Ryde man, Piers Dearlove of The Smeltings, Outhouse Lane in Ryde was left in tatters today when his insurers refused to pay out on his contents insurance policy, supposedly because he had made a suspicious claim following an accident at the family residence.
Mr Dearlove, 31, claimed on his contents accidental damage cover for a laptop computer, a desktop PC, a 60" HD plasma screen TV set, an Apple i-Pad, three i-pods, two Nintendo DSI's, a mink hearthrug, an antique glass topped dining table, an antique Chippendale cabinet, a blu-ray player, a Rolex Oyster wristwatch, a limited edition Axminster carpet and a hand crafted sealskin sofa.
But the insurers, Blaggett's of Ryde flatly refused to pay out. Mr Dearlove was distraught. He told this IOWN reporter:
"I don't know what I'm going to do now. I've lost tens of thousands of pounds worth of property in this fluke accident, and now the insurers are threatening to prosecute me for filing a bogus claim. To me, it's a classic example of the 'haves' kicking the 'have nots' when they're down. They shouldn't be allowed to get away with this. It's cost me a fortune, and I'm not sure that I'll ever recover."
Mr Dearlove explained that he'd been cross referencing two websites on the cabinet, which sits directly beneath the wall mounted TV set, when he was called from the room. He reports hearing a series of crashes, and then states that when he reentered the room, chaos awaited him. He explained:
"When I entered the room, it looked like a bomb had gone off, but it became swiftly obvious that the TV had somehow vibrated its way off the wall brackets, from where it fell onto the PC, which subsequently bounced onto the laptop and the i-Pad, demolishing the Chippendale cabinet which contained the blu-ray, the i-Pods, the Rolex and the DSI's, then bounced off onto the glass topped table, which shattered and with the recoil launched an opened tin of paint, which splattered the rug, the carpet, and the hand crafted sealskin sofa. It was all ruined. I was gutted. And now the insurance won't even pay out."
Relishing our IOWN role as people's champion, our man confronted Lenny Nutsack, of Blaggett's Insurance in his luxurious laminate panelled office just off Ryde Esplanade, demanding an explanation. Mr Nutsack said:
"Not that bleedin' Dearlove geezer again. We sent a loss adjuster round his gaff, and there was no trace of any of this stuff he was claiming for. He didn't have any receipts either. He claimed that he was so upset that he dumped all the stuff and replaced it with stuff he got from the auction rooms. But the stuff in his sitting room was exactly the same as when he put in his previous God knows how many claims. Vinyl sofa, ratty carpet, 1986 model Sony TV, and an MDF wall unit. It costs us more to check that bloke's claims out than whatever he pays in premiums. He's always trying it on. Did he tell you that he's been in and out of prison all his life? Got a criminal record that runs to at least six volumes? Nah, I expect not. He's a bleedin' time waster."
At which point, feeling somewhat conned, our ever consciencious reporter angrily confronted Mr Dearlove at his home, demanding to know why he was being made a fool of?
"You'll never believe this," Mr Dearlove told him. "But me Porsche Carrera just got swallowed up in a sink hole which closed up as rapid as wot it formed. Yer'd never 'ave known there was a sink hole there if it hadn't swallowed up me Porsche. Me pride and joy it wuz. Spec I'll have to claim for that, too, now..."
At which point, our man - who can be a bit tasty when riled - dumped Mr Dearlove on his arse by the front door, by way of a well timed left hook.
More as we get it.
