 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hi all
Just thought I would give a heads up on my insurance problems. I bought an annual insurance policy with winter sports coverage from Flexicover.
To cut a long stroy short we had to cancel our trip in mid march as my wife's grandmother passed away. The claim is being assessed by Mondial assistance. We completed the form and complied with all the small print and five months later are still being utterly messed around by them with no sign of a payment.
Given my experience I would avoid these guys like the plague
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
nick0861, on what grounds are they refusing your claim?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
nick0861, if you were aware that your wife's grandmother had a condition that meant she might die whilst you were away, I am afraid that Mondial may have a case for querying payment, since I think the condition would have been a material fact which you should have disclosed when you took out the insurance, or as soon as you became aware of it. If you did, of course, then that is another matter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
they havent refused it just messing us around - dely delay delay
three months into the claim (despite being informed at the outset of the circumstances) they asked for a gp letter confirming the cause of death of my wife's 95 year old grandmother!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
her condition was that she was a 95 year old lady!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
nick0861, so arguably her age was a material fact - particularly if she was frail. Some years back my SIL had a similar problem when she had a family ski holiday in Canada booked and FIL died. I think the insurance company initially took the line that FIL's health should have been considered when the insurance was taken out - but eventually, after persistent badgering from SIL, they relented and paid up. I guess it could be a problem with all sHs with elderly relatives, so good luck.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
achilles, your son-in-law's father-in-law ? 
I know that, in all these cases, its difficult to be impartial but the insurer's need to be given ALL material facts, otherwise, simply because insurers are insurers, there's wriggle room for them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oops, S means sister !!! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
sproggski, yes, my sister in law - her father (my father in law).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It does seem a bit unfair. I have travel insurance through my bank account (Nat West) and I had to claim two years ago for a short break in the Lake District which I'd booked and paid for but didn't take at the last minute as my cat took ill and subsequently died. I had to provide proof of booking and payment from the hotel, and proof of veterinary treatment and they paid up within the week. There were no dodgy clauses about failing to inform them that my cat was 17 years old at the time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
queen bodecia, what's dodgy? Snowcard say very clearly:
| Quote: |
For a close relative or business associate, or anyone else
who is not an insured person and whose health may affect
the trip: If, at the time of taking out this insurance (or
booking the trip if this was later), they had a medical
condition for which they –
• were receiving treatment at hospital;
• were waiting for a hospital consultation or
treatment; or
• had been given a terminal prognosis, or been told
that their condition is likely to get worse in the
next 12 months;
We will not pay for any problem which has anything to
do with that medical condition. |
I imagine nick0861's policy will have a similar condition.
The financial ombudsman's position on non disclosure.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
achilles, perhaps 95 year old Grandmother did not have a medical condition that required hospital treatment?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hells Bells, that was my point. My cat didn't have a medical condition either. She was just old and could have gone at any time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
I've several 90+ customers who are hale and hearty and not under any treatment from a hospital. Achilles quote makes no mention of needing to declare a relative's age to the insurers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| nick0861 wrote: |
they havent refused it just messing us around - dely delay delay
three months into the claim (despite being informed at the outset of the circumstances) they asked for a gp letter confirming the cause of death of my wife's 95 year old grandmother!!! |
Standard practise to need to provide a letter I would have thought, have you already sent one and it wasn't sufficient.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Surely life is a "medical condition with a terminal prognosis" 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
A guarenteed cause of death is being alive in the first place.
Unless there was a notifiable condition then the age of the relative should not have a bearing.
My good lady in the course of her work sees plenty of 80+ year olds that are arguably going to last a lot longer than some 40-60 year olds.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
Tiger2, LOL you got there first 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Hells Bells, quite so. But it seems reasonable to think that a 95 year-old could have had the conditions listed, and so reasonable for an insurance company to dig into cause of death. Mind you, it's also something that should have been queried at the outset, IMV, rather than 3 months down the line.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
queen bodecia, I'm a bit surprised that they paid out for aborting the holiday for a cat; you had a benevolent insurer, I think.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
On another note... Please all make sure you read the fine print for the skiing part of your insurance. The Ts&Cs have changed for quite a few and are a bit more stringent if not, now excluding various things.
Some things I have noticed on some insurances:
- not covered in snow fun parks
- not covered off piste, even "between" marked pistes
- not covered for "aviation" repatriation but covered for land repatriation
- not covered for mountain rescue costs but repatriation from town/ village hospital covered
- not covered for "racing" including speed traps which is constituted as racing
- not covered for x days missed skiing due to either bad weather or x % closed pistes as "recoverable from resort ski pass ticket company"
These are just a few I have seen and on asking, most will in fact throw these in for free, but you have to ask!!! Others will cover all/ some for just a small fee.
It is very worth while checking, as if it is not there on the policy as included, assume it is excluded!
Please be wary this season!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
Standard practise to need to provide a letter I would have thought, have you already sent one and it wasn't sufficient.
|
yes thats the case - i have no issue with being asked to suplpy the letter - i do however have an issue with them asking me for the letter three months after i have made the initial claim with no mention of it whatsoever up until that point. i dont know if it is sufficient or not - I submitted the letter two months ago and have not hear anything from them since (they dont return messages and getting hold of someone to speak about my claim is a nightmare).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Would this be a good time to ask about the rumoured  Insurance
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
nick0861, I think it is time to make a formal complaint then. Follow your insurer's procedures, and then take to the ombudsman if you are not satisfied with the outcome, or they do not comply with the requirements. Your policy booklet should tell you how and who to complain to.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
achilles, , I assume illness of a pet was covered by the policy, otherwise QB wouldn't have been able to claim.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
achilles, I couldn't go on holiday and entrust a poorly cat to a cattery! Hells Bells is correct, it was covered by my policy but there were some clauses as to what constitutes a pet, cats, dogs and horses are covered, small rodents, birds, fish and insects are not.
