Two ways in, and one way of working.
Whether there is anything to agree depends only on who placed the policy. What the desk actually does does not change.
If RFS placed the policy
Then the claim is already our job. Standing between you and your insurer when something has gone wrong is what an advisor is for, and it is not a separate product.
There is no engagement to sign and nothing further to agree. Tell us what has happened and the desk opens a file the same day.
No separate fee. It is part of what you already have.
If somebody else placed it
We take it anyway. You do not have to move your policy, leave your advisor or fall out with your agent. They stay exactly where they are, and we work the claim alongside them.
Most of the businesses that reach this desk are in this position: a policy bought years ago through someone who has not been seen since the loss. That is a claims problem, not a loyalty problem.
A separate engagement, agreed in writing before any work starts. You will know the basis before you commit.
The stages of a claim
what to expect- Triage, the same dayWhat kind of loss, what date, what has been told to whom, and whether any deadline has already passed. This is the call you get after the form.Day 0
- Intimation and preservationThe notice to the insurer worded properly, and clear instructions on what must not be moved, cleaned, repaired or signed before the surveyor has been.Day 0 to 1
- The surveyWe prepare the site and the papers, and we attend. The surveyor's report largely decides the claim, and it is written from what they are shown on the day.Days 1 to 7
- DocumentationThe list is long and the insurer will send it in pieces. We assemble it once, properly, and track what has been asked for and when it went.Weeks 1 to 4
- QuantificationWhat the loss actually cost, evidenced. This is where underinsurance, depreciation, deductibles and the basis of valuation are argued, and where most of the money moves.Ongoing
- The offerEvery deduction traced to a clause and a number before anything is signed. We will tell you when an offer is fair, which is sometimes the answer.On offer
- Escalation, if neededA reasoned written reply, then the grievance route, then the Ombudsman. On a schedule, within the limits, in order.If refused
What we will not do
- Promise an outcome. Nobody can, and anyone who does is telling you something about themselves.
- Quote what your claim is worth before we have read the policy and the survey report.
- Publish premiums, rates or settlement figures. Those depend entirely on a specific policy and a specific loss.
- Ask you to leave your existing advisor as a condition of taking the claim.
- Sign anything on your behalf without your instruction.
Somewhere in that sequence already?
Whoever placed your policy, and whatever stage the claim has reached.