Insurance Company wont reimburse for policy taken out that has not started

MoneyMad

I booked a flight (so i thought!) and then took out an insurance policy for 1 person for 2 weeks, to start in 2 weeks time, paid for it up front (as you do!).
I then got word from the Tour Company to tell me my ticket purchase was rejected due to an error in the payment. I tried to re-book for another date but there were no flights coming back. So, I tried cancelling the Insurance Policy, when they said it was not possible, the T&C's state that if its for Short Term Cover and it is less than one month before travel, then the '30 day Cooling Off period promise' does not apply (this was also in the small print but only after the above text appeared), also the Credit Card company wont re-imburse you because it is in the Insurance Companies T&C's. SO JUST A WARNING TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE BUYING SHORT TERM INSURANCE POLICIES (read all the small print however small it is). Has anyone else had this and did you manage to get reimbursed? If so how did you manage it.

Quentin

The policy had started.

(You were covered for cancellation immediately you took out the policy)

magpiecottage

Quentin wrote: »

The policy had started.

(You were covered for cancellation immediately you took out the policy)

Interesting point.

That means the duration of the policy is therefore not the length of the holiday but the time from when it was taken out to the end of the holiday.

Under FSA rule DISP7.1.3R(1) there is no right to cancel a travel policy of less than one month's duration - so the OP will need to see if they were coming back within one month of taking it out or not.

MoneyMad

I will continue arguing with the Insurance Company out of principal, just to see if I can get anywhere, i guess not but worth the effort. In future I will wait until the day before to take out insurance if at all!

luci

MoneyMad wrote: »

I will continue arguing with the Insurance Company out of principal, just to see if I can get anywhere, i guess not but worth the effort. In future I will wait until the day before to take out insurance if at all!

And if anything happens between booking and taking out insurance, such as illness or accident, then you won't be covered.

dunstonh

I will continue arguing with the Insurance Company out of principal, just to see if I can get anywhere, i guess not but worth the effort. In future I will wait until the day before to take out insurance if at all!

I take it that you dont understand what travel insurance is for?

vaio

I'd be thinking along the lines of "common mistake" contract law where a common (as in joint) mistake about a fundamental aspect (and I'd struggle to think of a more fundamental aspect than the holiday in a travel insurance contract) of a contract renders the performance of the contract impossible and therefore void.

I'd say void contract = no premium due = full refund

MoneyMad

dunstonh wrote: »

I take it that you dont understand what travel insurance is for?

What I do not understand is RIP OFF INSURANCE COMPANIES. Like someone else said, IF I were to fall ill or have an accident before I travel but it was outside of the start date I asked for, I would NOT be covered, but if i want to cancel for no fault of my own, they wont as the policy is within 30days of the start date. SO I am either covered from the time I take out a policy or NOT! they cannot have it their way both ways, can they!

lisyloo

Like someone else said, IF I were to fall ill or have an accident before I travel but it was outside of the start date I asked for, I would NOT be covered

This isn't right (and I haven't see where anyone said it).
If something happened e.g. mother/father dies, you break a leg etc. then you are covered from the point of taking the insurance, this is why you need to take the insurance when you book not when you travel. The financial risk starts when you book.

SO I am either covered from the time I take out a policy or NOT!

The former. Who is saying you aren't covered???

agrinnall

MoneyMad wrote: »

What I do not understand is RIP OFF INSURANCE COMPANIES. Like someone else said, IF I were to fall ill or have an accident before I travel but it was outside of the start date I asked for, I would NOT be covered, but if i want to cancel for no fault of my own, they wont as the policy is within 30days of the start date. SO I am either covered from the time I take out a policy or NOT! they cannot have it their way both ways, can they!

You REALLY don't understand travel insurance do you? Instead of ranting on her and writing useless letters to the insurer why don't you invest a few minutes in reading your policy to see what cover you actually had from the moment you took it out?

vaio

Not being rude but you REALLY don’t understand either, there was no holiday therefore the entire policy/contact is impossible to perform and so void and should be refunded.

Google contract law “common mistake” for more info.