Poster: A snowHead
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We have had a claim refused; we were driving back to Lyon airport on the autoroute, there was an accident ahead of us, and we were delayed by 3 1/2 hours. We missed the flight, along with many others. Our annual cover do not cover missed departures for return flight. On further enquiry with several other providers, they would only have payed up if the car we were in had been involved. We thought we had good and full cover and had extended it with various options...Beware!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Insurer screws insured . . . qu'une surprise!
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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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HG, Lets have a naming and shaming-and we will know who to avoid at renewal time
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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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Direct travel.co.uk. I was insured with them when I went travelling in New Zealand. I had an accident and injured my leg. They agreed over the phone for me to have physiotherapy locally and pick up the hotel bills etc... I was subsequently advised to cut my trip short and come home for further treatment as injury was worse than 1st thought. This all happened over the course of 3 weeks, from injury to me finally flying home so lots of phone conversations etc...
Got home, filed the claim. They said they never agreed to pay for anything and rejcted my claim. I asked them to get the tape recordings of the conversations. They said they'd lost them.
I never got a penny. The insurance ombudsman said that without the tapes there was nothing he could do.
That policy cost me £348 plus the 4 or 5 other times I'd used them before (including 2 season insurances worth £150 each). It still makes me angry!!
2 morals are I guess, I won't use direct travel again and always get everything agreed in writing at the time of the accident.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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After Mr B's fall at Christmas the insurance, although paying for physio, refused to refund the lift pass (5 1/2 days at Val D's prices ). Any one else come across this?
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Alan - presumabely the conversation where they told me "they'd lost them" was recorded and they haven't lost that tape!!
But anyway - yes, they wrote to me in a letter that they had lost the tapes and it is completely my personal opinion that they are an awful company who I will never use again.
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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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To add a little balance, when my 7yr old was 'run over' on the piste by an adult skier, and broke her leg, I cannot praise our insurance enough SKI-INSURANCE.CO.UK they were brilliant. Including organising flights back (we had driven over) for my wife and daughter and they paid our expenses promptly and without argument. Only bit that wasn't covered was my petrol costs driving Courchevel to Moutier every day for 3 days. Well it was worth a try! The moral is SKI-INSURANCE.CO.UK instant cover on line and very very good service.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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nightshift, I am currently insured with Direct Travel. And I am in the middle of a claim, having just passed the angry letter threshold. Direct Travel seem polite and concerned, but the problems for me have come with the claims management company that their insurance provider AXA use. Have faxed a formal complaint to AXA yesterday and my ears were burning yesterday afternoon!
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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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I claimed for a llost camera last year, and they were fine, but never had to claim for anything seriuos like medical bills etc.
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I have had an annual policy with Columbus Direct for years. My girlfriend also has an anuual policy with them.
While we were in Australia last November/December, she got ill and we had to delay our return. We spent an extra 6 nights in a very smart hotel (the W Sydney - highly recommended) and incurred medical expenses due to private doctors coming to the room on a daily basis and administering drugs. Thankfully, our flights could be changed without cost.
Anyway, I spoke to the claims management people a few times and they quickly confirmed that we could incur the medical expenses. Regarding the hotel bills, they warned me that they may not be willing to pay for the full price because the hotel was above what they considered to be a reasonable level. However, given that my girlfriend was bedridden and unable to move without a great deal of assistance, I was prepared to have that argument if it came to it.
When we got home, we filed the claim and three weeks later we got the cheque for the full amount - including the full hotel bill without any argument. And that included Christmas and New Year falling between the filing of the claim and them paying out.
So I am perfectly happy to recommend the service provided by Columbus Direct and their claims management people.
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You know it makes sense.
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nightshift, Ahhh - you should've let the NZ health system mend you then It had v. excellent free hospital care when I left 5 years ago (altho you pay for GPs). BTW, isn't there some kind of arrangement between UK & NZ governments for reciprocal healthcare for Brits if they injure themselves in NZ? There is for Brits travelling in Australia. (Dunno, would never apply to me in NZ anyway as I'm an NZ citizen, and in the UK the NHS treats me without fuss). Am very sorry, tho, that you had such crappy treatment from Travel Direct - my sympathies.
Michelle, no - although lift companies often provide refunds if you can prove (by way of medical certificate) that there's no chance of you using the remainder of the pass. Many insurers know this, and they are likely to expect you to at least try to recover such things directly from the lift company. Even if you think your insurance would cover these bits, its always worth trying to recover such things yourself if only from a CYA perspective - at least if you can show your insurer that you've taken reasonable steps to mitigate your loss and still failed, then your insurer might be more likely to cough up for those bits.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Direct Travel were brilliant when my son broke his shoulder skiing in the US. They gave me a personal contact, paid for flights for him and me, paid all medical costs direct, paid for a room in a hotel in Boston where we waited for our flight (so that he could rest after car journey and didn't have to hang around a busy airport) - can't praise them highly enough!
