PGL illegally making purchasing their Travel Insurance compulsory

cte1111

I recently booked a holiday for my children with PGL. In order to benefit from their promotional prices, I was forced to take out their own travel insurance policy. This is for a holiday in the UK, where travel insurance is of very limited value for UK citizens.

I vaguely remembered hearing about this happening in the past and Watchdog campaigning successfully to have this made illegal. Sure enough the Citizens Advice Bureau website confirmed it:

"Your travel agent may offer you travel insurance as part of a package holiday. You can opt for this if you want to but you don't have to buy this insurance. The travel agent is breaking the law if they try to make you take it out or charge you more for your holiday because you refuse to accept it."

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/insurance/insurance/types-of-insurance/travel-insurance1/travel-insurance/

After a lengthy phone call, the travel insurance (which was costing about 10% of the holiday costs, clearly a huge mark up), was eventually removed from the cost of the holiday. They said that it was in their T&C (T&C do not trump staturory law) and that they had been doing it for years! If anyone has been stung by this in the past, I suggest you contact them and ask for a refund.

I hope Martin Lewis is able to take this up with them and ensure that they do not continue to mis-sell like this, as they are now know that they are in breach of this law and have acknowledged it by removing it from my booking.

Westin

PGL specialises in adventure type holidays for children and school groups. I wonder if that is the reason they suggest that their insurance is used. Can you even get regular holiday insurance for unaccompanied children for an activity based adventure holiday?

cte1111

Not really the point though, there is very little need for travel insurance for UK citizens within the UK, certainly not at 10%+ of the purchase price. Only real benefit would be for cancellation cover.

NB they don't 'suggest' it, they make it compulsory, which is illegal.

Westin

Having just looked at their website they do I think make a valid point as to the difficulty in finding suitable alternative insurance. Even for an adult many cheaper policies exclude these adventure type activities.

Quote:

:: It is important that everyone travelling with PGL has holiday insurance. Experience has shown that standard policies do not cover all our activities, e.g. motorsports, abseiling and rifle shooting. ::

The insurance does also offer other cover apart from just medical cover.

It would suggest that alternative cover can be made as they also state -

:: Clients not purchasing our insurance will be asked to complete an Insurance Indemnity Form issued on the advice of ABTA.::

Where did you get the idea about their insurance being obligatory? The above would seem to contradict this.

Not sure how long your child is on holiday with them but the cost for their insurance seems to start at £20 for a 3 day break, up to £37 for a week. Given the types of activities, I do not think it is that bad a price. Have you found anything cheaper?

http://www.pgl.co.uk/en-gb/adventure-holidays/parents/our-parent-guide/insurance

cte1111

Would you pay 10% of the holiday price for travel insurance on a holiday in your home country? Genuine question. I know some posters have to contradict others automatically but this does seem unlikely.

Unless they have changed their T&C since an hour ago, they make purchasing their overpriced travel insurance compulsory in order to take advantage of any of their promotional offers. This is illegal.

Why do you think I should take travel insurance? The NHS will cover my children in the unlikely event that need medical care. The only possible benefit is if they are unable to go, then some travel insurance policies might cover the cost of the holiday in some instances, but this is a very small risk. Indeed if they are able to resell the holiday in the meantime, then they will have to issue a refund, so this mitigates the already tiny risk.

Again I ask you, do you take out travel insurance when you travel within the UK?

cte1111

I'm posting to help other customers and potential customers who might also otherwise be forced to take out unnecessary travel insurance. This is meant to be a forum for consumers to help each other. I think that a major travel company breaking a consumer law for many years is worth posting about and hopefully worth Martin following up.

EssexExile

cte1111 wrote: »

Again I ask you, do you take out travel insurance when you travel within the UK?

No I wouldn't, I think you have a valid point but I don't know the law.

Edit. However this is the overseas board so I can understand the confusion.

LadyDee

OP, it might be illegal for the company to insist on their own insurance, and of course your child would get any medical attention required, but check to see if their insurance policy would allow you to claim for travel/accommodation etc. in the unfortunate event that you might need to make the journey. Maybe it will and could be worth paying the extra?

NoodleDoodleMan

Not really the point though, there is very little need for travel insurance for UK citizens within the UK,

Just a thought - their insurance would be designed to cover the hazardous types of adventurous training that they do with kids.

This won't be be covered in regular policies - same as you need to take out extra cover to undertake these activities abroad as they are excluded otherwise.

The travel aspect within the UK is not the key issue.

Sooler

OP is referring to the Promotional Offers i.e.

Offer 1 - Book one, get one FREE* on all 7 and 4 night Multi Activity holidays*
*Offer applies to holidays where PGL insurance is also purchased at an additional charge - see terms

Up to 50% OFF First Timer Holidays*
*Discount applies only to holidays where PGL insurance is also purchased at an additional charges

unforeseen

So OP wants the promotional price but doesn't want the conditions that go with it.