Go figure

[red750]

In the topic Damn this weather, I reported the damage caused by a storm, causing the ceiling of our loungeroom to collapse. The insurance company engaged a company to complete the repairs. The plasterer patched the roof and left it for the painters to complete. The company tried to engage a couple of painters but they declined the job because the money offered by the insurance company was insufficient. One painting company they referred me to said they only offered $850, but their quote for this job would be $1100. I requested a cash settlement and my son would do the painting, at the time delayed by my wifes health problems.

 

I received an email from the insurance company today saying they had reached a cash settlement and a payment of $1245 would be in my account within 3 working days.

 

Go figure.

[onetrack]

Peter - Well, that's a satisfactory outcome, and it's good to hear you'll get your money within 3 days. We had our Dec 29th 2021 flight from the Gold Coast to Perth cancelled by Virgin, because W.A. locked down the border to Qld on 20th Dec., and we had to rush home early to get back in, ruining our Christmas holiday with the stepson and his family. On top of that, we got locked up for 14 days in quarantine upon arrival, which totally destroyed both our Christmas and New Year.

 

Then, to get our cancelled flight money back from Virgin, we had to wait 4 weeks before we could lodge a refund claim. Upon doing so, in early February, the refund claim was accepted - and I was cheerily advised by Virgins CSO that it could take NINETY days before we see the refund!!

It's now near the end of March, and still no sign of the $700, so it looks like it will be 90 days, before we see our money back in our account. 

[Jerry_Atrick]

A good result, Peter... and in this case, a just outcome. Way back when my partner and I were living in Melbourne, my partner bumped into a tradie's VB/VC beaten up Commodore wagon. She (in this case, stupidly) left her contact details. She had  photos and there was no discernible damage. The back of her Jackaroo nudged the grille or bumper bar. She had witnesses (work colleagues) to what happened.

 

Next thing a threatening demand letter came from a lawyer's office demanding payment of something like $5K or so - back in 2003.. The damage listed went into tailgate damage and all sorts of things.. quite a bit of damage from a small nudge during a reverse parallel park. If the bill was for a grille or bumper I would have just paid it rather than faffed about with the insurance company, thinking it would be more or less the same excess cost. But, $5K was a "bit" more than the excess.. so I referred it to the insurance company, making clear it was a fraudulent claim, with the photos as well as notifying them of witnesses being available.,

 

A letter comes back from the prominent Aussie insurance company, that was originally a specialist motor insurance company, that the "claim" had been approved and here's a bill for I think it was a couple of hundred dollars excess. I was livid and called them up, explaining that I hadn't even filled out a claim form, and was advising them that this was clearly a fraud and should be referred onto the police. The polite lady informed me that there was no need to file a claim when lawyers get involved, and alluded to the fact that it is simply cheaper to pay them off then go through the defending of the claim for that amount. I was even more livid than before, but figured, it wasn't worth my while..

 

So I called the lawyers to have some fun. I made a bit stupid and said to the lawyer there was no way the "collision" could cause that much damage, especially to the rear of the car.. .He launched into an almost abusive, but definitely threatening diatribe, to which I responded, I have photos, I have independent witnesses, and how will he prove to a court a gentle nudge would cause so much damage to a car, that was already extensively damaged, if in minor cosmetic ways. He stopped for a minute, and then said, "Look, just refer it to your insurance company - they don't care about these amounts." I responded, "But I care these fraudulent claims cause an increase to all our insurance premiums."

 

He responded he would continue the claim as most motor insurance companies have a step in clause in the case of litigation.. So, the insurer pays out fraud, costs go up, and premiums rise as a result.. Which is why I said, my partner stupidly left her contact details.

[red750]

It has been a day of surprises, which, with the expenses we are facing to deal with my wife's passing, has turned out quite well. The amount of the insurance settlement was a surprise. My son will do the painting of the ceiling, which means that there should be a reasonable amount left over.

 

My daughter was listed with CentreLink as carer for my wife, driving her to medical appointments, chemo treatments, etc., and received a carer's allowance. She had to advise CentreLink that my wife had passed, so today I received an email saying there was a message in my myGov mailbox. I logged in and checked the message and found that I had been paid a bereavement allowance of $3100 to assist with covering the funeral expenses. I checked my bank account, and sure enough, there was the direct credit. Incredibly fast response. It certainly eases the pressure. Irene must be up there pulling a few strings.

 

 

[old man emu]

As much as we malign CentreLink, it does come through when needed. 

[nomadpete]

At the other end of the spectrum, my wife just spent another two hours on the phone to centrelink. Argy bargy been going on for a year.

Her mother, aged 84, just had her pension cut off due to excessive assets. Ccentrelink demanded her to go into their office but she can hardly walk and besides, is too deaf to converse, and is not big on understanding. She lives alone on a hundred acres of blacksoil located in a rain shadow. When her husband was alive, he had a couple of cattle, but was constantly buying feed for them. It was never productive, just his hobby. Half of the land is on a separate title, so is always going to be a centrelink asset even though it is in a flood zone, and is only accessible via a 'dry weather only' road. Can't be built on, can't support stock. Been on the market for years. Not sold. Overvalued due solely to location.

Centrelink didn't accept that her primary residence was over 20yrs, so counted it as an asset.

Add to that, centrelink refused to accept that she has spent almost all her savings, so put her over the asset limit.

You see, her savings are held in a passbook account (remember those?). Centrelink cannot see the balance, and cannot accept the account number.

Finally a phone call landed with an understanding operator who was working from home, and found a workaround to restore a part pension, which allows her to stay in the home she and her late husband built together.

 

A reasonable result, but what a battle. And untold stress on the recipient who is not able to sort such stuff out without a lot of help.

Edited March 25, 2022 by nomadpete

[nomadpete]

   Go Figure.......

 

Yesterday was a nice mild sunny day and we planned a relaxing lazy day of gardening.

Then the pager went off and 'dads army' turned out for a vegetation fire not far from our house - we smelt the smoke.

Seems that old mate was cutting firewood and a spark from the chainsaw ignited the grass. He had a 1000 ltr IBC tank right beside, on back of his tractor. It had a hose, but not water! We got there about 12 min after the triple O call and the fire was racing uphill toward dry forest, his log was alight,  and a stringbark tree was already burning 20 mtrs up its trunk.

Why would anybody go to the trouble of taking a big empty tank up to where he was chainsawing in all that dead grass? Go Figure!