Insurance replacement TV and Home Theatre

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mortonman

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#89418 1-Sep-2011 21:12

I got burgled a couple of weeks ago.Amongst the items taken were my 6 year old 42inch panasonic plasma (SD) ($3100 new) and 7 year old sony home theatre (aluminium case, tallboy speakers) ($1400 new). The sony was top of the range when i got it and the TV waslow range plasma but high range of tv's as CRT's were still selling well at the time
My insurance is a replacement policy.
Today they sent me a list with the proposed replacements.

For the TV they are proposing a Panny X series 42 inch (bottom of the range) RRP 899
and an LG home theatre (tallboy speakers) which appear to be mid range when compared with other makes -rrp 799

Has anyone else gone through this and is this the usual way it works.

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#515386 1-Sep-2011 21:52

if it was top of the range when i bought it, is it reasonable to expect top of the range replacement?

scuwp

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#515394 1-Sep-2011 22:08

IME it is 'like for like'...so the closest available today that offer a similar spec as the one you lost. Given the time that would be a base model I guess. I don't think they adjust for inflation or specification improvements.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

Loismustdye

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#515404 1-Sep-2011 22:32

I wouldn't touch the LG HT given the option.
A relative has one and it is the most horrid thing to use. The other bugbear is that it wasn't regionfree, and I could not find any info online on making it regionfree for him. Even an email to LG NZ came back over 10 days later saying along the lines that it was illegal to sell a regionfree player.

As for the TV, even a fairly low end TV these day can have a really nice picture. And panasonic do have good customer service if you have any questions with it.

mortonman

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#515408 1-Sep-2011 22:43

they are offering an LG HT906TAW which doesn't exist on the LG site but does appear to be popular in Egypt when googled!

I popped into my local JB hifi tonight and they didn't have one either. i've since found it on the JB website but not much info on it. Going to try to swap for a panasonic one

Dunnersfella

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#515415 1-Sep-2011 23:07

The Panasonic will probably out perform your current TV, digital Freeview tuner, HDMI inputs etc etc.
It's just that you bought at the top of the market...

They will no doubt replace your home theatre with a corresponding DVD tallboy system (not a BluRay version) which would be a SC-PT980GN-K. My opinion... ask for $ credit at your store of choice, then purchase it there. BUT, they won't give you full RRP, instead they'll give you credit to the value of cost +5%.

Now, it's not that you're being ripped off, it's just how insurance works. You simply won't get $4500 to spend on a new 42" VT30 and a BluRay home theatre system, as that would put you in a better position than you were prior to taking out the policy. After all, your policy will never state 'we the insurer will keep you in the latest and greatest gear, no matter where technology leads'... it just doesn't happen that way. Fact is, if you get a new TV from Panasonic, and manage to get a new home theatre system that sounds the same as your old Sony... then you'll win.

clevedon

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#515468 2-Sep-2011 07:31

scuwp: IME it is 'like for like'...so the closest available today that offer a similar spec as the one you lost. Given the time that would be a base model I guess. I don't think they adjust for inflation or specification improvements.

You are correct, I have been through the same thing a little while back, they look at the original specs - not the price paid originally. Top of the range then, is bottom of the range now.

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B1GGLZ

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#515483 2-Sep-2011 08:37

Ask the insurance company if you can purchase what you want by way of paying the difference.
IME they will pay the retailer directly their portion leaving you to pay the balance. That way you get top of the line at rock bottom price.
As always what was top of the line 6 years ago is bottom of the line now.

P.S. Don't forget the burglars will be back when they see you throw away the empty cartons.
Used to be the norm when I lived in Rotorua.

trig42

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#515484 2-Sep-2011 08:38

Try and get the LG swapped out for a Panasonic - at elast the Remotes will work with each other that way.

mortonman

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#515515 2-Sep-2011 09:32

Thanks for the feedback.

Have done a bit more research and I am considering spending a bit more and going for either an all LG combo of
LGPZ570 and the LG home theatre
or
preferably
Panasonic 50" ST series with the SCBTT775GNK home theatre
(depending on negotiations with my better half)

Has anyone managed to price match at JB when using store credit as part of the deal. Noel Leeming have 20% off all TV's this weekend so the Panasonic is now about $350 cheaper than JB.

timmmay

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#515566 2-Sep-2011 10:46

Go back and say they're not as good as the equipment you had, and ask for equipment of a comparable quality to what you had.

Some policies are replacement with like goods, some are current value. Which do you have?

B1GGLZ

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#515568 2-Sep-2011 10:47

mortonman: Thanks for the feedback.

Has anyone managed to price match at JB when using store credit as part of the deal. Noel Leeming have 20% off all TV's this weekend so the Panasonic is now about $350 cheaper than JB.

Just ask JB for a better price. They did a deal for me OK a few months ago. The first thing they asked me was "who are we trying to beat and how much?"
I was paying cash (VISA) though.

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clevedon

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#515586 2-Sep-2011 10:59

timmmay: Go back and say they're not as good as the equipment you had, and ask for equipment of a comparable quality to what you had.

Some policies are replacement with like goods, some are current value. Which do you have?

The OP is being offered a HDTV to replace his old SDTV, so he is getting is better quality than what he had.

scheduler

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#515587 2-Sep-2011 11:00

My uncle was burgled recently he had just brought a new TV from JB for around $1400.00. It had a high mhz so he could watch sport. when he looked for a replacement the only model with the same mhz was a much more expensive 3D model. after some discusion the insurance paid up.

martyyn

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#515666 2-Sep-2011 13:04

I was in the exact same position last year. I went back to the insurance company several times on the phone and with letters and eventually got the replacement I wanted.

You only have yourself to blame if you accept the first offer.

My argument was I had been paying premiums based on the price I had paid when I bought it. I have a 'like for like' policy and as my tv was top of the range when I bought it that's what I wanted it replaced with. They said it was my fault for not having updated the policy each year to reflect the failing values of the tv.

I said it was unreasonable to expect 'Joe Average' to be able to follow market prices for everything in their home to which they begrudgingly agreed.

They eventually backed down and I got a top of the line replacement, which was still half the price I had paid originally !

When I took them on there wasnt a single person who thought I had a leg to stand on, but it was all about the word 'reasonable' for me. If they have been taking my money, the one time I claim I expect to get an adequate replacement.

When my daughter stood on and broke my glasses they didnt tell me to replace them with ten year old glasses/style, they just told me to select a pair I liked and they would refund me in full. I thought the same should apply to the tv.

B1GGLZ

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#515670 2-Sep-2011 13:16

scheduler: It had a high mhz so he could watch sport.

Non sequitur ????

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