Travel insurance - baggage cover - is this normal?

apples1

I have just taken out a travel insurance policy with Columbus Direct.

I have £1500 baggage cover (with single item limit of £200 & valuables limit in total of £250. There is a £60 excess. This is all as I expected from the phone call and is stated on the summary of cover document I have received.

However having just read the booklet (small print) it says that... "any item, or set of items with a value of over £50 must be supported by original receipt. If original receipts cannot be supplied to support your claim, each item will be limited to £50 and the total amount payable for all such items will be £250."

Given that our suitcases will mainly be full of clothes for our treat holiday later in the year my understanding is that this would mean if my case was lost I could only claim £250 for all those clothes/shoes in the case? I am sure most people wouldn't have original receipts for their clothes would they?

I have time to cancel the policy and go elsewhere - a few days left. Should I do so or is this standard? The annual policy has cost me £166 for annual worldwise excluding USA and Canada. I am not trying to cut the cost of the policy just make sure I have a good and fair level of cover should anything go wrong.

weejonnie

Each travel insurance company has its own conditions - this one is ostensibly to reduce fraud but it could be argued that it is an attempt to keep premiums down (and thus get business) by reducing the amount that can be claimed - The FSA might take a dim view of such an endorsement - especially as I assume the restriction is not mentioned in the original key facts or blurb on the website.

Indeed I congratulate you on spotting this exclusion - many wouldn't. The limit, I assume would be PER PERSON so if your partner and children if any were travelling then the total cost would be higher.

You could look at this policy http: / / w w w . p o r t w o o d . c o . u k /Redwood/policy.pdf and if you prefer the wording get a quote from their website ..... / redwood/ quote.asp . I think their Silver contract would be most similar to Columbus, but I have no idea what the price comparison would be. They quote to 74. A family quote (2 people aged over 50 + 4 children) is £151.63 with £1750 personal effects, £50 excess and £250 single article limit - which is roughly what you have with Columbus.

InsideInsurance

Most travel insurance has fairly limited cover for baggage, even the premium brands top policies arent amazing.

For many you may want to consider if your Home insurance´s Personal Possessions is not better cover for your items. Be aware however that Home typically doesnt cover clothes on a New for Old basis.

weejonnie

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Most travel insurance has fairly limited cover for baggage, even the premium brands top policies arent amazing.

For many you may want to consider if your Home insurance´s Personal Possessions is not better cover for your items. Be aware however that Home typically doesnt cover clothes on a New for Old basis.

That's true - however a claim on a house insurance policy will affect the no claims bonus (but it should be noted that if you have both travel insurance and home insurance with all risks cover then the travel insurance company will usually ask for a contribution from the home insurer and you'll lose your no claims bonus anyway!)

Valuables should ALWAYS be insured under a home contents all risks extension - I am only aware of ONE travel insurer who will give new for old cover on luggage (P J Hayman on their better policy) but there may be others. Travel insurance is supposed to cover those things you take specifically whilst travelling.

(The top of range Redwood contract gives £750 S.A.L and I am not sure if there are many giving more - certainly the top 8 on Defaqto have lower figures www. defaqto . com / star-ratings/ travel insurance) (but it is very slow picking your choices)