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Dear Katie,
I am faced with a frustrating situation while trying to obtain a replacement fridge freezer for my elderly cousin through her insurers, Domestic & General.
My cousin, who is in her late eighties, recently came out of the hospital after a fall at home. Unfortunately, her fridge freezer stopped working during Christmas. Although she knew she couldn’t contact her insurers until December 28, she expected a swift resolution since her policy included replacement coverage in case of irreparable damage.
However, things didn’t go as expected. Domestic & General sent an engineer to assess the situation a few days later, who determined that the integrated unit was beyond repair. He recommended ordering a replacement, but my cousin was informed that the insurers couldn’t take any action until they received the engineer’s report. Despite being classified as “vulnerable,” she wasn’t given any explanation for the delay.
Due to my cousin’s hearing difficulties, I took the responsibility of dealing with Domestic & General on her behalf. However, every call I made to the company involved a waiting time of at least 20 minutes before someone answered, and the calls often lasted for another 40 minutes. On January 9, I called the company to explain my cousin’s situation and request the earliest possible delivery of a compatible integrated fridge freezer. I was informed that the soonest available date for delivery to my cousin’s home would be January 12 from a reputable retailer.
The retailer couldn’t provide an exact replacement, but my cousin was desperate for any model that would fit. Therefore, she accepted the offer. We were told that the retailer would contact her on the delivery day to provide a more precise timeframe. However, the order couldn’t proceed until a payment of £108 was made for fitting the new units and disposing of the old one, so I made the payment on my cousin’s behalf using my own card.
Unfortunately, January 12 arrived and neither the fridge freezer nor any communication from the retailer were received. I contacted Domestic & General again on the following morning and was informed that they could only send an email to the retailer as no phone contact was possible. I inquired about the earliest rescheduled delivery date, which was arranged for January 19. Although my hopes were low, I believed that the same problem wouldn’t arise again.
However, I was proven wrong once more. There was no delivery, no communication, and no explanation. Another delivery has now been scheduled with a different retailer for this coming Friday. I lodged an official complaint with Domestic & General, asking them to investigate the repeated failures, but it seems that no one is willing to take responsibility for the problem.
When I questioned why they hadn’t addressed the retailer’s failures to deliver or provide any explanation, and why £108 had been taken for a service that wasn’t provided, I was met with disbelief. I even asked for the relevant details and order number from their interactions with the retailer, but was told that this information couldn’t be provided.
I have lost all confidence that the installation will be successful on the third attempt. In the meantime, my cousin has been without a functioning freezer for over a month. She faithfully paid her insurance premiums every year, believing that she had peace of mind and the ability to quickly resolve any difficulties. The service she received is completely unacceptable.
– IJ, via email
Dear reader,
For your elderly cousin, who didn’t have a partner or children to care for her after being discharged from the hospital, the breakdown of her fridge had a significant impact on her daily life and ability to cope on her own. For someone struggling to leave the house to buy food, not having a place to store it presented a major practical challenge.
Aware of the nightmare that would ensue if any of her essential appliances broke down, your cousin took out white goods cover with Domestic & General. She expected this coverage to provide a safety net in the absence of family support, but unfortunately, it fell short.
When Domestic & General repeatedly failed to deliver a new fridge and proved difficult to contact, your cousin became very depressed. You sought my help and obtained her permission for me to step in and communicate with Domestic & General on her behalf. However, when you went to visit her to finalize the arrangements, you discovered that she had collapsed and an ambulance had to be called. She was admitted to the hospital unconscious with a suspected stroke.
Ironically, on that very same day, you received a notification that her long-awaited replacement fridge freezer would finally be delivered after two previous failed attempts. You waited for the delivery and installation while your cousin remained hospitalized.
Following my involvement, Domestic & General offered £350 as compensation. This included a refund of the year’s premiums, a £50 goodwill payment, and the £108 you paid for the new fridge. However, when we spoke, you expressed disappointment with the offered compensation, and I agreed with you.
At that moment, it occurred to me that Domestic & General hadn’t disclosed the duration and total amount of your cousin’s premium payments. Although they were willing to refund a year’s premium, I believed that her total payments to date should be refunded since this was her first claim.
As it turns out, your cousin had paid a total of £1,147 to Domestic & General since 2015. In a positive turn of events, they agreed to return this amount to her estate in addition to the original £350 compensation. Therefore, a total of £1,447 will be donated to various charities, including the British Heart Foundation, to which she bequeathed everything.
A spokesperson for Domestic & General expressed sadness upon learning about Mrs. Caplin’s passing. They acknowledged the delayed replacement experience and refunded all her policy payments due to her status as a long-standing customer.
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