Advice needed - Travel insurance refusing to pay out

Daveyb67

Advice needed please, think our Insurance company is hiding behind a technicality.

We purchased annual travel insurance in January and they took full payment at the time. Four days before we were due to travel (6th March), my mother unfortunately died, very suddenly. There was no pre-existing condition and we have a doctors report confirming this. We have tried to claim but the company is saying that as we cancelled the holiday before the policy start date, we weren't covered. I have looked everywhere, but I cannot find any wording anywhere on the policy that says that it commenced on the 6th March. All it says is Date issued: 30th January 2016; Departure Date: 6th March 2016; Return date: 5th March 2017.

I am going to challenge their decision, but all the dates and wording seems very confusing. Does anyone think I am right or am I on a hiding to nothing.

mgfvvc

That doesn't sound right to me. The date issued is when I would expect cover to commence. Ask for their formal complaint procedure.

rs65

Daveyb67 wrote: »

We purchased annual travel insurance in January and they took full payment at the time. Four days before we were due to travel (6th March), my mother unfortunately died, very suddenly. There was no pre-existing condition and we have a doctors report confirming this. We have tried to claim but the company is saying that as we cancelled the holiday before the policy start date, we weren't covered. I have looked everywhere, but I cannot find any wording anywhere on the policy that says that it commenced on the 6th March. All it says is Date issued: 30th January 2016; Departure Date: 6th March 2016; Return date: 5th March 2017.

That sounds like you took out cover for a 12 month trip or you took out annual cover to commence on 6th March.

Annual travel insurance usually starts the day you buy it or a date you choose in the future. Sounds like you chose the 6th March. Did you have a previous policy?

Mr.Generous

Is it an annual policy or cover for an individual 2 week break? annual should cover it, if its cover just for the period of the holiday I'm not convinced it will.

CoffeeandStitches

Just to reiterate, if it's annual cover and the start date of the policy is 6th March, then there is no claim, regardless of when you purchase. Annual Insurance cover does not start until the start date listed on the policy. If it started when you purchased then in your case you would have had 14 months cover, not 12. A horrible lesson to learn given the circumstances.

mufi

Daveyb67 wrote: »

Advice needed please, think our Insurance company is hiding behind a technicality.

We purchased annual travel insurance in January and they took full payment at the time. Four days before we were due to travel (6th March), my mother unfortunately died, very suddenly. There was no pre-existing condition and we have a doctors report confirming this. We have tried to claim but the company is saying that as we cancelled the holiday before the policy start date, we weren't covered. I have looked everywhere, but I cannot find any wording anywhere on the policy that says that it commenced on the 6th March. All it says is Date issued: 30th January 2016; Departure Date: 6th March 2016; Return date: 5th March 2017.

I am going to challenge their decision, but all the dates and wording seems very confusing. Does anyone think I am right or am I on a hiding to nothing.

Are you sure this isn't a single trip policy, and perhaps you opted out of cover for cancellation prior to the holiday?


Was the cover taken out over the telephone? If so, get the company to pull the tape recording.

magpiecottage

If the wording is what the OP says it is, it sounds like a single trip policy for a trip starting on 6 March this year and ending on 5 March next year.

Whilst single trip policies normally do cover cancellations in advance, they seldom run for that long.

If the policy wording has been put that way in error then FOS might interpret the ambiguity in the OP's favour but I am not convinced that it really does say that.

Daveyb67

I agree, but there was no warning to this extent when it was purchased. I've been on their website since and they've changed it as you can't miss the warning now. It wasn't there when we purchased the policy nor in any of the small print that we've gone through with a fine tooth comb since. We've been had.

Daveyb67

I just want to thank everyone for taking the time to post a reply, I am very appreciative of every one. As I have already posted, the website that we used has changed since we took out the policy and now warnings saying that cancellation cover only starts on either the date you pay for the policy or the first departure date, whichever you request. These warnings were not there when we took out the policy, and I feel we were misled by an absence of adequate information.

Quentin

As previously advised you do need to pursue a complaint (escalating if necessary to the FOS for their adjudication)


The dates you have posted don't make sense - a 12 month policy starting on Jan 30th would end the following Jan 29th.


The wording on your policy docs will (should) be definitive and show the date the policy starts.


If there is ambiguity, then that will be resolved by the complaints procedure. if the FOS get involved, the resolution they decide will be binding on the insurer.


If you are unhappy with that decision, it isn't binding on you, leaving you free to take court action if you wish to

rs65

Daveyb67 wrote: »

the website that we used has changed since we took out the policy and now warnings saying that cancellation cover only starts on either the date you pay for the policy or the first departure date, whichever you request.

This doesn't make sense. Cancellation risk is from the date of booking to the date of departure. I can't understand why anyone would choose the date of departure for cancellation cover.

Do you have a link?