Insurance weasels

[RogerS]

I am a great believer in forward planning.

My wife and I have always taken out an annual cover for overseas travel. This has covered all the usual requirements such as personal belongings, personal injury, taken ill etc. I also usually try and take a holiday in Greece windsurfing and this has, until now been covered by this annual overseas travel policy. This year, in the minutiae of the small print, windsurfing is no longer covered.

So, to meet the requirements of my tour operator, I have to either take out their insurance or arrange for additional cover elsewhere. But in so doing there will be a massive overlap in the cover given by the two policies. So in the event of a claim who do I claim from? Both of them? For what?

I can see both insurance companies refusing to pay saying that I should claim under the other policy, myself and/or my wife seriously out of pocket financially plus the added worry.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation and had to make a claim? How did it go?

 

[Ironballs]

Perhaps not of immediate use to you, but if you take out the Co-op premium current account (and pay about 13 quid a month) then one of the perks you're paying for is a pretty good travel insurance policy amongst other things. Would be worth looking at the small print in that.

Plus they're the only bank to do ethical banking and aren't taxpayer funded (ex Lloyds customer)

 

[RogerS]

Interesting idea. I had a quick look at their policy exclusions and although windsurfing is covered, personal liability is not. Which means that if I accidentally hit someone in the water then I wouldn't be covered.

So i looked at the TUI Marine policy that they sell to go alongside the ClubVass windsurfing holidays and looked into their exclusions only to find that, if a windsurfer is defined as a vessel, then they too have this exclusion.

Which is kind of scary to think that one is that exposed particularly given the litigious nature of our society. I know it's slightly OT.

 

[TobyT]

Join the RYA

To quote from their website

"Free third party insurance
This is included in your RYA membership when you specify windsurfing as your main boating interest. It covers you for £2,000,000 on inland and coastal waters of the UK and Europe, and up to 30 days in any one period of insurance worldwide."

I'm not a windsurfer but the 'free' insurance element applies to a lot of sports associations/organisations. I'm a member of the BMC and BCU mainly for the insurance (and the BCU say I have to be to be a coach). To be honest most of them organise it through Fortis /Slade Perkins anyway, but the organisation will be able to get a better discount than an individual can.

As to your two insurance companies claim I'm not sure but I think the idea is that you claim off the most likely/beneficial one and declare the other as an interested party. They fight it out between them then. Quite probably it's the same insurer behind the scenes. You will need to tell both of them that you have experienced an incident as soon as possible (whether you intend to claim directly off them or not) otherwise they will dismiss any future correspondeance.

 

[RogerS]

Join the RYA

To quote from their website

"Free third party insurance
This is included in your RYA membership when you specify windsurfing as your main boating interest. It covers you for £2,000,000 on inland and coastal waters of the UK and Europe, and up to 30 days in any one period of insurance worldwide."

I'm not a windsurfer but the 'free' insurance element applies to a lot of sports associations/organisations. I'm a member of the BMC and BCU mainly for the insurance (and the BCU say I have to be to be a coach). To be honest most of them organise it through Fortis /Slade Perkins anyway, but the organisation will be able to get a better discount than an individual can.

As to your two insurance companies claim I'm not sure but I think the idea is that you claim off the most likely/beneficial one and declare the other as an interested party. They fight it out between them then. Quite probably it's the same insurer behind the scenes. You will need to tell both of them that you have experienced an incident as soon as possible (whether you intend to claim directly off them or not) otherwise they will dismiss any future correspondeance.

Toby, thanks for that. Another person also recommended the RYA so definitely worth considering.

They fight it out between them then.

That's what worries me! Ten years later probably I'd still be waiting for a payout!