# Insurance question



## Jakedoodles (Jan 16, 2006)

Can anyone help me with this? If you buy something second hand, and it then get's nicked, how do you prove to insurance that you owned it without a shop receipt? Do they just accept that you did own it, or do you need to prove it to them somehow?


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## Buzzsaw (Nov 4, 2007)

Fairly sure you will need proof of purchase - why not give em a call


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## silver bmw z3 (Apr 30, 2007)

Not sure, I suspect this is why people are keen on receipts when they buy stuff e.g. on ebay. I think if you had a house full of contents and not a single receipt then they may look on it as suspicious. I doubt they expect a full set of receipts for everything you've ever bought. We tend to keep receipts for most things. When I had my briefcase nicked I think I had one or two things that were gifts and didn't have a receipt and they payed up.


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## Jakedoodles (Jan 16, 2006)

Well, I have a receipt, but it's just a hand written jobbie. I could have written it up to be honest. That's what got me thinking, if I needed to claim on my insurance for this, how could I prove it?


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Some commercial policies won't pay out without proof of purchase. But this is usually less of a problem as there is normally some sort of audit trail to show a purchase.

With personal stuff, it depends on the insurers and how they wish to deal with the claim. Not everybody keeps purchase receipts of everything, so Insurers come across this often. In the event of a theft, they often check the police report to see what was notified to the police. Some things you may be able to prove by photo, ie if it is an item of jewellery you may have a photo with it being worn etc.

The fact it is second hand shouldn't affect the replacement, as most cover is on a "new for old" basis. But like you say, proving you had it in the first place is another thing entirely.


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Wonderdetail said:


> Well, I have a receipt, but it's just a hand written jobbie. I could have written it up to be honest. That's what got me thinking, if I needed to claim on my insurance for this, how could I prove it?


Take a photo with it in the background... :thumb:


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## Jakedoodles (Jan 16, 2006)

Thanks Lloyd - that answers my question, and was what I had suspected, but wasn't sure!


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## GeeJay (Jun 10, 2007)

I'm going round my house, photographing everything when i get in :lol: 
I don't have receipts for half the stuff (although if I trawled my emails, I'd probably find most things I've bought off the internet!)


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## Step_7 (Apr 25, 2008)

Wouldn't be hard to knock up a convincing Paypal or eBay Invoice in Word or Photoshop, not for fraud obviously, but in the event that something did actually get nicked and you needed a proof of purchase.


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Fraud is fraud.

It's better to be honest in the first place and explain you haven't got a receipt. As soon as you go knocking things up, even though it may be for a genuine claim, you are producing fraudulent evidence to back something up. If a loss adjuster follows up the receipt, you risk having the whole claim kicked out, your policy cancelled and extreme difficulty finding alternative insurance when you disclose you have had a claim refused and a policy cancelled due to fraud.


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## npinks (Feb 25, 2008)

i left my rucksack on the back of a chair on the top of a mountain, when i eventually got back up it had gone

My insurance company want receipt for everything in it.

I had a few ebay receipt for some things, but the stuff i had paid cash for and not kept receipt they deducted a percentage per year of ownership.

they would not accept a photo of me snowboarding with it either


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## mike996 (May 6, 2008)

This is a difficult one as the insurer needs to show due care and attention in assessign each claim - as there is no ********** "proof" of purchase - i.e. not all purchases will have a printed receipt for the goods. Bank and Credit Card Statements, backed up with a photo may suffice, but if the claimhandler is in any way suspicious of the claim, they can block the claim payment. Suspicion is usually aroused when a claimant claims up to the exact full amount for the claim, or claims for multiple "high end" items (nobody ever claims for Boots sunglasses, they miraculously become Armani sunglasses!! If you are as open and honest with the Insurance Company, and accept the fact that, if you cant prove ALL of the items, they will usually be quite amenable!


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

I remember years ago i had a discussion with a senior claims negotiator at Norwich Union. At the time less than 10% of the population had Nicam TV's, but more than 50% of claims were for damaged Nicam TV's. And he said if you believed what was on Household & Travel claim forms, the beaches of Benidorm are lined with Rolex watches.:lol:


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## silver bmw z3 (Apr 30, 2007)

Step_7 said:


> Wouldn't be hard to knock up a convincing Paypal or eBay Invoice in Word or Photoshop, not for fraud obviously, but in the event that something did actually get nicked and you needed a proof of purchase.


Insurance contracts are contracts of "utmost good faith", which is different to to other contracts. Insurance companies are reliant on people telling the truth and voluntarily giving important information to them. You do not want to be caught lying to an insurance company even if it is a "white lie" as if you are found out you will find it difficult to get insurance and find claims rejected and policies cancelled.


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## leggy (Sep 30, 2008)

mate l had loads of gear nicked from my garage didnt have a receipt for any of in and they still paid out, more and more people buy things second hand these days


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## silver bmw z3 (Apr 30, 2007)

There's nothing stopping you getting a receipt when buying stuff second hand ? I wondered why people bother with receipts/invoices on private ebay sales but it all makes sense now.


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## ryandoc (Jun 22, 2008)

Funny actually as i changed my house insurance about 2 months ago and basically asked what if the house burns down how do I claim for anything I dont have a reciept for, I have a few watches worth a decent amount stuff like that. They just said take pics. Still need to do it actually


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