Unfortunately, we are seeing how the insurance companies are “putting obstacles” to fully cover all the food we have in the refrigerator and freezer, when there has been an overvoltage in our home, the leads go out and we find that our appliances do not work and most of the food has been spoiled. How to act in these cases?
Does my homeowner’s insurance cover food in the refrigerator?
Yes, your home insurance may cover the damage caused to foodstuffs due to a breakdown or overvoltage that prevents the operation of your household appliances (or, at least, it should be covered).
Recently, we have had several claims, known in the insurance world as “damage to refrigerated goods”. “damage to refrigerated goods”.. Precisely, in dates close to Christmas is when we accumulate more and better food in our house.
The first advice we should give is: at least have a minimum guarantee of 300 €, since if we have fish, meat, sausage and something else, we can exceed 200 €.
How is a refrigerated food claim handled?
We will explain the steps to take when you find your food defrosted:
1. Take photos of the damage
For an insurance company, the most important thing is to have proof of what happened. Make sure that there are several shots, so that you can easily visualize everything that has been damaged, as well as, if possible, that the appliance can be seen.
2. Prepare a list of refrigerated foods
Make a list of the food that has been damaged, to be submitted to the insurance company.
For example:
- Meats
- Fish and seafood
- Dairy
- Sauces and preparations
- Fruits and vegetables
In it you will have to detail all the foods that are no longer edible, together with their purchase amounts. This will be the basis of the claim and the company will evaluate the amount to be compensated to the insured.
3. Attach purchase invoices
If they are available, it is much better to be able to provide it to the insurance company (although it is understood that this is not always possible, but rather the opposite).
What problems can we encounter if we don’t do this?
As we said at the beginning of this post, in some occasions it is happening to us with several companies that are proposing half of the compensation for “lack of evidence” of the existence of all the food claimed. Here you have a list of the best home insurance where these problems do not happen.
In many cases, this happens due to the absence of photos, since, when we find the refrigerator turned off, first you throw everything in the trash, and a few days later we remember to report it to the company, so it is impossible to prove the pre-existence of the spoiled food. In other cases, it is simply because the photos of the refrigerator breakdown do not show all the foodstuffs properly. It is true that we have managed to increase the indemnities, and in several cases to obtain 100% of thecompensation. when there were no photos. But it is important to follow these steps to avoid problems.
If, in addition to the food, the refrigerator is damaged by overvoltage, here is an article on electrical damage in the home insurance that can be of great help.
As you can see, we can help you with your home insurance, as we have done with these claims. If you want to improve your insurance, contact us.
