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Spectrum travel insurance - advice needed

sbchannel
sbchannel Posts: 7 Forumite
Sixth Anniversary Combo Breaker
edited 19 May 2025 at 4:40PM in Coronavirus Board
Due to go to Florida April - currently covered by government advice not to travel.
However I decided to ask Spectrum some hypothetical questions via email especially as Virgin are refusing to offer a refund (separate issue as this contradicts ATOL and section 9.2 in their own term and conditions.)
I am pretty clued you on my policy (it covers pandemics and FCO warning not to travel, all seemed good).

There are certain elements of my honeymoon that are not refundable:
- Park tickets (tickets extended, no good to us really as our holiday is dictated by work leave)
- Daytona Speedway (rebooks only)
- Airport parking (non refundable)
- hotel booked with Travel Republic (non refundable)
There is more
ANYWAY - This was the response from Spectrum:

“ In terms of getting a refund for your holiday, the first port of call would be to contact Virgin and see what they're able to offer you. As you're unable to get a refund, you'll need to see if they can offer you the choice of amending your trip. If they don't, you will have grounds to put through a claim to recover any irrecoverable costs, however, if they do offer the option of amending, we can't offer you any level of compensation if you do not take that option.

In terms of any non-refundable bookings, if you bought the excursions or hotel booking knowing it was non-refundable upon purchase, we cannot cover you for this. ”

NOWHERE in the policy wording does it say that if offered a voucher or a rebook that I MUST take it or they do not pay out (what if a rebook is going to cost 4K more, what if I don't have the leave approved (I don't)), or if any part of the holiday was non refundable they wouldn’t pay out. Isn’t that the point of insurance?

Their policy working under cancellation say “ We will pay you up to the amount shown in the summary of cover for your proportion only of any irrecoverable unused travel and accommodation costs and other pre-paid charges which you have paid or are contracted to pay, together with your proportion only of any reasonable additional travel expenses incurred if:
a. cancellation of the whole trip is necessary and unavoidable
b. cancellation of a pre-paid excursion booked in your home area up to £250 is unavoidable‘ (not applicable here as home area is United Kington)

There is nothing else that contradicts that or makes those lines blurry.

So what next, I have obviously gone back to them and said can you tell me where those exclusions are outlined in your policy wording but they have gone silent.

But seriously, what next, I am absolutely panicking now as we have 18k on the line here?!

My husband is also being made redundant, we could actually claim on insurance for redundancy, but Virgin may still offer us a re-book/voucher and what is non refundable is still non refundable? Any assistance appreciated.
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