If you want to ensure your valuables are protected, home insurance is essential. In the event that your insured items are stolen or damaged, as long as you can provide the necessary documentation to support your claim, you should receive a payment from your insurer for the insured value of the items.
Thousands of insurance claims are processed each year for items that have been stolen and while the majority of claims are paid without any difficulty, if you are unable to provide the relevant documentation you may have trouble claiming for certain items from your insurer. This is especially true when it comes to proving ownership.
What is proof of ownership?
When you make an insurance claim for stolen goods, you will be required to provide proof that you owned the items you are claiming for. This is to prevent fraudulent claims where people claim on their home or travel insurance for fake items that they never actually had. It’s always a good idea to keep receipts for any major purchases you make – it will make it much easier in the event of an insurance claim.
Proof of ownership can be especially problematic when it comes to personal items like jewellery. If you were given a piece of jewellery as a gift, or if it’s a family heirloom, you’re not going to be able to produce a receipt and this can make it extremely difficult to claim for it.
If you don’t have a receipt for an item, whether it’s a personal item like a piece of jewellery or you’re trying to claim for stolen electrical goods, appliances or equipment, there are a few other ways you may be able to provide proof of ownership, including:
- Photographs of the item by itself, or of you wearing it (for example a piece of jewellery).
- Certificates. This is useful for jewellery that may come with a certificate of authenticity.
- Valuations
- Serial numbers.
- Owners’ manuals.
- Credit card statements showing the purchase.
- Receipts and/or Tax Invoices
Even if you don’t have a receipt, it is still possible to successfully prove ownership of a stolen item. Different insurers vary when it comes to what they will accept as proof of ownership so always check your individual policy before making a claim. If you need to make an insurance claim and you aren’t sure what documentation is needed, your insurance broker will be able to help you.
