Cold callers are pressuring people into taking out insurance on their growing list of household appliances.
Consumer magazine Which? found in a recent survey of its members that more than a quarter had received these cold calls.
Which? describe the contracts sold as containing “generic wording, giving little detail about what’s actually being paid for and casting doubt on what you’d get if you tried to use your appliance cover”.
Reputable companies will never call you out of the blue asking for payments, so you can guarantee that any cold calling company is bad news and should be avoided.
Some of the most frequently reported messages are:
- Your TV / washing machine / boiler insurance is due to be renewed. You are asked to give your bank details and you might be told that you are eligible for a special deal because you have a no claims bonus
- Your Sky box needs replaced. You’re asked to provide your bank details so that a new box can be sent out to you
- A maintenance payment is due for your TV. The caller might say that court proceedings will be started against you if you don’t pay
- You need to renew your plumbing or draining cover
The list is endless, so be aware and do not take at face value anything said by an unexpected caller, even if they know basic information such as your name.
If you want insurance on your appliances then do your research to see what is the best value and only look at companies with a track record of paying up when there is a problem.
If you have any experiences with these scams do let me know, by email.
