Direct Line travel isnurance

jen0dorf

Hi

this may come over as a rant but am just seething.

Have had a direct line home/travel insurance policy for ten years it was renewed in January.

Am supposed to be off to Turkey in two weeks for a holiday.
Was taken ill on Monday and have been diagnosed with kidney stones and have been prescribed medication.

My GP has advised me that I should tell the insurance company and not travel if they will not insure me.

Ok Phoned direct line and was told "we will not cover you because it is a pre existing condition"

It was not a pre existing condition when I took out the policy!!

Seems to me that this is not a valid argument.

I then asked to place a claim in order to get back the £500 the holiday cost.

Seems I can't claim because I could go on holiday without insurance.

Is it me or is this a catch 22 situation - I paid Direct line good money in good faith and the policy states "up to £5000 if you need to cancel or shorten your holiday"

I do need to cancel t because direct line wont insure me

Any advise anyone???

thanks

Ian

jen0dorf

Forgot to add that Direct line have no supervisers /managers to answer the phone.

InsideInsurance

When did you first start getting symptoms?

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/ombudsman-news/49/annual-travel-insurance.htm

Did you speak to claims or servicing?

Quentin

If you have an annual policy you do need to notify them of any conditions you have both at the start of each policy year and each time you book a trip during the policy year.

If your condition arose since you booked the trip and they won't cover you for it then they should allow you to cancel and pay your cancellation costs.

jen0dorf

Hi

spoke to servicing as claims would not discuss it

and my symptoms developed Monday at 9:30 when I collapsed in abject pain!!

Not funny I assure you

Should I go direct to claims and force the issue? They were so intransigent on the phone

thanks

Ian

mayfair1985

I'm not saying that you haven't done this already, but call back the travel insurance department and make it very clear that in January, you had no knowledge, symptoms or diagnosis of the Kidney Stones, and that it is a 'change in circumstance'. You booked your holiday and had you insurance in place before the event occurred. See what they then say. Hopefully it will be something different.

I personally wouldn't force the issue with claims yet, as it's not at claim stage, but DO press it with the sales / screening department. They should be offering either cover for the condition, or the option to cancel the holiday if it is a genuine change in circumstance (or an alternative along these lines). Don't quote me on the options, as I'm not 100% sure how direct line work, but what they should not do it back you into a corner and only give you the option of traveling with this condition as an exclusion.

Let us know how you get on.

SimonSays

Sales wouldn't deal with this it would customer service or first notification.