HolidaySafe Travel Insurance - Your Feedback

JPS29 · 12 September 2013 at 8:30AM

Amber thank you for your in involvement. Just posting to confirm the manager did arrange for a payment by bank transfer and no cheque was ever received. At least it got sorted in the end the cynic in me thinks posting in this thread may have had something to do with it but I'm satisfied now with the outcome regardless. Thanks again for your help

dacouch · 12 September 2013 at 9:25AM

JPS29 wrote: »

Amber thank you for your in involvement. Just posting to confirm the manager did arrange for a payment by bank transfer and no cheque was ever received. At least it got sorted in the end the cynic in me thinks posting in this thread may have had something to do with it but I'm satisfied now with the outcome regardless. Thanks again for your help

Posting on this thread had everything to do with it

Tony_London_IFA · 12 September 2013 at 4:01PM

Have Premier Worldwide Multi-Trip cover. Made a simple claim for some essential medical outpatient care whilst away recently in Mexico. That was August 12th, and their claims company (not the insurer - they contract that out apparently) had logged it August 14th (I subsequently learnt). Since I heard nothing at all for 4 weeks, not even acknowledgement of claim, I chased by telephone Sept 9th (a.m.) and was promised a call back at least by c.o.b. the following day, to advise status. Never happened. Called again Sept 11th (a.m.) and was promised a call back by end of the day. Never happened. Called again today Sept 12th, was promised a resolution in next few working days...........

Frankly I'm not hopeful. Stay tuned. My overall impression of the claims company, Travel Claims Facilities in Kent, is that there are only a few front-end staff and it all sounds a bit amateurish. The claim is being handled somewhere else entirely now apparently, and calls weren't returned because the staff member was off sick etc.

Their website front page boasts: "The true test of an insurance policy comes when a claim is made. All too often insurers let themselves down by poor service. At Travel Claims Facilities we can offer a quick, efficient and comprehensive claims management service backed up by guarantees and robust controls. We set ourselves high standards to make sure we can meet yours." Yeah, right.

Holidaysafe_Representative · 12 September 2013 at 4:44PM

Hi Tony London IFA, my name is Amber Howard and I am the Brand Manager for Holidaysafe. I would like to sincerely apologise that you haven’t received the customer service we always strive to provide. I do not have access to individual claims files, so if you could email me your claim number and contact details to [EMAIL="Holidaysafe@infinityinsurance.co.uk"]Holidaysafe@infinityinsurance.co.uk[/EMAIL],I will speak to our claims manager on your behalf. I look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards, Amber.

Holidaysafe_Representative · 13 September 2013 at 2:01PM

Hi Tony London IFA, thank you for sending me your details. I have spoken to our Claims Manager this morning, who chased your file as promised, and will be emailing you shortly with an update. I have been advised that a cheque has been authorised, and will be sent out to you in the next few days. Once again, I just want to apologise that you were left unsatisfied by the service you received from us, but hopefully this matter has now been settled for you. Kind regards, Amber.

Tony_London_IFA · 16 September 2013 at 10:25AM

Yes, I received an email from a claims manager on Friday stating that a cheque was on its way, and it duly arrived Saturday. Claim paid, and a satisfactory ending thank you.

bluebell1706 · 24 September 2013 at 12:15PM

Before setting off a on a gap year travelling and working around Australia I was looking for the cheapest insurance I could get for the year. I took out the Longstay policy with Holidaysafe.co.uk for backpackers. Like most people, I got insurance just to cover myself not expecting to ever have to make a claim. Sadly 6 weeks before I was due to return home I lost my grandmother and had to return home to England early. I was unable to change the date of my return flight as they had nothing available for me to get home in time for the funeral so I was left with no choice but to buy a whole new flight home which had to be purchased on my dads credit card. As I only had a basic level of cover the maximum refund for cutting short my trip due to death of a family member was only £500.00, but I am pleased to say just over 4 weeks ago after submitting my claim I have been refunded the full £500.00. This was my first experience of making an insurance claim and I have to say I was very pleased with the service.

tortoisebob · 30 September 2013 at 3:14PM

I would be extremely careful when considering HolidaySafe as your travel insurance.

This summer my friend was traveling solo in Thailand where she unfortunately broke her leg. She had cover from HolidaySafe and contacted them to report the accident, things went downhill from there.
Firstly, she was required to send an x-ray of her broken limb (fair enough), after doing so she was told it would be reviewed by HolidaySafe's medical staff. After 2 days of lying in a hotel room alone with a broken leg, she had still not been contacted so she rang HolidaySafe. She was informed by them that it could take up to 3 weeks for the medical staff to review the case (a fact they failed to mention upon confirmation of reciept of the x-rays).
Subsequently, she spent the next 2 weeks trying to get any help (or confirmation of what expenses she could claim) from the insurer whilst alone in Thailand. After a futile telephone conversation with the companies Medical Director (who "no longer practices medicine") she decided to book an earlier flight home. The insurance then refused to pay for her repatriation.

The prices may look good when you're booking online, but the whole idia of insurance is that it pays off when the worst happens. In this case that did not happen.
This experience coupled with other negative reviews I have read online about HolidaySafe have led me to believe that the company is not to be trusted as an insurer. My advise would be to pay a little more and go with a reputable company.

Happy Travels,

Tortoisebob

walterswift · 9 October 2013 at 7:13PM

Do not buy travel insurance from Holiday Safe they are anything but.

Their medical team basically abandoned me and my partner after he suffered serious brain injury in Spain. I had to pay £13500.00 for an air ambulance to fly us back. Their “aviation expert” Doctor based here in the UK took 6 days to look at his medical records( 2 pages long) seems to be unregistered with the GMC.

To literally add insult toinjury when we got back on the 06.10.13 they had sent in my partners name a claim form dated the 23.09.13 while my partner was still in a coma in Spain with parts of his skull stored in a freezer, incompetent really isn’t the word………..

This company is dangerous if you have bought a policy from them recently ask for a refund you have 14 daysto get your money back.

Barneysmum · 28 October 2013 at 7:01PM

I bought cover for our two week holiday in Greece this summer including additional cover for my husband's high blood pressure and my high chlorestoral which wasn't too bad.

As we were delayed In Greece because of airline failure on the return leg for almost 30 hours though, I made a claim for delayed departure thinking it would be fairly straight forward for that length of time. It still took two months, an email and two chasing telephone calls - where I was assured (1) I would hear by the end of the week (I didn't), and (2) a cheque had been issued that day (well, it didn't arrive for another couple of weeks. The cheque was for £40 - stupid me, I missed the 'up to' and just looked at the final figure! Hardly worth the hassle!

I agree with tony London IFA that it seems a bit amateurish - the claims office was only open until 1.30 pm on week days. I do think they need to up their game if they are to be taken seriously. I did not expect to have a chase a straightforward claim like this.

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