Please help me in dealing with a claim for a shady travel insurance company...

NibblyPig

I took out a travel insurance policy using a comparison site, for my trip to Scotland. During my trip, the lens of my action camera got badly scratched.
I e-mailed them to ask what I should do to make a claim, and they are responding with broken English (probably Indian call centre type job),

First they said my policy does not cover it and sent a screenshot of the 'valuables' page of my policy document, which states gadgets are NOT valuables and therefore they are not covered.

I replied with the *next* page of the document which is specifically for gadgets that says they're covered for accidental damage up to £4000.

They replied saying that this clause does not apply to my policy as I would need to have taken optional gadget cover (I specifically took out gadget insurance) which I did not.

I replied to that with a screenshot of my policy document summary which SPECIFICALLY states that gadgets are covered:



They then replied with the same e-mail as the first one, with a screenshot of the valuables page saying my claim is not valid.

I mean, this feels very illegal to me to outright lie and say I don't have a claim. I bet a lot of people just give up at that point because they lie about what is covered or whatever.

I wonder if anyone has any advice on how to deal with this without drawing it out forever?

Many thanks

TELLIT01

As you are clearly going to get nowhere with them, look at the Financial Ombudsman Service site to see if you can go through them.

Pollycat

They are (according to their website):

based in Kent – the garden of England, and have a close-knit team of experts in aviation medicine, customer service, medical screening, underwriting, claims and 24/7 multi-lingual emergency assistance.

 

Have you gone through their complaints process?

https://www.flexicover.co.uk/help-centre/complaints

Alternatively, you can:

• Send us an email: complaints@tifgroup.co.uk
• Write to: The Customer Insights Manager, URV, 1, Tower View, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4UY
• Telephone: 0203 829 6604

NibblyPig

Thanks, I will send an e-mail to complaints and see if they can escalate it to someone a bit more important.

After that I will file a complaint with the ombudsman and anyone else I can because I despise scummy behaviour!

twopenny

I think you are right that, like many others that deal with phone and email, they will try to get people to go away.

Unusual for Insurance but they are a small company, not a major player. Besides I had cause to deal with a major  travel company who did precisely this, promise and not deliver, and it's standard practise to try and get rid of you. Of 14 of our group 12 demanded refunds but some took a small voucher, some got fed up an ddropped it etc. I was the only one who got to the end. I did it all by letter. I knew the paper would start to grow into a huge file that had to be stored and awkward. I also had a complete paper trail. I made myself awkward and persistant until it got to the attention of the guy in charge.

So yes, Complaints - Ombudsman onwards. Keep a copy of everything.

Couldn't bring them up under Companies House under the name Flexicover Travel Insurance but Travel Insurance Facilities plc is registered.

This will give you an overview of the Directors etc and their other involvements in companies

http://www.datalog.co.uk/browse/detail.php/CompanyNumber/03220410/CompanyName/TRAVEL+INSURANCE+FACILITIES+PLC#:~:text=TRAVEL INSURANCE FACILITIES PLC was founded on 1996-07-04,the accounts submission requirement is categorised as GROUP

Which Mag - "2014 · Flexicover travel insurance overview. Flexicover is a division of Citybond Holdings Ltd and has been providing travel insurance for over 30 years. Its policies are underwritten by tifgroup on behalf of the insurer Union Reiseversicherung AG."

From their FB page - One of the UK's leading direct sell travel insurance providers

From their site - Flexicover is a trading name of Travel Insurance Facilities Plc which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FRN 306537.

Company registered in England and Wales No. 03220410, Registered Office: 1 Tower View, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4UY. All policies offered are on a non-advised basis.

TRAVEL INSURANCE FACILITIES PLC (03220410) Registered office address. 2nd Floor 1 Tower View, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4UY.

Good luck

Voyager2002

There was a long and disturbing thread on this board about the TIF group, but it has gone. Here is Martin's comment on the issue, which suggests to me that you are fortunate that your claim was for damage to property rather than medical attention.
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2018/11/-martin-s-response-to-times-story-about-tif--holidaysafe-and-mse/