You couldn't make this up!

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins

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Oct 10, 2004
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So finally the insurance company have agreed that it was necessary to put Ben to sleep and have agreed to pay me his market value which is £1,000. But they have asked me to prove that I own him!! How is it that they have been happy to take my money for the last 10 years, and indeed give me more money back, if they were not sure that he belonged to me?

The only place I can think of to go to for proof of ownership is the insurance company and my vets. But they obviously have these documents already. I can't use the passport as that isn't deemed to be proof of ownership and I don't have a receipt for him as I owned him for 10 years.

I do know his old owner so will get them to write an email saying that they sold him to me. However, I'm just flabbergasted with this request.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: Trewsers
I think it’s pretty common practice, I had to send the receipt for Bo in when I claimed, luckily I’d stick it in the back cover of his passport when I bought him 13 years earlier and there it still sat. They should accept the email from the previous owner.
Thinking about it now I think I also had to prove ownership of my big/main bits of tack when they were stolen, for the insurance to pay out on them.
 
But surely they would have wanted to know that I owned him before they paid out my previous claim. Or why couldn't they just ask me sign a disclaimer saying I owned him? It is just really insensitive. If they needed the receipt, why not ask when I first insured with them?
 
Unfortunately that is common practice. They don’t ask until paying out for the loss of the animal. It’s not just you.
 
I guess you don’t have to own the horse to insure it for vet fees (loan type situations) but only the owner can claim payment for loss of the animal.
It’s definitely an extra stress that you don’t need now. I guess even if they had asked you to prove ownership at the start you could have since sold, but that’s the same for an old receipt, though the fact that you will provide it now is evidence that your claiming ownership now and then they can’t be held liable if anyone else were to make a claim on ownership.
 
Jessey said:
I guess you don’t have to own the horse to insure it for vet fees (loan type situations) but only the owner can claim payment for loss of the animal.
It’s definitely an extra stress that you don’t need now. I guess even if they had asked you to prove ownership at the start you could have since sold, but that’s the same for an old receipt, though the fact that you will provide it now is evidence that your claiming ownership now and then they can’t be held liable if anyone else were to make a claim on ownership.
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They will just do anything to get out of paying money!! They really are the scum of the earth. I have written back to them with a livery statement and asking them how exactly they wish me to prove ownership without a receipt. I don't dare call them as I will just scream at them.
 
I think I had this with Jim's claim and I just called them and pointed out that having owned him for 16 years I no longer knew where the sales invoice was but they could see from vet records and their insurance records I'd paid costs all that time plus he was passported to me - not proof of ownership but certainly his had a transfer section signed by the breeder who I'd bought him from. I asked what more did they want since horses don't come with a log book? They apologised and said they were happy with what they had, that it was a routine question and they were sorry it had caused upset (I may have been blubbing down the phone . . .)
 
The friend has a similar issue but it was claiming for vet fees. She had been gifted the horse with a “you need a horse, I have a horse doing nothing, so just have him”. No receipt or any form of written statement just a verbal “have him”. That has been several years prior and eventually they accepted vet proof that he had been registered with her for so many years.

They are not being difficult specifically to you. It is what all companies do. It hurts but please don’t take it personally. Hug.

When soli was pts they also wanted his passport. They had agreed to pts and paying for it but they wanted the passport so they could send it to the pio to be destroyed so it couldn’t be given to another horse. It’s just what they have to do. They then didn’t think to tell me but claimed they never got the passport. Vets phonemes with proof they had and magically they paid out.
 
Could you go back through old bank statements or cheque books. That would probably my go to for proof if paying by cheque or large cash withdrawal.
I dont think i had any invoice for billy and i think i had to pay cash. I think i still have fb communication history. I was going to delete it at one point. You have given me good reason to not delete it now after reading this.

I think chunkys passport has a transfer of ownership section. Billy doesnt though.
 
I never would have thought about this, I'm shocked this is common practice. When I applied for my insurance there was a box that I needed to check stating I was the horses owner, if they need proof then this is when they should ask for it surely. If someone has been paying for insurance the whole time on the basis that they are an owner, yet they need proof only when they lose the horse then they could have been paying the wrong premiums if they are not legally the owner but have claimed they are. It's very distressing to have to seek this proof after the loss of your horse, insurance companies definitely need to rethink how this process works!!! Sorry you are having to deal with this 😔
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