polices will have a 'single-item limit' that tends to range from £1,000 to £2,500. If any individual item exceeds this, you will not be fully covered.
You will have set this limit when you took out the policy, so check your documents. If you think it's no longer enough, contact your insurer.
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Listen now3. How you use your home matters
Your insurer usually needs to know if you're using your property for business purposes. For example, if you're storing your supplies for an Etsy business you may need to take out a business insurance policy to make sure these are covered.
If you're renting out a room on Airbnb, you'll need to check if your insurer will cover this and whether any restrictions apply – for example, you might not be able rent out rooms for more than 60 days of the year.
If you're not sure how to find the sort of cover you need, speak to an insurance broker.
- Find out more: Best and worst home insurance
4. Some 'storms' don't count
Your insurer could refuse your claim if it doesn't find a high enough recorded wind speed when the damage was caused: 55mph is a common threshold set by insurers.
To avoid your claim being rejected, check your policy documents to see if your insurer includes a definition of what constitutes a storm. Then check the Met Office website to see what the winds were when your home was damaged.
- Find out more: what buildings insurance typically covers
5. Disclose all car modifications
You need to tell your insurer if any modifications have been made to your car, even if they seem irrelevant. Not doing so could result in your claim being rejected, and even your policy being voided.
Modifications could include cosmetic stickers, additional exhausts and updates to your music system.
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Get a quote6. Tell your insurer if you use your car to commute
The more you use your car, the more likely you are to crash, which has a direct impact on your insurance premiums.
It is therefore vital you tell your insurer if you use your car to commute to work, even if it isn't everyday. If you took out your car insurance during the pandemic, make sure you have updated your details to reflect this change.
Some insurers even consider driving to the train station as commuting, so your best bet is to check your paperwork and find out what their parameters are.
7. Check your whole group is covered
If you're going on a group holiday, it's even more important to check your insurance policy will cover if you end up having to cancel your trip. If your travelling companions are covered by a different policy, you could be left high and dry.
Making sure your entire group is on the same travel insurance policy is an easy way to avoid this, but that might not work for you if you're already covered – for example, through a packaged bank account or existing annual policy.
It's worth speaking to your insurer to understand what your options are.
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Get a quote8. Your package holiday might not be covered
Some travel insurers exclude package holidays from their policies as they consider the costs to be recoverable through the holiday provider.
If your insurer does cover package holidays, it is likely you'll need to prove you have tried to claim back the costs through your package holiday provider first.
- Find out more: How to claim on your travel insurance
9. Details are key when making a claim
It may sound obvious, but you need to make sure when making your claim you have included all the details, without exaggerating or leaving out key information.
Any missing or incorrect details could result in your insurer refusing your claim, voiding your cover, and even adding you to a fraud register – making it more difficult for you to find cover in future.
You also need to be upfront about whether you’ve made a claim before. Insurers have access to the Claims and Underwriting Exchange database, which records claims. If the insurer finds out before you tell it, your cover will most likely be voided.
10. Make your claim promptly
If you’re too late to make a claim after an event has happened, even if your claim is valid, it could be turned down.
Your policy document will typically tell you to let your insurer know ‘as soon as practical’.
There’s a balance to strike here, because it’s also worth taking the time to make sure you’ve got all the information needed to make a claim, and to weigh up whether it’s worth claiming in the first place.
- Find out more: How to make a car insurance claim
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