Household insurance claim question - advice needed

[muzza01]

So we have had a bad run of luck lately with things breaking and costing us money. Anyway the latest is our oven. It is a stainless steel 600 mm fan forced oven.

It is going to cost about $2700 dollars to replace it. Can I claim this under insurance or do I just suck it up and pay. We have been paying house insurance for 20 years and we have only made two minor claims. I know insurance companies are cagey and there are certain things you can't claim.  Any expert opinions would help?

[McGirr]

You would have to try and read the product disclosure book.

My guess is no as it's normal wear a tear but could be wrong

Mark

[D4D]

You would have to try and read the product disclosure book.

My guess is no as it's normal wear a tear but could be wrong

x2 we replaced our oven a few months ago and it came out of my pocket.

[grafy82]

You should be ok to get insurance if it was "accidently broken" somehow.

[Snapman007]

Some company's cover for fusion, so if was damaged by electrical spike it's covered. If it's just worn out it'll be your expense.

[Beatle]

It depends on your policy, and what you mean by a 'broken' oven. 

Some policies cover motor burnout, but that can also be restricted to burnout caused by faulty power supply, not by age (low current/voltage supply makes fridge motors burn out on startup for example).

But what's actually wrong with the oven?   They are usually pretty simple devices.   I've had to replace the cavity fan ($100.00) and only this week the selector switch ($80.00) on our SMEG.

How old is the oven?  Still under warranty?

[muzza01]

The power was switched off in our suburb for a few hours on Thirsday afternoon. Since then, the oven turns itself off and then on whist we are trying you use it. Not sure if this is due to a spike in power or just a coincidence.

The gripper griller function stopped working a few months ago and the fan motor is very noisy.  These two problems were present prior to the power spike last Thursday.

[gronk]

For an appliance worth that sort of money, I would get it fixed...a few hundred dollars might even be less than the excess ..as said, they are pretty simple devices..

My dishwasher has been fixed by me 3 times in 17 yrs...each time it was the control panel on the front of the door...$200 to replace....

Next time ( hopefully not a next time ) it will get replaced....now too old, and there comes a time when you gotta weigh up whether to spend the money on something..

[Beatle]

The power was switched off in our suburb for a few hours on Thirsday afternoon. Since then, the oven turns itself off and then on whist we are trying you use it. Not sure if this is due to a alike in power or just a coincidence.

The gripper function stopped working a few months ago and the fan motor is very noisy.  These two problems were present prior to the power spike last Thursday.

Muz, what do you mean by 'gripper' function?

The on-off thing is exactly what ours was doing.  The oven mode dial-selector had worn out.  Basically its a line of switches activated by the cam you turn when rotate the knob.   I managed to do a temp fix by very lightly bending the brass contacts, but eventually the main contact failed and the small spring fell out.  New switch unit was $80.00 and two days posted to me ex-Sydney.

Is the fan noise from inside the oven or outside.  My oven has the circulation fan inside (to circulate the heat) plus another fan on the back of the unit to evacuate the cavity behind the oven.  A noisy fan might simply be a loose retaining nut, or a bit of crud or insulation fouling the blade.   

[muzza01]

Muz, what do you mean by 'gripper' function?

Sorry mate I meant the griller.

[Snapman007]

Sorry mate I meant the griller.

Isn't it a wrestling move?

[Moggy]

Mate get a hammer, smack the door & tell Insurance company you slipped with a pot in hand & broke the door. Get a quote to replace, making sure repairer understands your dillemma & charges(Quotes) for $150/hr to come out & inspect & then order & replace door. Tell the insurance if they pay you out for the door, you'll organize yourself. If they say no tell them it will take 6 weeks to get neew door & your wife is catering your parents 50th wedding anniversary & to be without the stove would be unacceptable & a great disappointment to her father who also happened to serve in the Korean & Vietnam conflicts & would be devastaeted to miss out on your wifes prized & renowned roast lamb/beef/pork/duck .......
You get the drift......
Actually get your wife to make the phone calls, I always get my swmbo to do the negotiating with insurance companies. She has a nicer disposition 

[Robbo]

Hey Muzza, I'm a bit confused about the $2700 cost to replace the oven. Seems to be very expensive when there are a number of wall ovens for well under $1000. Check this link for examples.

http://www.thegoodguys.com.au/buyonline/SearchDisplay?pageSize=16&beginIndex=0&searchSource=Q&sType=SimpleSearch&resultCatEntryType=2&showResultsPage=true&pageView=image&searchTerm=wall+ovens

Are you going to need alterations to your kitchen units to accommodate a replacement or is someone trying you on.

[dazzler]

If you do replace it check out productreview.com.au

You can search by popularity and reviews.

EG:
http://www.productreview.com.au/c/ovens.html?sort=rating_count&sort_type=desc

Huge difference in performance and price/brand are not always the determinant.

[D4D]

Hey Muzza, I'm a bit confused about the $2700 cost to replace the oven. Seems to be very expensive when there are a number of wall ovens for well under $1000. Check this link for examples.

There are wall ovens and then there are wall ovens. This is what we recently installed to replace the 10 year old Bosch oven that died. Happy wife, fed husband
http://www.estrading.com.au/miele-60cm-pyrolitic-single-oven-h6260bp_1001259/

[GeoffA]

There are wall ovens and then there are wall ovens. This is what we recently installed to replace the 10 year old Bosch oven that died. Happy wife, fed husband
http://www.estrading.com.au/miele-60cm-pyrolitic-single-oven-h6260bp_1001259/

Nice unit. I see Miele are finally making their ovens with a reasonable internal size......

[Swannie]

There are wall ovens and then there are wall ovens. This is what we recently installed to replace the 10 year old Bosch oven that died. Happy wife, fed husband
http://www.estrading.com.au/miele-60cm-pyrolitic-single-oven-h6260bp_1001259/
[/quote

For that price I'd want it to prepare the food, cook it, plate it and clean up afterwards

Swannie

[GeoffA]

For that price I'd want it to prepare the food, cook it, plate it and clean up afterwards

....Happy wife, fed husband.....

Same same.....

[Snapman007]

$2700 isn't too much for a quality item. I'd pay to get it fixed.

You can't/shouldn't put a $700 oven in a $25+k kitchen. Well I've assumed a lot here but you shouldn't have a $2700 oven in a $5k kitchen.

[GGV8Cruza]

There are wall ovens and then there are wall ovens. This is what we recently installed to replace the 10 year old Bosch oven that died. Happy wife, fed husband
http://www.estrading.com.au/miele-60cm-pyrolitic-single-oven-h6260bp_1001259/

Then there are these, its in the new place and I will need a crash course on being able to drive it

http://www.agashopaustralia.com/aga/six_four_series.html

GG