Wrong holiday dates on travel insurance

lycam_2

I've never booked a package holiday before as we've only been abroad once and that was by train. I booked through Jet2 and booked travel insurance with GoPanda for a single trip as it was the cheapest on the comparison sites. Stupidly I didn't read the documents and have just went to print them and noticed the date is wrong, we travel 28/06/2016-05/07/2016 and the cover is for 26/06/2016-03/07/2016. I don't have a clue how this happened but now don't know if GoPanda are likely to let me change the dates or if I should just take out another policy for the correct dates. I'm going to phone them but they're closed just now so just wondered if anyone has any advice on what I should do? I booked the policy about 2 months ago so well outwith any cooling off period.

shaun_from_Africa

I've had a quick at their website and although I didn't see anything that specifically stated that changes were possible, it does give this when getting a quote:

Please note that the start and end of your trip must be in the UK and you cannot change the dates of the trip once it has commenced.

which to me implies that changes before the start of travel can be carried out.

lycam_2

Ah thanks, I'll give them a call in the morning then and hopefully they'll change it.

Alan_Bowen

All policies have a 14 day cooling off period which allows you to cancel free of charge for any reason so long as you didn't buy the insurance months ago! Read the policy and it will tell you how to do it and then buy a new policy for the correct dates

sheramber

If it is a single trip policy it is better if it starts from the day you book so that you are covered for anything happening before you go as well as when away

shaun_from_Africa

Alan_Bowen wrote: »

All policies have a 14 day cooling off period which allows you to cancel free of charge for any reason so long as you didn't buy the insurance months ago!

Not totally correct.
Whilst it's certainly true that there is a cooling off period, the company that provided the insurance is entitled to make a admin charge to cover the cost of setting up the policy. Not too many of them do this but they can do so if they wish.
However, this doesn't affect the OP as they are well outside of the cancellation period.

lycam wrote: »

I booked the policy about 2 months ago so well outwith any cooling off period.

Alidolly

Just give them a call and they should be able to change it no problem. Did the same once with another insurance company and they emailed me the amended paperwork without any hassle

agrinnall

sheramber wrote: »

If it is a single trip policy it is better if it starts from the day you book so that you are covered for anything happening before you go as well as when away

The policy will start from the day it's purchased for things such as cancellation, but you still have to specify the dates of travel for the other parts to take effect. Which is what the OP has done, just that it's gone wrong somehow.

jackieblack

lycam wrote: »

Ah thanks, I'll give them a call in the morning then and hopefully they'll change it.

Any update? What did they say?

Voyager2002

sheramber wrote: »

If it is a single trip policy it is better if it starts from the day you book so that you are covered for anything happening before you go as well as when away

No.

You arrange single-trip insurance for the period you will actually be away (starting on the date of your outward journey) and you get cancellation cover starting on the day you take out the insurance.

glentoran99

sheramber wrote: »

If it is a single trip policy it is better if it starts from the day you book so that you are covered for anything happening before you go as well as when away

Wrong, You could then be paying for what looks a like several months trip!