Help with insurance claim.

tightbarsteward

I could do with some advice please.

I got married in October last year in Gibraltar. More or less everything was booked through the hotel & then paid for upon checking out. The wedding co-ordinator at the hotel sorted nearly everything for me. I sent her an email asking how much it was to have the ceremony filmed & put onto DVD. She replied saying it would be £200. I then replied asking her to book it. She replied confirming she would book it for me.

The night before the wedding when we were finalising everything she indicated it wasn't the hotel that book the DVD. Sure enough no-one turned up to film it. I didn't have her confirmation emails on me & didn't have time to organise a contingency.

I took out insurance for my wedding. 1 thing it covers is the "non appearence of the videographer" insured up to a sum of £2500. I filed out a claim form & sent it back with copies of emails from the hotel, heard nothing, phoned them & they said they never received it. Sent another special delivery which they did receive about 2 months ago. I sent 2 emails over the last week & half asking how my claim is progressing. They eventually replied saying they couldn't progress the claim as the hotel hasn't responded. In previous correspondence with my insurers they stated:

'Please ensure that The Hotel forwards the requested information to us as soon as possible as we can not continue the assessment of your claim until this information has been received.'

Surely it is the insurers job to chase the hotel for information? Looks like they want me do do their leg work. I just cannot see this being resolved in my favor.

Any advice/comments would be very welcolme.

silvercar

ask for details of the insurers complaints procedure, failing that tell them you will refer the matter to the FOS for a ruling. Insurers have to pay a few hundred pound for the FOS to investigate and so tend to avoid this if possible.

Astaroth

Generally it is up to the insured to substantiate their losses rather than the insurer. There can be a whole host of issues (such as the Data Protection Act and its international equiv) of why companies will not respond directly to the insurance company. The exception to this is when it is the insurance company that has appointed someone which as they are an agent of the insurer the insurer is responsible for their actions not you.

Certainly can pursue a complaint through the official channels and escalate to the FOS if you are unsatisfied with the response however I would recommend phoning your insurers to find out what information they are missing from the hotel and chasing it up yourself.