The Fire Wasn’t the Worst Part: Dealing with Insurance Was
The Amazing Rant
When my house burned down, I thought the hard part was over.
I was wrong.
The fire took everything: my home, memories, and sense of peace. But dealing with my homeowner's insurance after the fire? That was like pulling teeth. They’re supposed to help when disaster strikes, but it didn’t feel that way.
Instead of getting support, I encountered delays, confusing rules, and what felt like a never-ending list of things to do. I wasn’t asking for special treatment, just help getting back what I had already paid for with my insurance.
But here’s the thing: the system is not built to help people. It’s built to protect the insurance companies.
The policies are full of confusing words and fine print. When you’ve just lost your home, the last thing you want to do is dig through pages of legal stuff trying to figure out what’s covered. Even when I followed all their instructions, took photos, made a list of everything I lost, filed quickly, they still gave me a hard time.
What hurt the most was how they acted like they were on my side, but their actions told a different story. I had to argue over prices, prove things I lost, and wait days or weeks for answers. It felt like they were hoping I’d just give up.
And the money they offered? Not nearly enough to replace what I had. I thought I was fully covered. It turns out that there are a lot of hidden rules and limits in the policy. If you don’t know exactly what to look for, you could be left with less than you need to rebuild.
Some of the people I talked to were nice, but being nice doesn’t fix anything when you're stuck in a broken system.
This whole experience made one thing clear: homeowners' insurance needs to change. The rules should be clear and easy to understand, and people who lose everything shouldn’t have to fight for the help they’ve already paid for. I am luckily in a position financially that I can recover and have two other houses to fall back on, but not everyone is in the same shoes.
I trusted them to help when things went wrong. Instead, they made things more complicated.
So no, insurance isn’t always there when you need it most.
Not unless you count making you fill out forms, arguing over every little thing, and waiting while your life is in pieces. This experience has opened my eyes to people who lost everything in the floods in the East or the fires in the West. I now feel your pain.
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I can empathise with you.
A few years ago, I had a break-in. The insurance company did everything possible to get out of paying. I ended up taking them to the Insurance Ombudsmen. Managed to get a bit more out of them but it was like pulling teeth. Still didn't get everything I was entitled to.
While they were suppose to replace old items with new, they argued every item even when I sent them photos of the old and eventually I told them to go and find something comparable as they wouldn't accept anything I put forward.
All I can say, is don't give up. Keep at it. And while it is extra stress at a time when you don't need it - take some time out to relax so you can fight another day.
This is a scary world we live in.
Who reads all that stuff?
Maybe I need to rethink the effort to wade through those pages of tiny print!
Thanks for sharing.
Sami
It would be a good idea. The other angle is that they often sell you what you don't need as well. Reading first will save you a headache later.
I can certainly understand your frustration. During my 30 years in construction industry, many of them repairing water and fire damaged properties, including a few years as a claims representative for a major insurance company. The biggest issue that I faced was insureds not having a clue about what was actually insured and what was excluded from coverage. In addition most insureds had never even read their policies. Granted the language can be challenging but asking questions before a loss can often point to gaps in coverage. I’m sorry to hear you had such a difficult time with your claim. Rant understood!!
Yep! Sounds bout right! And this is coming from someone who use to work in the insurance field. Its good money and can be very beneficial. It also can be very horrifying as you and others have experience. One thing I learned over the years is to "read" everything.
Something that my late aunt Dawn taught me. Nothing will ever be black and white. Somethings will just be grey and a lot of these companies operate in the grey areas. I tell people all the time if you do not understand what you are reading get a lawyer to help break down the legalese.
Sign nothing until you have a good understanding of your contract and if the terms are acceptable to you.
And even better when put into practice 👍. I have avoided many scams just by practicing what I preach.
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A banker is someone who gives you an umbrella when the sun is shining—then takes it away the moment it starts to rain. The same can be said of insurance companies.
Great analogy!