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How to lodge a contents insurance claim without a receipt

Bank statements, warranties and photos can often be used to lodge a contents insurance claim without a receipt.

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Gary Hunter
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If you can prove ownership of the item you're claiming for, you can get a contents insurance claim paid without receipts. Most insurers will also accept credit card and bank statements, spare parts, warranties and photographic evidence.

Can I get a claim paid without receipts?

Yes. While a no-proof-of-purchase insurance claim can slow the process down, there are other ways to make a successful claim without receipts. The three main ways are:

  1. Credit card/bank statements. Insurers generally accept credit card or bank statements showing evidence you bought the item as proof of purchase.
  2. Photo and video evidence. Insurers also often accept photo and video evidence of the item. The more detailed the photograph is, the better — this can help them determine the make and model of the item.
  3. Evidence from the seller. Reach out to the vendor and see if they can provide you with a duplicate receipt. Bigger retailers are likely to have an electronic receipt of your purchase.

There are a few other things you can do to increase your chances of making a successful claim. These include getting:

  • Declarations from friends and family who have seen the items.
  • Original packaging for the item.
  • Spare parts for the item.

Some insurers will only require one piece of evidence; others might want more. To be on the safe side, send as much evidence as possible.

CheckTop Tip: So you don't have to worry about where you put or keep your receipts, many retailers now offer you the option of having an electronic receipt sent to your email. It's also a lot better for the environment and ensures your receipts are in one place. For those that don't provide electronic receipts, scan your paper receipts to create an electronic version.

How do I submit a claim without receipts?

Here are the 3 steps to submitting a home insurance claim without receipts.

One

Contact your insurer

Keep your insurer in the loop. Let them know that you need to make a claim. You can do this online or over the phone. Let them know you don't have a receipt and ask what else they will accept as proof of purchase.

Two

Gather evidence

Collect all the evidence you can get to prove you owned the item – invoices, bank statements, photo evidence and electronic receipts should be more than enough.

Three

Wait to hear from the insurer

Once you submit your claim online or over the phone, it can take an insurer up to 10 days to respond.

Do I still need to provide proof if the specific items are listed on my policy?

Because you've listed these specific items when you took out the policy, it should make claiming for them a little easier. This is because your insurer is already aware that these items exist, so they probably won't require as much evidence.

Ideally though, it's good to keep a hold of receipts, even for specific items listed on your home insurance policy. The more evidence you can provide, the easier you're making it for your insurer to accept your claim.

How do insurance companies verify receipts?

There are a couple of ways home insurers verify contents insurance claims. It differs slightly depending on whether the item is stolen or damaged.

Stolen claims. The hardest part about a burglary insurance claim with no receipts is proving the item that was stolen existed. However, if you can show some other evidence that you owned the item and its value, your insurer is likely to accept your claim. Keep in mind that insurers may vary when it comes to what they will accept as proof of ownership.

Damaged claims. It's not enough to just have the damaged item. You will need some evidence of purchase to prove you owned the item and to determine its value.

Here's the bottom line

Claiming on your home insurance policy without receipts is possible, but it might take a little bit more time to process things through. Taking a proactive approach to organising your receipts and invoices can help to avoid all this.

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