Dear Community,
Maybe somebody can help me.
This Wednesday (August 12th) a lightning bolt struck our house (8 tenants each). This resulted in overvoltage damage to several devices. Since we live on the ground floor we were relatively lucky, with the neighbors partly the sockets and plaster flew out of the wall. The power went out for a few hours, of course, but that was repaired very quickly - the actual damage was only discovered later;
4K television - broken, Playstation 4pro - broken, Xbox One X - broken, router / DSL modem - broken, telephone - broken and Nintendo Switch docking station (not the console, strangely enough) - broken.
So. Household contents insurance informed (LBN base tariff!) And received sheets to fill out. It also clearly says 150 self-service items and NO REFUND without receipts.
I now have a few questions about this;
1.) A few devices still have a guarantee and would be repaired or replaced by the manufacturer free of charge. In this regard Has already been phoned with any manufacturers. Will lbn still reimburse the purchase price, for example?
2.) We have no receipt for the phone because it is old and I also got it from my parents at the time - what do you do in such cases?
3.) Will the LBN send an expert out to check the overvoltage damage of the lightning?
4.) Without exception, every tenant in the house has at least one defective device as a result of the lightning strike and nobody knows for sure whether a lightning rod / defense system was installed at all. Can the landlord be prosecuted for this?
5.) Is there anything else I can do to speed things up? Obtain proof of the lightning strike (where can you do that?)? Ask the landlord for a record?
I have no experience with such an event and I hope I get some help from experts or other people who (unfortunately) have experienced something like this!
I can't and won't help, too many inconsistencies. Just so much as food for thought:
1. Didn't the house have a lightning rod?
2. Didn't you have overvoltage protection (that suggests your question!)? No VS pays in the event of gross negligence.
3. Your 1st) would be SCAM and can be easily exposed!
Oh my God. What world do you live in… That a few fun devices should be more important than the habitability of a building with 8 families? For that reason alone, you shouldn't be answered at all.
But I still want to do it.
First of all, you should let your agent make the damage report, because:
he is responsible for ensuring that in the event of damage you are neither under nor over but properly insured. And if he insured you wrongly, he himself has a property damage liability insurance that compensates you for his wrong advice, if your own insurance company can successfully pull out of the affair. Incidentally, that is the reason why you should never take out insurance without advice, as is common on the Internet.
He knows the many pitfalls that you are guaranteed to run into the open knife when you report the damage yourself and are therefore not compensated fairly or not at all.
Overvoltage damage is a mechanical influence from the outside, neither guarantee nor warranty is responsible. Sending the devices back to the manufacturer brings absolutely nothing except additional costs. Warranty and guarantee protect the consumer from manufacturing defects, but not from external influences.
The LBN requires evidence, so logically, if something is stolen you have to be able to prove that you owned it at all. In your case, however, all devices are still there and are insured at the sliding new value… Unfortunately, in addition to the agreed excess, there's also a limit for electronic devices. If you have been properly insured, you will get all damage up to the insured amount plus 10%. If not, 15% of the insured amount for electrical appliances applies in the worst case… Then you have to check the conditions first.
on your point 2. Household items are insured at the sliding new value, which means that you are entitled to adjustment up to the amount that a comparable device costs in the store today. The receipt is the damaged device itself.
The LBN has access to the system registered the storm and lightning, so everything is easy to understand. It is also possible for the LBN to send a regulator to you to estimate the damage; it is entitled to do so. She can also send or commission an expert with the appraisal, she is also authorized to do so and at least one in-house claims adjuster is always there for damages of many 1,000 euro.
The landlord can only be prosecuted if lightning rods are required by law for the building, but his liability for damages is in any case limited to the repair costs up to a maximum of the current market value. So the sum that a comparable device, of the same age and state of wear and tear, costs today as a used device. Household contents insurance, on the other hand, regulates the moving new value, i.e. The amount that a comparable device as a new device costs in the store today.
Too good last… The best thing you can and should do now is not do anything except ask your insurance broker for help. He has sold you the insurance and receives regular commission for it, then he should also ensure that you are fairly compensated in the event of damage.
