 Poster: A snowHead
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Having had to come home early and miss the SOPbash is bad enough. But, it is rubbing salt in the wound that by the 27 June I have still not had my claim with MPI Brokers (the Ski Specialists?!) settled. I today had another email asking for information that they confirmed receiving on the 7th April! The ‘lady’ on the phone asked me to check the email was from them? it was. Got cross with me when I could not tell her the name of the person who sent the email - email was not signed - and then proceeded to tell me that there was only one person who dealt with claims! I have to admit that I did get a little cross at this point, she then asked me “have you finished?” Am currently hot enough to melt an alpine glacier
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Wendyjh, I am really surprised, having had nothing but excellent service from them over the years.
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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?
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@Wendyjh, 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I made a small claim (for lift closures) at the beginning of April, and eventually had email confirmation mid June that it would be settled and received payment a few days later. My previous claim was a few years ago and if I recall, even then I had to chase down some details with the Claims Manager directly as I had to remind them that I had taken out excess waiver. I'll be doing my usual comparison when it's up for renewal.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@motyl, They emailed with an apology. Realised that they do have all the information they require. Still no money though…
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Wendyjh, hopefully they will expedite your claim as the delay was their fault - I wouldn't expect to have to wait a further couple of months because you lost your place in the queue. Please do update us with how it goes.
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I submitted a claim to MPI in mid May for medical expenses (all is OK now following a bout of sudden illness in France) and received an acknowledgement from them a few days later, followed by an email to say my claim was being processed.
Watch this space...
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So you submitted claim mid May and still have received 1.5 months later?
I am sure when I claimed from Nationwide Flexplus (during first lockdown) it was quicker than that? Also when I claimed from previous travel insurer many years (apprix 20yrs ago) back it was about 1 month and that was with a letter alongside cheque apologising for the delay.... I didn't think the 1 month unreasonable.
So do I just have unrealistic expectations? Have things changed or are MPI particularly slow?
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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.
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Took 3 months to settle fairly straightforward claim for me - process seems you send what they ask for, they sit on it for a few weeks, you chase, they ask for something else …. and so on. Not recommended.
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| Quote: |
So do I just have unrealistic expectations?
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It depends. If you have already paid out the loss for medical treetment, say, then waiting for it to be reimbersed can be a real strain on your finances.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Just to clarify, I submitted my claim in March, after I chased they acknowledged they had received all the documents in early April. No information has been received without a prompt from me. When I spoke to them last Thursday, they said they were really busy (always a poor excuse and surprising for a ‘ski specialist’. They have asked for some odd details - like proof of flight out - we didn’t fly, which I made clear on the original form, and I have not claimed for an outgoing flight. The also asked for written proof from the original doctor (from the trauma unit in Gressoney) that I had been devised to curtail my holiday, despite me providing the original report that said I should not ski for 25 days.
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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.
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@Wendyjh, that sounds like either a) sheer incompetence or b) a deliberate attempt to delay settlement.
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It wasn't MPI, but a claim we made a long time ago now couldn't cope with the fact we hadn't taken a flight to get there. They probably only wanted the details to confirm the trip length didn't exceed the no of days quoted on the policy, so a ferry trip or eurotunnel would have done. You would think better of a ski specialist though. Shame on them for not settling this faster. 3 months is unacceptable.
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You know it makes sense.
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3 months sounds unreasonable to me.
I'd be minded to then tell them it's easier for you to issue proceedings rather than spending money "chasing" payment and paying interest on what they owe you. I bet bored with those games really fast, and I've never encountered a company who didn't settle, although some of them made me file the N1.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| johnE wrote: |
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So do I just have unrealistic expectations?
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It depends. If you have already paid out the loss for medical treetment, say, then waiting for it to be reimbersed can be a real strain on your finances. |
Well exactly. My expectationd are by 1 month (and that's backed up by experience). Some posts gave me impression this is now unrealistic to expect.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@NickyJ,
I have 2 wildly differing claims experiences, the first took over 9 months but it was complex relating to a covid cancellation which was disputed by the claims handlers and took over 9 months to agree to settle. The most recent was a simple A and E claim, stitches, dressings and ambulance, I submitted the claim at 10:30 am and by 11:00 am I had had an automated response
| Quote: |
This is an automated decision, which means a human hasn’t been involved. The decision has been made based on the information you’ve given us.
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and the money was in my bank account within 3 days. Both claims were handled by CEGA group
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The problem with insurance is that most people don't have to make a claim and/or don't research/think about whether their insurance company is good at handling claims. Companies don't care if you bog off after a bad claims process as they don't like people who claim anyway and already have all your premiums.
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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?
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I suspect some people make the mistake of not informing their insurance company right at the outset of an incident, then keeping them informed. And not incurring anything but genuine emergency expenses without prior agreement.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I claimed through my credit card travel policy, which was axa underneath.
Claim (for a family member, not me) was paid within a couple of weeks. Heli evac, 3 nights in hospital, new backpack all covered with no quibble.
This was a couple of years ago so things might have changed, but I was impressed by the ease of it all. Notified insurance immediately and kept them in the loop with daily updates. They were prepared to cover air ambulance home, but driving was actually better so I saved them a fortune.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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And I thought dealing with the SKGB insurance agents was bad (Knee injury (a short (500m according to GPS!) tumble down Trifides 1...), so claim for abandoned week after SoPiB)
(n.b. mainly due to awfully designed online forms - Here is a huge list of documents we need. And they all have to be uploaded at once as we won't let you add anything further once you hit upload... The idea that you might not have everything yet, but have started the claim so that you can add what you have now to ensure it is done doesn't compute... Que emailing a very unresponsive address with extra documents (followed by no response before random bits of claim being paid out at different times, some before and some after the email confirming claim approved...)
