Fixing the front door - insurance job

I've got the men from the insurance company fixing the front door this morning.

It's been a catalogue of errors so far.

1. They came on the wrong day because someone (not me) had not written down the agreed date.

2.They've brought the new door but have rebuilt the stained-glass panel and it is not quite matching the old. The previous stained glass panel was not damaged so I don't know why they rebuilt it. I want the original one back but they don't know where it is. Maybe it got broken taking it out, madam? Maybe I should have done it for them???? If I'd known what was going to happen I would not have let them take it.

3.The original 1930's letter box has not been returned with the new door. Nowhere to be found, either. They've offered me a completely different one but I want the old one back.

I've had to agree to have the new door and glass fitted which weakens my case totally in the event of a future complaint but I'm not having the letterbox fitted until they can throw some light on things.

Am I just being difficult?

 

No the originals probably have a resale value as originals, . or am I being cynical

 

No more cynical than me, pamsdish! However the new one must have cost a packet to build so I can't see them making much on the resale. I had the original repaired and renovated about 18 years ago and it cost about £500 even then and I want that one back!!!

I have been on to head office to register my displeasure but it's so stressful when things like this happen.

 

Absolutely not!!

Stick with it and try to get some answers.

 

no way no how

they may have sold your letterbox for scrap now, hope not though. scrap's gone through the roof recently.

 

I agree that the door furniture should be returned in such a case, but was the door beyond repair?
I mean why is it being replaced under an insurance claim, did I miss something?

 

Well, they have fitted it, with the new glass, but I phoned the company as they did it to say I was not happy and where was the original glass, the letter box and the door knocker? I was in the position where I would have had to prevent the entire job from taking place until it was sorted out and I couldn't cope with being that difficult especially as they implied that the original panel would be most likely broken, never to be seen again. I think this weakens my case so I made sure my opinons went on record. I haven't had to sign it off as they've not completed yet.

Eventually the manager got back to the fitter saying the glass had broken as they took it out (but this was left vague, exactly how) therefore the panel had been substantially rebuilt using some of the old glass and a lot of new glass as they had to make sure all the pieces in the background matched.

Am I within my rights to demand the return of all the remaining original panel, seeing as I was led to believe that the original was to be reused and I would not have given permission for any alteration of the original. It would not have been necessary. I think it is the height of incompetency to have broken it, I'm sure I could have removed it myself with no damage.

I still can't see how they could have made a profit from making a copy and then selling the original, however, so I feel I'm the victim of incompetency rather than them diddling me.

 

I was burgled, they broke in through the front door, busting the 5-lever lock out in the process and splintering the fabric of the door.

 

It could be a case of diddling incompancy, they make it look like incompancy while diddling you. The door furniture has gone walk about, they probably know the value and its being tucked away awaiting sale or its been moved on already.

Cynical me? Nevereveverever........

 

I just can't see that a dented old door knob and small letter box could be that worth it. They are common as muck 30's brass, not Versailles gold. However, i'll check on ebay.

 

We bought a 30's house to do up, it had the original 30's doors inside. Mrs al didn't like the original ones so I changed all of them. One of the guys jumped on the original doors and door furniture like a big jumpy thing in double quick time.
You'd be suprised what they're worth and considering originality is what sells these days, they'll sell no probs at a good price.

 

Right, doors are available with glass panels for £850 (Gasp! How much???) but in practice seem to be fetching £100 to £250. Panels on their own are around £25 to £50. There were quite a lot of unsold ones.

If you can get nearly a grand I can see the scam would be worth it, but not otherwise.

 

So what can i do about it? Am I within my rights to reclaim what is left over - they took away the old door to make a copy of it, but it was left vague as to what would be done about the door furniture. I assumed it would be refitted if i wanted at the same time as the door. I didn't expect them to copy the glass as it was not damaged. Otherwise I'd have made a fuss before the event!