Regarding point 1: I don't know that. I looked up the lease and asked some neighbors, but nobody could tell me whether the house had (had) a lightning arrester. The antenna was dismantled and taken along the same day as the lightning strike. My understanding goes as far as a lightning arrester does the following: divert or at least weaken the lightning. Due to the damage on the upper floor of my neighbors (everything is really broken there) it seems to me as if the lightning had struck the antenna unhindered.
Regarding point 2: Yes, I did, von Brennenstuhl. However, the overvoltage probably came through the telephone socket, our O2box is router & DSL in one, connected to the consoles with Ethernet cable, in turn connected to the TV set via HDMI cable. A chain reaction. So the overvoltage protection of the power strip was of little help.
Regarding point 3: I have informed the LBN that 2 devices are covered by the guarantee, including the date of purchase. The TV is repaired by the manufacturer free of charge, I already spoke to him on the phone and said that it was a lightning strike. But they didn't seem to care and I was told that it was under warranty. Therefore…
Oh dear, I don't know exactly what gave you the impression in my question that the integrity of my roommates seems secondary to me, but ok. Unfortunately, in addition to the internet, I don't have a phone either and school started again this week, so I'm a little stressed out. My child is picked up by the ambulance service and I had to tell them that our doorbell no longer works (I forgot to mention that here!) And that I can only be reached via mobile phone at the moment. I didn't want to step on anyone's feet, but unfortunately it's common on the Internet and everyone puts every word on the gold scales, at least in Germany. Nevertheless, I don't want to digress, thank you very much for taking the time for this detailed answer. You have really helped me a lot!
The TV is repaired by Amazon free of charge because there's still a warranty on it, although I said it was overvoltage damage caused by lightning. Customer service told me it was free anyway. I'm curious. If not, I would send the invoice for the repair to the LBN, because they write in their terms and conditions that they ONLY take over repair costs. QUOTE: "Expert opinion and cost estimate on special system requested! The cost estimate must be specified and precisely describe the parts of the device that are damaged". And also: "Purchase price (original receipt) Without receipt, NO refund".
Has lightning really struck your house?
How much is the damage to the building itself?
I can't believe that it only blew the sockets out of the wall and damaged some ancient electrical devices.
In addition, if a house is struck by lightning, it is usually expected that a fire will result.
You have to ask your insurance agent whether your home insurance covers lightning strikes without fire.
However, the overvoltage probably came from the telephone socket
What was it really now - lightning strike or surge voltage damage?
Yes, it hit the antenna. We get a letter from the landlord in the next few days. The antenna was also dismantled and taken along and, as I said, all tenants are affected, some more, others less.
So our 4K television was definitely not very old?
Overvoltage caused by lightning? Honestly…
No VS pays in the event of gross negligence.
This is a wives tale!
On your first point: In order to stifle misunderstandings in the event of a claim, the (signed) consultation protocol is used. In addition, an agent should never negotiate a "basic" tariff.
The policyholder is solely responsible for the sum insured!
Whether your home insurance covers lightning strikes without fire,
How did you get the assumption that house policy terms should exist that ask for it?
Thanks for your comment. At that time, we took out the insurance without an intermediary; we came across LBN via the check24 portal. It was all a few years ago, so unfortunately I can't remember the exact details…
Scheck dingsbums twenty-four is an insurance broker who does not advise but only uses his portal to broker insurance. There's no personal advice and consequently no advice liability. But they collect the same commission month after month as the insurance broker in your neighborhood, who is not only at your side with advice and action in the event of damage. The local broker also has the same products on offer at the same price as the large internet brokers. The only thing is that the local broker does not sell alibi policies such as basic tariffs because the trouble with the customer is inevitable.
Unfortunately I have to say it, but you are the typical example of the customer who comes to my agency at least once a month with tears in his eyes because the insurance company legitimately paid no or far too little compensation.
I took a look at the LBN's 2018 terms and conditions in the basic tariff, according to which the compensation for overvoltage damage is limited to 4,000 euro, regardless of how high your insurance sum is. If your damaged devices have a current value of 10,000 euro as new, then you should also get 10,000 euro, but this is not possible in your tariff, no matter how much the damage to your devices is, you get a maximum of 4,000 euro minus 150 euro deductible.