My insurance includes winter sports cover, including piste rescue, but does not cover off-piste or snow parks. Not an issue for me, but might be an issue for some. As michaelminhatkinson says always check your insurance is adequate for your needs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
American travel policies are beginning to adopt "cancel for any reason" - ie. You just didn't fancy going would be a legitimate claim. The policy costs more money of course but it'll make an appearance in the UK soon I reckon.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Please can people when quoting what an insurance company says, tell us which company. michaelminhatkinson, queen bodecia, Bode Swiller, could you be more specific. Who said what? This would be a great help to us all as people look for cover for next season.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
Guys (and gals) get an M&S premier account. Costs a tenner a month. Free annual multi-trip family travel cover, you get a tenner of free coffee every month and you gets 4 small 'presents' every year (usually listed at around 15-20 quid.) The important thing is, they pay out on a fair play basis. If you didn't know it was going to happen, you are fairly much covered. (not sure about the cat though) - We have had it 18 months and they have paid out for skis and passes when there was too much snow, and they called me when I was stuck in Paris with the ash cloud to tell me that they would either arrange alternative transport an accommodation or reimburse me for all reasonable receipted expenses. Apparently two or three glasses of wine with your dinner are reasonable, but getting a limo from Paris to Belfast isn't.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| Thornyhill wrote: |
| Guys (and gals) get an M&S premier account...... |
Nope.
| Quote: |
| We will not pay for off piste skiing without a guide |
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
The basic policy doesn't cover it. They added it to our policy for and extra 14 quid a a year, providing we were 'within the boundaries of the resort'
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
snowcrazy, I think I mentioned above. Mine is annual travel insurance included with my bank account (NatWest Advantage Gold). The account costs £12.95 per month and also includes car breakdown cover, mobile phone insurance and a whole host of other bits and bobs.
The winter sports cover seems perfectly adequate for my needs, but for some people this might be offputting:
Off piste skiing and snowboarding with a qualified instructor only.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
| Thornyhill wrote: |
| The basic policy doesn't cover it. They added it to our policy for and extra 14 quid a a year, providing we were 'within the boundaries of the resort' |
Great. I understand that in America. I haven't a Scooby what it means in the UK. I'll stick to snowcard.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| queen bodecia wrote: |
snowcrazy, I think I mentioned above. Mine is annual travel insurance included with my bank account (NatWest Advantage Gold). The account costs £12.95 per month and also includes car breakdown cover, mobile phone insurance and a whole host of other bits and bobs.
The winter sports cover seems perfectly adequate for my needs, but for some people this might be offputting:
Off piste skiing and snowboarding with a qualified instructor only. |
I used to have this but when the price was hiked up some years back it cost more than an annual policy for the family which did include off piste (Dogtag) so I dropped it. Having said that they did pay out when I had some ski's stolen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
I have the same bank account as QB with Travel Insurance etc as part of the deal. I however have a concern after speaking to them to disclose a pre-existing condition (hip bursitis). The woman I spoke with was quite happy it was covered with no extra fee, but when I asked what exactly "covered" meant she was cagey. The upshot of the conversation was that they'd cover any treatment resulting directly from it suddenly worsening (likelihood virtually nil) but in her opinion they might not cover a skiing accident they deemed it may have contributed to, as each incident is considered individually post-event.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
I have a ski holiday booked for December, but since booking it, I have hurt my knee (dangerous business kneeling down to paint a fence apparently), I am now being referred to an orthopedic consultant. My problem is I haven't booked the airport parking and would like to book it now to benefit from lower advance prices (my lazyness in not doing it already means they have gone up from when I first looked). However if I booked it and have to cancel because of my knee, would I get the money of the carparking back as I know now there is a chance I won't be able to ski?
The policy is through Ski Esprit underwritten by Axa if it makes any difference.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oh and should I be contacting them to tell them I have been referred? I don't actually know what is wrong with it, just it is agony if I have any lateral force applied to it. She said it could be a strained tendon taking a while to heal or it could be cartelidge problem. On the plus side I have private cover so there is a slim chance if it is cartelidge that I should be good to go, if it is a strained tendon again it should be healed in time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NickyJ, I'd conform to the terms of your policy - which probably means letting the insurance company know; insurance companies tend to be pretty specific on what to do in situations like yours. Good luck with your referral.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
Thanks I will get in touch when I get home and have booking reference numbers handy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nick0861
That sounds like very unfair practice unless they specifically asked the age of any relatives at the time the policy was taken out.
My insurance last year was quite specific that I had to state whether there were any pre exisiting condition from a specified list (basically the same as the insured travellers list) that applied to any person who's death might cause cancellation. If so we had to declare it. You'd hardly plan a holiday if you were told that a close relative was ailing and might die soon.
It turend out that my pet insurance for Elvira the moggy provides better cover than my travel insurance if she gets sick. If little madam gets ill enough to justify cancellation, it looks like Sainsbury's will pay up.
We can only get real insurance from one company now. My wife has pre existing condidtions and First Direct's premier account, whatever it was, accepted her to be insured, but then sent a letter basically saying that if any of her conditions caused cancellation or curtaillment she wasn't covered. Not very useful, the same went for holiday company insurance. Now we pay a whopping premium, but at least the cover is there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
