How to avoid a Christmas catastrophe
Don’t let the festive season turn into a disaster and an insurance claim, says
CHRISTMAS is coming and with it a whole raft of festive faux pas that can cause chaos and heartache and cost families dear.
Figures from Zurich UK show the insurer received almost 10,000 claims last Christmas – nearly half of those were for accidental damage.
These ranged from a candle setting fire to the dinner table to snowballs filled with stones smashing windows.
It’s safe to say that last Christmas wasn’t completely filled with cheer for everyone.
James Nicholson, UK chief claims officer at Zurich, says: “Many look forward to Christmas all year and plan meticulously so that they can make precious memories with their family. However, while we may like to think that the festivities will be full of magic, there are things you can’t plan for.
“It’s not just accidental damage claims we see at Christmas time – more than one in 10 are for escape of water and burst pipes. Whatever the peril, make sure you take the same level of caution you would throughout the year to avoid any dampeners on Christmas celebrations.”
While it’s the season to be jolly, many households were left feeling like their tinsel was in a tangle after having to make a claim.
THE 12 CLAIMS OF CHRISTMAS Burning the table, not the turkey
1.
Just about to tuck into the turkey, one family Christmas dinner ended up quite heated as the candle in the centre piece caught fire causing over £10,000 worth of damage.
2. It’s ‘snow’ joke when playtime is shattered
Everyone loves a good snowball fight. However, one policyholder was left with a broken window when they found out the hard way that there was a stone in their snowball, creating more than £1,600 worth of damage.
3. Tipples can topple
It can be fun playing host to your nearest and dearest. But one customer said their guest was left redfaced when they accidentally spilled red wine over their brand new cream carpets, which cost almost £3,000 to replace.
4. Reindeers on the run
Father Christmas may need to keep better control of his team, as some drivers reported collisions with deer over Christmas last year.
Not only could this leave Rudolph with more than a red nose, but it left one policyholder with £10,000 worth of damage to their vehicle.
5. Dinner is dripping
Christmas dinner is the highlight of the day for many, but freezer malfunctions ruined it for more than 200 households last year. One customer had to throw out £325 worth of food – their entire Christmas menu.
6. Smells like Christmas
Real Christmas trees can leave homes smelling festive for weeks but it’s important to make sure your tree container doesn’t leak.
One couple learned this the hard way as the water from their tree pot leaked all over the carpet.
7. Cousins can be competitive
Family games can get heated as no one likes to lose. But keep a tight grip on game controllers as they can cause considerable damage if thrown about.
Multiple customers reported children (and adults) accidentally letting go of controllers, ending up with expensive TVS being smashed.
8. Silent Night
One customer was left with not just a silent night, but a silent Christmas when they lost their hearing aids during a family walk.
Another reported accidentally running over their hearing aids, causing £2,525 worth of damage – but it did save them from the hassle of listening to their in-laws.
9. Soggy gifts
It can be hard finding good places to hide Christmas presents, especially if there are young children in the house.
However, be careful about storing gifts in the loft.
One mother went to get the gifts down to wrap them and discovered a pipe had burst.
Not only did it drench and ruin the presents, but the leak also caused more than £22,000 worth of damage to the
home.
10. Fireworks cause more than a bang
New Year’s Eve often goes off with a big bang. But before one customer could sing Auld Lang Syne, a firework startled them, causing them to accidentally throw what they were holding at the TV.
Sadly, the TV needed replacing – not a great way to start the New Year.
11. A mistake at midnight mass
Midnight mass went wrong for one customer last year when he dropped his camera at church. The damage was irreparable and the camera needed replacing.
12. New Year, New Home
The Christmas break can be a great time to tackle projects that you’ve put off all year long and to re-invent your home – especially if you have time off work.
But be careful when decorating and doing DIY as you don’t want to
end up kicking paint over on carpets.
This type of mishap can cost customers almost £1,000 to fix.
PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN HAVING TO FIND A CURE
Keep your house warm to avoid the risk of frozen pipes – escape of water damage can cost tens of thousands of pounds. Burst water pipe claims soared by 75% last winter as high energy bills saw 13 million households avoid putting their heating on.
The average cost of repairs for burst pipes has risen by almost £4,000 in just one year, up to £12,791.
Ensure pipes are sufficiently lagged, including external taps, or pipes that feed combi-boilers.
Set your heating system thermostat to at least 10°C to maintain an ambient temperature, especially if you are leaving your home empty when there’s a risk of freezing.
Ensure that your insurance covers all new presents.
Candles, tea lights and incense burners should never be left unattended, and should be used far away from curtains, net curtains, carpets
and other furniture that could catch fire.
Make sure you have smoke alarms installed and test them out regularly.
If you are leaving your home unattended this Christmas, ensure it is properly secure and, if possible, ask a neighbour to check in on it.
If there are any weather warnings in place in your area or where you are intending to travel to, consider if your journey is really necessary.
If you get new expensive items for Christmas, take pictures of them in case you need to claim in the future.
While we may like to think that the festivities will be full of magic, there are things you can’t plan for. James Nicholson, UK chief claims officer at Zurich
BEFORE MAKING A CLAIM
Make sure your contents insurance is up to date and that you are covered for any new items you may have purchased.
Check your excess level to ensure it is still appropriate.
Check your level of cover. If you are underinsured, your payout might not be enough to cover all of your damaged items.
Check your policy documents before making a claim to ensure you are covered for the items you are claiming for.