Yahoo Finance 'My late husband bought an insurance policy. Why won't Currys PC World let me renew?'
My late husband took out an insurance policy for our television set three years ago.
When the cover came up for renewal recently I wrote my letter to the Currys PC World Knowhow team.
The form I was sent only asked for updated personal details and did not allow me to explain my husband, the policyholder, had died. Then it wanted a copy of the death certificate as well. I sent this and it was returned.
My £49 cheque was banked but five months on I still do not have the paperwork. Currys PC World seems to think I haven’t paid.
Along the way I have been brusquely told to take a copy of the cheque into my local branch to prove I have. This involves two bus journeys travelling the best part of 10 miles.
When I had done this, it would email the copy of the cheque to head office.
Carolyn Williams, Kent
Your husband died shortly after the three-year policy was taken out.
When it expired you paid an annual subscription. Further to my involvement it turned out that your cheque had not been properly routed.
You then received three identical envelopes. These all came on the same day and each one included a document covering your television set.
Currys PC World explained it was renaming itself as “Team Knowhow – help with all life’s kit”. After I approached the firm, Currys PC World said it was sorry you had problems renewing your television insurance.
It apologised that its processes did not work “as smoothly as normal during an obviously stressful time”.
Currys PC World told me it has now renewed your insurance free of charge. This wasn’t correct, as it had failed to reimburse you the £49 that you had already paid.
I said that this meant the insurance wasn’t free and questioned why it said it was. Currys PC World has now reimbursed your £49.
