Need help with travel agent and insurance

Spac3Monkey

Hi all

My wife and I booked our honeymoon in September 2008 to go on the 26th November 2008. I have paid the balance in full and hold insurance with my bank Lloyds TSB (insurance you get for 2 persons with the Platinium account)

However earlier this week my father in-law is extremely ill and was taken to hospital where he still resides and the doctors say it will be a long recovery process if he recovers at all.

My problem now is, we cannot risk nor will it be the same going on a honeymoon with the chance that he could pass away.

I am after any advise people can offer about how to approach the company to cancel the holiday and get my money back. The company which shall remain nameless for the time being has the following cancellation policy

9. Cancellation by you
You, or any of your party, may cancel your travel arrangements at any time. Written notification from the lead person on the booking must be received at our offices. You will be required to pay the applicable cancellation charges up to the maximum shown below. If your holiday also includes an airfare which is an instant purchase ticket including charter and no frills carriers, this is also non-refundable. Please note that insurance premiums are non-refundable. Period before departure within which written cancellation received (amount of cancellation is as a % of the price for the travel arrangements):
Over 56 days = loss of deposit
Between 29 and 56 Days = 50%
Between 15 and 28 Days = 75%
Within 14 Days = 100%

Please, any advise would be appreciated

Thanks

stephb34

Those terms and conditions are if you just decide you dont want to go on holiday, if you have a valid reason for cancelling the holiday then you can you just lose the excess on the policy if you havent got excess waiver, the excess is normally £50. You will probably need proof that your father in law is ill ie a doctors letter. I presume he has only just taken poorly in which case you should get your money back, but if you knew he was ill when you booked the holiday you should have declared it to the insurance company as its classed as an existing condition and a lot of insurance companies dont pay out on undisclosed existing conditions. If thats the case dont tell them he was ill when you booked. Hope that helps.

Incapuppy

stephb34 wrote: »

If thats the case dont tell them he was ill when you booked.

Ridiculous advice IMHO. Do you not think that any insurers faced with a claim would not want all the facts from a reliable source eg: a doctor's letter confirming the patient's health on the date in question (ie: the date the holiday was booked).

portygirl

We had planned a holiday to Fiji this year & unfortunately my father became seriously ill & eventually passed away & we were unable to travel. One of the things that the insurers were quite specific about was that on the date the policy was taken out did he have any of the conditions that caused his death. We did receive a full refund from Right Cover ins. minus 2x excess of £50 & ANZ who we were flying with gave us a full refund on a non - refundable ticket. Incidentally, ANZ compassionate refund dept were outstanding.
I imagine your policy is ongoing ( start date when acc. opened ) if it is related to a bank account but the issue regarding pay out is to do with conditions that are pre-existing.

stephb34

Incapuppy wrote: »

Ridiculous advice IMHO. Do you not think that any insurers faced with a claim would not want all the facts from a reliable source eg: a doctor's letter confirming the patient's health on the date in question (ie: the date the holiday was booked).

Why do you always have to be so rude, fair enough if you were posting something to help the person who posted this question as well as critisizing me.
To the poster im sorry if i mislead you with my comment about not telling them, but i think you'll find the rest of my advice is correct about pre existing conditions.

dmg24

stephb34 wrote: »

Why do you always have to be so rude, fair enough if you were posting something to help the person who posted this question as well as critisizing me.
To the poster im sorry if i mislead you with my comment about not telling them, but i think you'll find the rest of my advice is correct about pre existing conditions.

I don't think Incapuppy was being rude. You were suggesting that the OP lied to the insurance company, and in doing so, committed fraud. Incapuppy quite rightly pointed out how irresponsible the suggestion was.

Spac3Monkey, hope your father in law is back on the road to recovery soon x