New Travel Insurance discussion area

owlet

FH_Brit wrote: »

Owlet - I have never seen an ins policy for package deals only - It is called TRAVEL insurance not Package Holiday insurance - it is irrelevant who/how booked it is coverage for your travel.

Thanks Chris, it is just me looking at it wrong then . I think I am a bit paranoid this year as DH now has pre existing medical. Will look back in the thread for recommendations x

owlet

Leigh-Anne_60 wrote: »

I think most insurance co's will cover you. Maybe what your getting mixed up now is that some offer cover for the 'independant' traveller. This is designed for people that dont do packages, but book hotels/travel independantly.... So if say the airline goes bust they can claim for the unused hotel etc. However i dont see how that type of policy would benefit you with your travel plans?

Depends what your looking for in cover - if its Medical cover that is your main concern - any insurance should do. If your looking for breakdown cover or say cover for the cost of recovery for your car/caravan back to you the UK - Might be able to find something specialist through the caravan club or something?

HTH

Thanks Leigh-Anne. It is medical more than anything. We have breakdown cover and car insurance for Europe, which covers car and caravan - so it is just us. I'll go back and have a look x

FH_Brit

Owl - not cheapesT but always my recommendation - Post Office (fortis Ins)

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/jump1?catId=62900708&mediaId=63300708

number9

I'm taking my family (2 adults and 2 kids aged 14) to Brittany at the end of Aug/beginning Sept. I am looking for travel insurance cover for the 4 of us plus cover for my car. I don't know where to start. The Brittany Ferries booking pages on their site offers EuropAssistance cover. I need to compare this with others or book personal cover with one company and car cover with another. I cannot complete the booking without either taking this insurance with their preferred company or booking elsewhere.

Please advise.

FH_Brit

Number9 - What do you mean cover for your car? Your car should be insured anyway or you would be illegaly driving in the UK! If you are thinking that you need additional cover as it would be in Europe, then no you do not, that is the whole idea of the EEC (one single market) although it could be that your car ins has Europe excluded as a cost cutting thing. I suggest first you call your car insurers and ask if you are covered for a Europe holiday.

If you have or intend to get independent travel insurance then call Brittany Ferries and tell them you have already travel insurance and you do not need theirs (I would assume this site is being opperated by a travel agent who wants the insurance commission) then you can go ahead and buy the travel insurance you want.

Alternatively, Europ Assistance are an "average" travel insurer and if they are offering coverage that you cobnsider adequate toi your needs then take it (it's as good as many others)

Cornwall2000

apologies if this has been covered elsewhere -

what happens if more than one travel insurance policy is in effect - i have an ehicplus policy i took out last june and also now a fortis policy via alliance and leicester current account. both annual multi-trip insurance and both covering me for this incident (missed connection, or possibly abandonment, due to volcanic ash).

Although both of their phone people tried to tell me i wasn't because i haven't left yet. They agreed in the end... Shame you have to be so persistent - they should be looking after people who are in trouble not fobbing them off.

anyway my question is - who do i claim with? or do i claim to both and they do 50% each?

FH_Brit

SQUOWSE - You cannot claim from both. You choose which one, however if one denies the claim you may then put in a claim for the other one. Claiming from both COULD be insurance fraud.

My advice is whatever one you claim first, do not tell them that there is another policy in effect. Insurance companies will try not to pay out if you give them a reason, and if they think the other will pay they may put up a fight.

If you first choice does deny the claim ask them for a written explaiation as to why. You may need this for the second insurer or for the FSA if you end up making a complaint.

I really dont know how this Iceland Volcano Ash is going to be dealt with by IC's but please, as there are probably going to be tons of people in your same possition claiming from their IC's - keep this forum updated as to how your claim is going. The info may be very useful for others

Cornwall2000

FH_Brit wrote: »

Claiming from both COULD be insurance fraud.

My advice is whatever one you claim first, do not tell them that there is another policy in effect.

My concern is that not telling them could be considered fraud. If I do claim from both I will certainly be telling them so. I think maybe to claim from one and ask them to contact the other and sort it out between themselves is the way to go.

FH_Brit

It is not fraud - ubless you lie! - if asked you must tell the truth. Telling them both will, trust me, create an argument between them as to which of them is responsible, unless you do not want your claim sorted out for a few years, just let one do it and only bring the second one in after a denial.

Think about it, you claim on ins policy 'A' - they think you are insured by them ONLY and they process the claim and pay out = No Fraud & No Problem. Why complicate things?

I'm not telling you what to do buy why crerate problems that don't need to be.

can I also suggest you ask DACOUCH here - an insurance broker with excelent advice he/she will, I am sure, help or advise you.

d00fus

In case it's of interest to anyone else, I wrote a quick web scraper to get all the Defaqto star ratings for travel insurance, which they make ridiculously hard to access (you can only get one at a time from a slow web form). I wouldn't use them as the be-all and end-all (keep in mind they don't take into account the problems with AXA mentioned in this thread for example, and some of their requirements for high star ratings might be overkill for you) but it can be quite a good starting point for ones to look at. If you want the list PM me. :beer:
Edit: I should mention I've only got the annual multitrip ratings so far, the others should be easy to get too though.