Claims guide
How to prove what you owned for an insurance claim without receipts
Most people don't keep receipts for their couch or their clothes. Here's how to show what you had and what it was worth anyway.
"I don't have receipts" is one of the most common things I heard when I sold insurance. Almost nobody does. Nobody keeps the receipt for a set of pots from eight years ago.
The good news: receipts aren't the only way to prove what you owned. Here's what actually works.
Proving you owned it
You're trying to show the item was in your home. Any of these can help:
- Photos and videos. Birthday parties, holidays and everyday pictures show a lot of stuff in the background. Check your camera roll, cloud backups and social media
- Order history. Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy and most online stores keep years of orders
- Bank and credit card statements. Card companies and retailers can help you find older purchases
- Store accounts and loyalty programs. Many keep purchase history even for in store buys
- Manuals, boxes and warranties. Even a registration email shows you had it
- Family and friends. Their photos and their memory of your home count
- Your own detailed description. Brand, size, color, where it sat in the room. Details make it believable
Proving what it was worth
- Find the same or a similar item for sale today and save the link or screenshot. That's the replacement cost.
- Price it at a normal retailer, not a clearance or discount site, so the number reflects what it really costs to replace.
- Note the age and condition. Your adjuster will use that to figure depreciation.
- For valuables, look for old appraisals, insurance riders or photos of hallmarks and signatures.
Building the list
Go room by room. Our home inventory checklist makes a good memory guide. Some people walk a big box store and use the registry scanner to list similar items and prices. However you do it, a decent list with descriptions beats a perfect list you never finish.
The fast way to rebuild it
This is exactly why I built AfterProof. Snap a photo of an item or one that looks like it, the AI identifies it and finds what it costs to replace today, and it all goes into a PDF you can send your adjuster. If you're rebuilding hundreds of items, the web app is easier on a computer.
Depreciation, in plain English
If your policy pays actual cash value, the insurer subtracts depreciation for age and wear. If it pays replacement cost, you usually get the depreciated amount first, then the rest after you replace the item and send the receipt. A few tips:
- Ask for the depreciation schedule in writing.
- Question it item by item. Some things, like antiques, fine art and jewelry, often shouldn't lose value the way electronics and clothes do.
- Keep receipts for what you replace so you can collect the rest of a replacement cost claim.
If it's too much
- Ask for more time in writing if you need it, and suggest a reasonable date.
- Keep a claim diary of every call, name, date and promise.
- Consider a licensed public adjuster for big losses. Check their license and references first.
Quick answers
Can I file an insurance claim without receipts?
Yes. Receipts help, but photos, order history, bank and card statements, and detailed descriptions can also show what you owned. Ask your adjuster what proof they need.
How do I prove the value of an item without a receipt?
Find the same or a similar item for sale today at a normal retailer and save the link or screenshot. That shows the replacement cost. Add the item's age and condition.
Where can I find old purchase history?
Online store order history, store loyalty accounts, bank and credit card statements, and email receipts and shipping confirmations.
What is depreciation on a contents claim?
It's the reduction in value for age and wear. Actual cash value policies pay after depreciation. Replacement cost policies usually pay the rest once you replace the item.
How do I avoid this next time?
Make a home inventory with photos before anything happens and keep it somewhere outside your home, like the cloud.
This is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Every policy is different, so check yours or ask your agent.
Sources: United Policyholders, home inventory and contents claim tips, United Policyholders, settling a contents claim.
