 Poster: A snowHead
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| Avabrunch wrote: |
| ... Generally though... I'd expect a bit of kick back if it happened to me. ... with a private car they may take the view it's hard cheese. |
But the OP pointed out that their insurer's small print covered this circumstance without your limitation:
| Rob D, their T&Cs state wrote: |
| "The vehicle you are travelling in is involved in an accident, breaks down, is delayed by an incident that causes traffic jams or road closures." |
The issue is what precisely they are liable for, not that they are liable which clearly they are and which they never disputed.
I looked at for an example at Sainsbury's "missed departure" insurance. The purpose of that insurance isn't to reduce the cost of a truncated holiday, but to cover additional costs incurred in dealing with the missed departure. I think the OP is saying he'd assumed he bought the former, but actually bought the latter. As people have pointed out, you'd need to understand what's insured and what isn't.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
| did you end up shelling out for a new private transfer or did they agree to move the transfer to another day? Were there other flights with other airlines you could have taken on the day (even if requiring going to a different airport)? It sounds like your insurer would have paid those costs. I like the idea of demonstrating to the insurance ombudsman that you minimised the costs to your insurer but I think you'd have to demonstrate that it wouldn't have been cheaper for them to pay for you to take alternative flights on the day rather than pay for your consequential loss of a day's use of accommodation and ski pass. |
I just phoned the transfer and changed it to the next day so no extra cost to anyone.
I've now looked at the small print on a lot of policies and none cover the consequential loss of a day's use of accommodation and ski pass! - So you live and learn.
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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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@Rob D, on my first ski trip there was an avalanche on the road up to Val Thorens. The road was closed, and the tour operator had to take us to a hotel near Annecy for the night at the last minute. The tour operator provided accommodation and food (evening meal and breakfast) for free.
We missed one days skiing and one nights accommodation, and were taken up to self catering apartment the next morning once the road was cleared.
The insurance policy paid out £25 per person for missed day due to unforeseen circumstances, as specified in the policy terms and conditions. (this was in 1995 so probably close to lift pass one day price, of which we had not yet purchased)
Once you have reached the first transport it is the responsibility of a tour operator. Most insurance policies do not tailor themselves around DIY skiers. (who book accommodation and transport separately)
The insurance you can buy with lift pass is usually suitable for skiing risks and injury, and does not add on things like missed buses or flights or lost luggage. (which lets face it is not really necessary as most skiers can afford to self insure such risks)
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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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@Rob D, so now it's all done and dusted, can you tell us who your insurance is with?
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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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@Bigtipper, most "winter sports" insurance policies will pay for piste closure and avalanche delays issues. Amounts obviously vary widely.
Some will also pay for lost lift pass, rental and other costs - but all dependent on precise circumstances and policy wording.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Grizzler, yeah but most skiers are not poor, and the amount of effort required to claim such trivial amounts is beneath most people.
You really only want insurance to cover the extreme high cost events, which occur in low frequencies. Particularly, medical emergency issues.
The rest just annoys me!!!  (it's trivial and demeaning to have to ask for a £5 for a missed bus)
However, to be honest, stripping back travel insurance to the bare minimum would not really reduce the cost as most of the costs are the administration expenses (which are much reduced now due to internet purchasing and documentation)
The exception to this is skiing in USA (medical and litigation expenses).
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@Bigtipper, most policies have excesses which would out claiming a £5 bus fare, even if you could be bothered. Even in Europe, rescue and medical costs, and evacuation to the UK, can cost a bomb. That's what most of us focus on.
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| snowdave wrote: |
| @Rob D, so now it's all done and dusted, can you tell us who your insurance is with? |
Barclays Bank - Aviva. This is actually a good policy and the cover is good. I did a lot of research as I spend a month away skiing each winter and needed a policy which would cover this - a lot of policies restrict the number of days skiing.
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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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@Origen, although you appear to argue with me, I think we are just saying the same thing. (in a different way)
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I was questioning your suggestion that the main expenses were "administrative" as medical expenses and evacuation can cost a lot. Not as much in Europe as in the States, but still a lot. I agree that it doesn't make sense to insure against losses you can afford to bear, because insurance companies only exist to make money! I insure against my house burning down, but not against spilling coffee on a carpet.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Travel insurance is a low cost commodity on the internet these days. The main reason the cost came down from before internet selling, was that the administration costs of selling (AND PROCESSING LOTS OF SMALL CLAIMS), is that the administration costs per policy are reduced substantially.
Medical costs and repatriation costs are increasing over time rapidly, but the frequency of claims are small, so the cost per policy remains low.
These policies are not given the hard sell by insurance companies, because people often buy and require as part of travel certain medical costs (they do not require all the other add ons generally) Unlike over 50s life insurance, which is given the hard sell on TV advertising. A lot of the cost per policy of such policies, is the marketing and selling. Also there is no (or limited) underwriting, so the claims tend to be higher as the lives taking out such policies are on average more likely to die.
As you say the excess removes a lot of trivial claims, but why are such claims required ? (is is because they are in the policy definition in the first place, because such policies are sold to the masses rather than winter sports millionaires?
However, it is a niche market with limited profits and scale. Consequently, the focus of travel insurance is on the mass market, rather than the small subsector of adventurous sports travel. In other words lots of small profits make a big profit for insurance companies. Whereas, no so many small profits make not so big a profit. Not for profit (or not for much profit) snowheads ski insurance might be willing to sell such a policy online, with the claims processing and reinsurance outsourced there would be limited risks.
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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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What I assume most people buy winter sports travel insurance for is
* Medical costs and repatriation costs
* Personal liability costs (in USA mostly as not really an issue in Europe)
* Off piste cover
* long duration cover for up to 3 months at a time
* all ages covered up to age 90
https://www.comparethemarket.com/travel-insurance/winter-sports/
If you compare the market you get lots of other guff you do not want, and people only take out to make a fraudulent claim.
Most medical claims are not fraudulent as they can be proven easily. (similar to death claims except in locations like India)
You will probably look at the level of cover for medical costs, and it may say up to £10 million. Is that enough? (probably not these days)
Much of what you want is excluded from policies because 90 year olds keep going skiing and ending up in hospital!
I think most people would accept that they must wear a helmet though!
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FAQ
