Travel Insurance claim

chickalittle

not sure of this is the right thread....but, I took out travel insurance thru Insureandgo for a very short break abroad and as it was cheap I added in no excess waiver as it only cost a £1 more.

My youngest daughter watched the film on the plane using her MP3 player headphones and accidently left her MP3 in the seat pouch. I contacted the airline/airport and local police with no result so I put in a claim - I bought the player about 2 years ago for £63 from Amazon and submitted a copy of the invoice etc.

They have now written to me asking me for manuals and warranties!

Our original trip was back at the end of April and it's now nearly 7 weeks since I put the claim in. My daughter didn't keep any info on the player - no real reason to as she was able to work it straight away (tech - savvy teenagers!).

I've never claimed under travel insurance before and just wondered if this was normal practise?

Just wondering if they will try and wriggle out of paying because we can't produce this info....

lisyloo

They have now written to me asking me for manuals and warranties!

It sounds like they are trying to prove that you had it.

I would write a letter sending a copy of the invoice and if you have it a copy of the credit card or bank statement showing you paid for it.
State that you no longer have the manuals and warranty and that the information provided should suffice as proof of purchase.

Send it recorded delivery (65p) so they can't fobb you off with "lost in the post).

If you want to "get heavy" state that you want a reply within 10 days after which time you will pursue the matter in the small claims court.

Keep a copy of the letter and any originals you send off. Also keep the recorded delivery receipt.
You shouldn't need to go to court but if you did then the receipt that you have should mean that a judge sides with you.

mattymoo

They already have the invoice from the Amazon site - that is sufficient proof of ownership.

I can only think they need the manual to work out it's spec and find value of an equivalent model (assuming this is a new for old type cover). A quick Google should yield the same results so I would ask them why they need these documents.

jonesMUFCforever

You could even go the manufacturer's website and print off the manual for the player.

chickalittle

thanks everyone for the replies - I did find a software CD that came with the player so sent that. I thought by providing the invoice it proved I had purchased the item.

Will give them 14 days and if I don't hear from them will write recorded delivery - I'm sure there is an insurance ombudsman too as a last resort.

missile

I wish you luck. When my wife left her mobile the company (Goldfish) pointed out a clause and declined payment as she had not taken sufficient care

lisyloo

Yes, you are expected to take care of your posessesions (as if you didn't have insurance).

So, if you left your keys in your car or your posessions on a beach whilst you went swimming, then that would be classed as negligence.

If you simply "forgot" something then I guess it's down to the generosity of the insurance company involved as it would be hard to argue that it isn't negligence (although it was clearly a mistake).

Good luck in your claim.

chickalittle

very pleased to report I received a cheque for £54 - they deducted "wear n tear" from the original cost of £63. I'm quite happy with that and it was enough to buy a better replacement as MP3 players have come down in price so much.