AXA Travel Insurance

munchpot

If you've had a travel insurance claim turned down by AXA Insurance over COVID double check your claim

In short - My daughter booked holiday with On The Beach - ended up being cancelled. OTB refunded hotel but as flight was with Ryanair they refused to refund.
After plenty of back and forth they declined the claim - Handler just said - it's package holiday so not covered - go back to OTB - this apparently was confirmed by another handler.
Stuck in a complaint about how the claim was carried out - false information in correspondence, not replying etc and when speaking to someone about it she reviewed the claim and said it should have been paid out in the first place and the agent should have looked properly at the documents.
Today received a call from the complaints team confirming complaint upheld, agreed that mistakes were made and that the claim was originally turned down because of increased workload, and an offer of compensation (Which has been accepted)
The point is that if you've had a claim rejected by AXA then check it and appeal it if it's similar to the above. Who knows how many claims have have been incorrectly turned down and accepted by the claimants.  

eskbanker

If it was a package holiday from OTB then they should have reimbursed in full, including the flights, if anything was cancelled, so most insurers will be entitled to reject claims in such circumstances (as the package organiser is legally obliged to refund), so for others in this situation, it would be best to pursue the claim via the package organiser (including chargeback or even small claims if necessary) rather than resorting to insurance.  Perhaps AXA felt obliged to cough up after mistakes were made, but I'd side with the original handlers here....

Doshwaster

I have an ongoing claim with AXA and I'm not impressed with the process so far. I submitted all of the paperwork but it took them 4 weeks to even get a claim number and then 2 weeks later I get an email asking me to send them the booking confirmation that I had already sent. Since then nothing. I know all of the insurance companies must have huge backlogs but the communication could be better.

Doshwaster

As I followup to my post above I have just had my claim denied by AXA. In the letter they had all of the details wrong - they didn't even have the correct county - so I have put in an appeal.

soolin

Hmm, I may have to appeal my turned down claim then assuming I’m still in time. My circumstances are different though, booked flights and a hotel to Gran Canaria separately for April and  flights were cancelled and refunded, and hotel closed. Hotel refused to refund and instead issued a voucher, but remained closed through to September and are now running at part capacity. I claimed for the hotel on my Axa insurance and was turned down on the basis that a voucher satisfied the requirements for a refund. I pointed out that hotel was closed and my voucher expires in March 2021 and would I be covered if I could not fly , and they said no. They even said if hotel closes for good, which is a real possibility as they are struggling, then I still wouldn’t be covered. 

sheramber

Was insurance single trip or annual?
If single trip then it will no longer be valid.  
 If an annual policy when dos it finish? You will not b covered for anything after that date.

soolin

sheramber said:

Was insurance single trip or annual?
If single trip then it will no longer be valid.  
 If an annual policy when dos it finish? You will not b covered for anything after that date.

Ah, bother. It is an annual policy and renewed in July , oh well , I’ve already cancelled the renewal for 2021 and will probably take my business elsewhere. 

Doshwaster

soolin said:

Hmm, I may have to appeal my turned down claim then assuming I’m still in time. My circumstances are different though, booked flights and a hotel to Gran Canaria separately for April and  flights were cancelled and refunded, and hotel closed. Hotel refused to refund and instead issued a voucher, but remained closed through to September and are now running at part capacity. I claimed for the hotel on my Axa insurance and was turned down on the basis that a voucher satisfied the requirements for a refund. I pointed out that hotel was closed and my voucher expires in March 2021 and would I be covered if I could not fly , and they said no. They even said if hotel closes for good, which is a real possibility as they are struggling, then I still wouldn’t be covered. 

My situation was similar. I booked in February (before any travel restrictions) for July. The hotel cancelled the booking in June, issued a voucher and I rebooked for October, thinking everything would be fine by then. I then cancelled in September as travel was against FCO advice.
AXA seem to be saying that I'm not covered for the rebooking using the voucher.