Terrible Experience with LoveitCoverit (Pier Insurance) Worldwide Cover!

salmonface

Advice would be helpful!

Looking for advice on a nightmare situation with LoveIt CoverIt (underwritten by Pier Insurance Managed Services Ltd, FCA FRN 311798). I'll try to keep this concise but there's a lot to cover.

The short version: I took out gadget insurance with LoveIt CoverIt for my work laptop I work remotely.. The laptop broke. They accepted the claim and took my excess. Then they've done absolutely nothing for almost five months because I'm not physically in the UK to post it to them, they required me to cover 400 GBP in postage costs, then because of the war post became impossible and they have said for almost two months I will just need to wait for the war to be over, no alternative. No video inspection. Declined an inspection locally with whoever they choose. No replacement. No repair. No reimbursment. I am now I'm stranded abroad in a conflict zone with no way to send it or return and no laptop… even though I bought "UNLIMTED WORLDWIDE COVER"

The full story:

I'm a remote worker from the uk, I knew I would be working abroad so I got this heavily sold "worldwide cover" insurance, I read all the major documents and the only thing I saw was mobile phones would need to be shipped at the customers expense. I was covering a laptop so didn't even apply to me. Nothing about large postage costs or any issues I could see in the headline policy document.

I then became based in the Middle East for 6 months, very shortly my laptop broke. It wqas visibly broken, smelling of burning plastic when switched on. Then never switched on again. I followed their claims process to the letter, which in itself was excessive: an AI phone interview (to check if you're lying, apparently), videos of the laptop to prove it was broken, receipts, the lot.

They accepted the claim and I paid the excess. Then they told me the only way forward was to post the laptop to their UK repair centre so they could physically inspect it before they'd replace it. Even though it was clearly destroyed.

I looked into shipping, roughly £400 round trip including customs charges for a lithium battery device from the Middle East. The laptop is only worth around £800. They refused to cover any shipping costs. No contribution, no split.

I asked for alternatives. Every single one was refused:
Video inspection via FaceTime? No. Local assessor of their choice? No.
Any other arrangement? No.

At one point, they actually told me that posting the laptop wouldn't be enough and I would need to personally return to the UK for them to inspect the device which I explained wouldn't be for another 4 or 5 months. This is nowhere in the policy. When I pointed out that could be months away, they didn't engage. They then renegged and said postage would be good enough. Very confusing!

Then things got worse. The conflict in the region escalated, flights were cancelled, and all postal routes for lithium battery devices shut down. I've been stranded for over 7 weeks now, registered with the FCDO for evacuation. I told LoveIt CoverIt all of this in writing, more than once, with evidence. I offered to let them choose the repair shop here, do an inspection over video, literally anything. They insist I post it or return to the uk even though its impossible for an indefinate period of time (like I said almost 2 months already).

Their response: two identical copy-paste emails from "Jordan" on the "Customer Experience Team" telling me to post it or wait until I'm back in the UK. No acknowledgement that I'm in a war zone. No flexibility. No engagement with any of my suggestions. Nothing.

The complaints situation — this is where I need advice:

I raised a formal complaint about the 400 GBP unexpected postage cost. Escalated it to the FCO before the war. Nothing happened yet.

Then I explained I couldn't even ship it or return to the uk even if they FCO wants me to pay the 400 and I need an alternative to progress the claim. They refused. Opened a second complaint. Still nothing. They refused to register it, saying my concerns "relate to the original complaint" already with the Financial Ombudsman. Even though the financial onbudsman said they do not and I need to open a new complaint.

Here's the thing — I already have an existing FOS complaint (about the original claim decline, ref PNX-5827346-H8N1). The FOS Investigator, Joshua Morris, confirmed to me in writing on 7 April 2026 that his scope only covers events up to their Final Response Letter of 1 December 2025. He specifically told me that anything after that — which is all the March/April 2026 conduct I'm describing — needs to be raised as a separate new referral.

So I now have two FOS complaints:

1. The original one about the claim decline (pre-December 2025)
2. A new one I submitted on 10 April 2026 about their post-FRL conduct — the stonewalling, the refusal to offer alternatives, the refusal to register a new complaint, and the complete failure to engage with the fact that I'm stuck in an active conflict zone

LoveIt CoverIt's position, per Jordan's email of 10 April, is that they "are unable to take any further action" until the Ombudsman issues a final binding decision on the original complaint. Meanwhile my accepted claim just sits frozen, they have my excess, and I have no working laptop.

My questions:

1. Has anyone else dealt with LoveIt CoverIt / Pier Insurance and had a similar experience? I've seen some Trustpilot reviews that suggest this pattern of stalling and refusing alternatives is common.
2. With two separate FOS complaints running — one about the original decline and one about the post-FRL conduct — is there anything I should be doing strategically? Should I be pushing for them to be linked? Kept separate?
3. They market themselves as offering "worldwide cover" and "unlimited claims and repairs." Their marketing materials (which I've screenshotted) prominently feature this. But in practice, the claims process is entirely UK-centric — you have to physically post the device to Essex at your own expense. Is there any angle here around misleading marketing under FCA rules?
4. Is there anything else I can do beyond the FOS? I've reported the conduct to the FCA and left a Trustpilot review but I'm open to suggestions.

A warning to anyone reading this:

If you use your laptop for essential work — freelance, remote, self-employed — do not rely on LoveIt CoverIt. If anything goes wrong while you're not sitting in the UK, you will be stuck. They will not adapt their process, they will not offer alternatives, and they will not engage with your circumstances. Their "worldwide cover" marketing is meaningless when the claims process requires you to be in the UK.

If you travel or work remotely, get proper travel insurance that includes gadget cover. At least travel insurers are set up to handle claims abroad, while you're abroad. LoveIt CoverIt are not.

Happy to share more detail or documentation if it helps anyone in a similar position.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

sheramber

They do say in FAQ you need to send it off.

What’s the excess on gadget insurance?

If anything happens to your gadgets, you can make a claim. Provided that the issue is covered under your insurance policy, you will typically pay an excess charge before sending your gadget off for repair or replacement.

Presumably you did not check where you woukd need to send it to.

MyRealNameToo

World wide cover on this type of product means you have coverage no matter where the incident occurs that results in the loss. For a minor policy like this is certainly won't mean they have a global network of repairers etc and so you realistically should have expected to be dealing with UK based entities and therefore sending items to the UK.

There are products out there that can deal with stuff anywhere in the world but you are then typically adding at least one additional 0 to the price and potentially more. Clearly would never be economical for this type of insurance but makes sense with other product classes with claims going into the millions with associated premiums.

£400 seems excessive in courier fees for one laptop, would have thought £150 for insured courier and £50 admin fee to arrange it would be more sufficient remembering its covered for its current (secondhand) value not the price you paid for it