A sensible home contents insurance that insured 100% would not have been more expensive, but rather cheaper than the LBN.
My urgent advice to you, after accounting for the damage, you have four weeks special right of termination, but you should take advantage of this but seek personal advice from a broker in order to get insurance for the future that corresponds to your risk and to have someone on site who can take care of everything done for you and in an emergency also have to turn your head for his advice. That doesn't cost you a cent anymore, but gives you the certainty that you are properly and sensibly insured.
The zero checkers are also in the (advisory) liability.
Here is an example: https://www.reklamieren24.de/check24/schlechte-beratung-bei-check24-6655
Laugh… It's good.
Reference is made to the transmission of the product description and insurance conditions, which the normal customer can't assess at all. In the specific case, the customer may still see that he will be bombed back to the Stone Age in the event of damage, congratulations, because that alone is rare. Otherwise, the customer really only sees the numbers and thinks "it will fit" until, in the event of damage, he has to painfully get to know the meaning behind the numbers.
Sorry, typo:
I looked at the LBN's 2018 conditions in the basic tariff, so the compensation for overvoltage damage is on
4,000 euro cap, no matter how high your insurance sum is. If your damaged devices have a current value of 10,000 euro as new, then you should also get 10,000 euro, but this is not possible in your tariff, no matter how high the damage to your devices is, you get at most
4,000 euro minus 150 euro excess.
Correct is according to https://www.lbn.de/files/content/documents/Bedingungen/LBN-BESSER_VHB-2018.pdf:
The sum is limited to 2,000 euro per insured event and not to 4,000 euro
So you can get a maximum of 2000 euro from the total damage minus the agreed deductible of 150 euro. No more than 1,850 euro in compensation.
Back to the matter of receipts and receipts.
There's no indication in the tariff that no regulation would take place without receipts. In any case, this paragraph would not be legally enforceable. Much more, it says under duties on page 26:
f. To provide documents requested by the insurer, the procurement of which can reasonably be expected of him
This is a perfectly normal condition of any household insurance and only requires proof of the existence of insured items in the event of theft, etc.
Very good and detailed answer.
Unfortunately I have to say it, but you are the typical example of the customer who comes to my agency at least once a month with tears in his eyes because the insurance company legitimately paid no or far too little compensation.
I can sign that 100%.
Regarding point 2: Nothing helps you now but the next thunderstorm:
As a child, I already noticed that we had unplugged the TV and radio plugs in our apartment during a thunderstorm. At that time, however, there were no overload / overvoltage protection switches for private consumers… And yet I still disconnect the entire protected socket strip at the wall socket from the mains, so not just the red-lit switch switched off as soon as a thunderstorm is approaching! So I don't have to worry about my sometimes expensive devices.
You can also turn off entire fuses. It is enough if the lights are on in the evening and even the freezer can easily get by for 1 hour without electricity.
You learn the 'truth' when the VS comes with its reasons for exclusion.
This is what happens when end users believe they can take care of the insurance package themselves.
We would have done that with unplugging, but we didn't have time to react because the lightning strike came suddenly and violently. I don't want to say that there's always a warning, but on the day in question there was no dark cloud in the sky, let alone rumbling.
But it wouldn't have helped anyway. Today I would be told that it was 100% the antenna that was grilled (it was divided into 3) and the overvoltage from the Tae socket (telephone socket) followed. The connected router then forwarded everything via the ethernet cable (router / telephone → console → tv)
Well, then I hope for you that the building insurance for the homeowner takes over.
Since the Tae socket is also energized, as is the router, of course also disconnecting it from the network, even at the risk of having to dial in again.
… And that's right, I've already experienced thunderstorms that started with a lightning strike in the immediate vicinity WITHOUT prior notice.
And why does your advisor / broker let you down when he has already given you a savings option?
Has surge voltage been protected at all?
You should just read the insurance conditions of older contracts carefully, because then you will surely find that damage to electronic devices was only insured through overvoltage.
However, lightning strike was impossible.
You should think about the individual terms. Yes - I'm always honest.
Rather the reverse was true. (Direct) lightning strike = yes, overvoltage = no.
You don't seem to have been working as an insurance salesman that long.
