Holiday cancellation due to terminally ill parent

jasonr1968

Hi all
Not sure if this is the place to ask, but here goes.

My mother was diagnosed 18 months ago with cancer. It was a worrying time but at the time it wasn't immediately terminal for her. This year my wife and I booked a holiday through Thomas Cook to Portugal. A few months later, we took out travel insurance. My mother, as this stage was Ill, but not terminal. We didn't declare my mother had cancer as it wasn't immediately terminal at that stage.
Some time after taking out the insurance my mother went downhill and needed chemo, but she was OK for a while. She has since gone downhill again, and we are due to travel in three weeks, but we are not sure we can go - my mother has only a short time left, but we don't know if it is 1 day, or 2 months, but realistically a lot less than that.
We spoke to the insurers and they say, as it was an existing condition, we are not covered, even though at the time of taking it out, she was fit enough. People can have cancer for years though. We are also within the Thomas Cook guidelines off less than 70 days, so lose all our money, which is about £2500. I can't afford another holiday, can someone give me advice where I stand please.
Thanks for your time and help.

ferf1223

I am so sorry to hear about your mother - it must be a stressful time for you and your family.

I'm not an expert on things like this, but I do think you would have needed to declare your mother's condition to be covered...the insurer would have evaluated their risk and likely have increased your premium quote (or depending on the specifics declined to cover you)...unfortunately I think that it would be the insurer to make the call as to whether your mother's condition was serious enough to impact the coverage they offered and as it wasn't declared I do not think they will have to cover you in this situation.

peachyprice

The insurance company are quite correct, you should have declared your mother's cancer at the time you took out the policy, unfortunately you will not be covered.

The only hope you have it to ask Thomas Cook if they will let you move the holiday date, it may cost you but if they can do it it's better than losing the whole £2500.

Alan_Bowen

I have to agree there was a very obvious pre existing issue with your Mum and failing to declare it at the time of buying the policy allows the insurer to void it. They would have needed full details and regrettably, after a terminal diagnosis, they may have either refused to insure you at all or only done so excluding cancellation for Mum's illness. If that is any consolation, you may actually not be any worse off, apart from the cost of the insurance than if you hadn't bought it in the first place. Your only option is to delay the holiday, however you need to talk to your agent as sometimes they want the replacement holiday to be from the same season, which ends at the end of October.

PS although you have paid the final balance you should not be at 100% cancellation fess at this point, it is usually only 50% up to 28 days, but don't delay as the cancellation charges usually increase at 21 and 14 days before departure.

Naturally I am very sorry you find yourself in this situation and wish all of you the very best for the future

jasonr1968

Thanks for the replies.

Just for information, we DID declare my mother had cancer to the insurance company when we took it out, but at the time she was OK.
We got through to Thomas Cook who were the most unhelpful, most uncaring people in the world, not even budging an inch until I mailed their complaints department, who did eventually agree to do something. I have vowed never to use them again.
There is now no need to alter the holiday as my mother sadly passed away yesterday and she is already amazingly missed.

We did everything right for this holiday, but there are times when you cannot allow for everything, and that is the time you need compassion, help and to know you have insurance in place. I will never use Insure And Go again either as they wriggled out of everything.

We are going on holiday, I need the break after the funeral.

Thanks again for your replies.

jasonr1968

I forgot to mention that Thomas Cook wouldn't alter the holiday by one week and said that if we wanted to do that, there was a 90% cancellation fee in place, so we wouldn't have got anything back!

photome

jasonr1968 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.

Just for information, we DID declare my mother had cancer to the insurance company when we took it out, but at the time she was OK.
We got through to Thomas Cook who were the most unhelpful, most uncaring people in the world, not even budging an inch until I mailed their complaints department, who did eventually agree to do something. I have vowed never to use them again.
There is now no need to alter the holiday as my mother sadly passed away yesterday and she is already amazingly missed.

We did everything right for this holiday, but there are times when you cannot allow for everything, and that is the time you need compassion, help and to know you have insurance in place. I will never use Insure And Go again either as they wriggled out of everything.

We are going on holiday, I need the break after the funeral.

Thanks again for your replies.

Sorry for your loss.

Could you elaborate on why insure and go wriggled out?

As you declared the existing condition did the insurer insure the existing condition or decline to insure it when you took out the policy

marsman802

I'm very sorry for your loss.

Keep the things that matter close to you.

Best of luck

Archergirl

Sorry for your loss.
Sometimes life is very stressful, try not to add to your stress at this time by dwelling on what might have been, sadly your mum has passed on, but her suffering is now over.
What happened with the insurance company dosen't matter now as you can have your holiday, try to forget the negative stuff, mourn your mum, and enjoy your hoilday, I'm sure she would want you too.
Take care xx

ERICS_MUM

the thing that annoys me most about this thread is that Thomas Cook couldn't even make a compassionate gesture and move your holiday dates without treating it as a complete cancellation.

photome

Archergirl wrote: »

Sorry for your loss.
Sometimes life is very stressful, try not to add to your stress at this time by dwelling on what might have been, sadly your mum has passed on, but her suffering is now over.
What happened with the insurance company dosen't matter now as you can have your holiday, try to forget the negative stuff, mourn your mum, and enjoy your hoilday, I'm sure she would want you too.
Take care xx

It doesnt matter to the Op as he is going on holiday, but it may help others to know why insure and go wriggled out