The following year my nephew pulled 'something' in his leg - they paid for all medical costs with no quibble.
The following year (yawn, I know that hospital in NH very well now!) my nephew damaged his thumb - again they paid all medical costs with no quibble.
Surprising enough they haven't upped my premium
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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AXA apparently don't cover cancellation charges in the event of a holiday being cancelled because one of the party will have just given birth a few weeks before the due date of departure. I do wonder what we actually get sometimes, although I must say that the insurers who sorted out Angie's knee were brilliant. I don't recall who they were but I got cover through the SCGB.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Peter B, I'd be surprised if any insurer would provide cover for
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a holiday being cancelled because one of the party will have just given birth a few weeks before the due date of departure |
Wot with a pregnancy and delivery being one of those things that you, the mother-to-be, and anyone travelling with her, can pretty much forsee the likely timespan in which delivery would occur (if not the exact date).
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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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Manda, I note what you say, but we booked a holiday in Jan 2005, for half term in Feb 2006. That's more than enough time for my OH to conceive, carry full term and give birth, none of which was known or contemplated at the time of booking the holiday. She discovered she was expecting less than 2 weeks ago.
Upon medical advice, and I hereby thank all those who expressed theri various opinions when I asked the question in another thread, it is unwise to take a 2 month baby from the UK to a ski resort in the Alps. Therefore, for medical reasons, we have to cancel, but the insurers will not refund our deposit. The reasoning has been explained to me by beanie, who has a significant knowledge of such matters as a medical professional, who has also sought advice on the point from paediatric consultants. Regardless, that's £450 down the drain as the insurers won't budge.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Peter B Aaah....(er hem, cough, cough).... I'm not trying to get up your nose about this, it just that it's not helpful to give Snowheads readers the idea that many insurers would or even should pay out in such circumstances. Most other insurers wouldn't pay out either.
But I do wish you all the best with your new baby, and your future holidays!
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Peter B, It would seem reasonable that the holiday company should be able to give you a refund less say a £50 admin fee as they have plenty of time to rebook that same place
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Peter B, Auction or sell the vacation here if the TOp will allow the name change. Or even give it to charity? Say the uphill club? Oh and many congrats on the little 'b'.
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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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Glad to hear not everyone has had bad experiences! I guess it was just one of those things.
Snowbunny - perhaps it was the claims management company that was the problem, like you said and not Direct themselves. I remember having a conversation with them along those lines but my viewpoint was that I paid my money to Direct, therefore my contract is with them and my anger directed at them!! bit unreasonable perhaps but they got me so angry!!
Manda - I used a private physio which was the majority of the cost but I still had to claim for my pharmacy bills etc... - don't know if I could've claimed that back via NHS. Will investigate it properly if I go again though. (which i will coz NZ is amazing!!)
Type 23 - I considered the small claims route at the time and with hindsight I wish I had pursued it but the injury was in 2001 and I was in the UK for two months before I went off travelling again. When I eventually got back from that trip I did the typical lazy thing and let it all go. I really wish I hadn't coz it probably would've been quite satisfying to do.
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nightshift, yeah NZers have to pay pharmacy bills too (much of the medical system is state funded but you're still obligated to cough up a reasonable amount every time you personally need to use it (oh joyous user-pays))
Do go again! Here's hoping next time round you see more of the country than its health system
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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toby wright, nightshift, My ongoing problem with my medical bills is down to Strategic Claims Management Ltd, who are employed by AXA, who in turn provide a service to Direct Travel who act as an insurance intermediary. AXA instruct SCM to deal with the claims, and SCM use AXA headed paper in their mailings.
Unfortunately one of the problems is that they cannot add up. Try this sum, add 155+99.68+110+155. I get this to 519.68. SCL achieve 479.68. They proudly wrote and told of this by using the following phrase "Therefore we are anabel to offer further reimbursement" (Apologies to any snowheads named Anabel) The company have acknowledged their f##k #p, but have they sent the money, well no
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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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Snowbunny,
Pretty clear cut case for small claims me thinks ! + add on admin fee,phone calls, postage etc etc. They hate having to deal with small claims as it costs them a disproportionate amount to deal with. How much money do they loose if they have to attend in person ! Just fill the forms in and sit back !
Rich
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Type23, It may well come to that, in the meantime AXA sent me a letter today advising that they are investigating my complaint with their Lifestyle Protection Team (believe it). I will give them their suggested 10 days and see what happens. It would appear that AXA ran the letter through a spellchecker and read it before posting , so I live in hope of a satisfactory resolution for all
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