On the other hand, Bupa (work) for physio was trivial - took longer to book treatment than get approval...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Quick update. Still no response from MPI. Two emails and one phone call this week produced nothing. Can only repeat again AVOID!
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@Wendyjh, . That is really shocking and I hope they will read this.
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If it was me I'd tell them that I'll issue proceedings if they don't pay in full with interest within a few days.
They'd likely pay up without further shenanigans, or pay once the legal paperwork arrives.
Unless you actually have to make a claim you don't know how good an insurance company is.
They're all good at taking payment.
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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.
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I recall many years ago chatting to a car insurance company engineer, who pointed out that one of the reasons for some companies being cheaper than others was because they employed so few people to deal with claims. I have little doubt the same applies to ski insurance (and claims handling companies).
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Not a bad idea to issue proceedings.@phil_w, I also think@deerman, is right. There seems to be only one person dealing with claims.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| deerman wrote: |
| I recall many years ago chatting to a car insurance company engineer, who pointed out that one of the reasons for some companies being cheaper than others was because they employed so few people to deal with claims. I have little doubt the same applies to ski insurance (and claims handling companies). |
I wonder. I mean: if you plotted "time to deal with a legal claim" against "cost of policy", would they correlate? That's never been my personal experience dealing with folks' insurers: they always want to hang on to my money like it was theirs.
Legally they can't argue "it was cheap so we don't pay out" or even "we're messing you around so you'll buy a more expensive policy next time".
The "we don't have enough staff" to pay what they owe claim is laughable. Taking money if they have no reasonable prospect of being able to pay it out would I suspect be criminal.
But we can all transfer money instantly with little effort: it's nonsense. And they'll need a better written excuse if they hope to defend a claim... but they'll just pay as soon as they see the N1, or earlier if they think you're mean.
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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.
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@Wendyjh, usually I would say by now that you should contact the insurer directly, to at least see if the brokerage have (a) passed on details of the claim, and (b) actually effected the insurance in the first place! But MPI aren't exactly transparent over who the insurer is:
| MPI wrote: |
Our underwriters
Swan International based in Bahrain underwrite as an agent of a Paris based insurer who
hold a Standard & Poor’s rating of A and also have a long experience in domestic and
international travel insurance. Being part of a large conglomerate, whose parent company
is Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., brings an added level of security. |
Fairfax don't appear to directly have a subsidiary in France, so there are probably other layers involved. You ought to be able to ascertain the insurer or claims handler directly from any paperwork you have, although that may just refer back to MPI Claims!
I would (in writing/email) give them two weeks to resolve it, saying that you will take it to the Financial Ombudsman if not resolved. And then do exactly that.
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You probably need to have invoked, and followed through, a formal complaint process before going to the Ombudsman. Maybe that should be the next step. Their documentation should set out details of making a formal complaint.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Origen, absolutely this
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Probably right - make it clear that you are making a complaint. Although if they don't respond at all to emails or phone calls that might be sufficient; otherwise how are you supposed to make a complaint!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I submitted a claim for medical expenses in April but have yet to receive a penny....
It's "only" a €240 claim, so in the grand scheme of things it's not going to break the bank, but given its simplicity I'm surprised (& disapppointed) I'm still waiting.
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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?
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Did they authorize the expenditure, @Bergmeister? Have they acknowledged your claim?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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And what was the excess?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Interesting, I hadn't seen this thread previously. Mrs NBT had an accident back in January which effectively ended her season, meaning we submitted claims for medica bills, curtailment of the hioliday we were on, and cancellation of the trip planned for later in the season.
We received a payment in early April for SOME of the amount claimed - we hadn't been told to expect anything, the money just appeared. I only knew about it as I was checking my online banking while I was ringing to complain that we hadn't been updated.
However it was only a partial payment. They acknowledged it was wrong as some bits hadn't been paid, we'd been over charged on excesses and so on. I kept calling to get updates and eventually learnt the lady dealing with our claim had retired - but only because I asked for her by name, she'd not told us she was retiring.
It's now been over SEVEN MONTHS, and I've twice spoken to the owner of the company who has been apologetic but otherwise unhelpful. We're lucky that we can afford to wait for the outstanding payment, but I think it's time to make it an official complaint as opposed to me just calling.
On another note, can anyone recommend alternative brokers who offer good insurance should we decide to ski off piste?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@nbt, Is that MPI as well?
If so it, combined with the OP's ongoing complaint, sounds like they've overextended themselves by trying to do all their own claims handling rather than just being brokers. I'd always thought they seemed to be a credible option but they kinda ruled themselves out for me by being unable to get a timely policy off the ground post Covid. This feedback is certainly not encouraging.
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@Dave of the Marmottes, sorry i should have said, yes it is. Their coverage and so on seemed ok, they haven't really diputed any of the claims, they are just not paying - they're blaming the underwriters, but despite telling me weeks ago that they'd authorised payment to be released to me from their own funds, I've not had anything. Shame.
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@nbt, your and @Bergmeister's posts seem to be signals of a business that is in cashflow crisis* and therefore might go bump at a any moment. Maybe you'd be advised to point the MD to this thread and if that is not the case, they could start taking actions to repair their business.
*Not entirely sure how this happens other than the underwriter refusing to meet responsibilities.
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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.
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This sounds bad - anybody about to travel with one of their policies might do well to take our an alternative policy!
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interesting thread, I took out insurance with them and they were super helpful on the phone about a few queries, but given this thread I'll be back looking again!
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FAQ
