You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
So I've ended up with a trip booked to Venice at the end of April and due to it being booked by someone else on our behalf and being busy we haven't sorted our travel insurance yet. With the news yesterday I think we're pretty screwed but does anyone know if buying insurance after an FCO annoucement will still provide cover? I've tried calling Legal and General (who we've used before) this morning but got cut off, I assume because they're so busy. I think we've got three outcomes:
1) We manage to sort insurance that covers us, we claim everything and end up getting everything back
2) We cancel the air bnb early enough for a full refund and don't manage anything with insurance so are out of pocket by the cost of the flights
3) Everything settles down before we're meant to travel and the FCO advice changes so we can take out a policy without worrying that it won't cover
Realistically I think option 1 won't happen and I don't know how likely option 3 is so I think we're stuck with the fall back option of 2
And yes, I'm well aware that I'm stupid and should have prioritised sorting the insurance
Any advice gratefully received
So are you looking to take out an insurance policy with the full intention of making a claim?
I think there's a name for that.
We've had similar thoughts regarding our trip to Belgium in 3 weeks. Worst case thoguh it costs us £200 each and we stay at home... It's no biggy in the grand scheme of things.
Not intending to make a claim,, just want to make sure we're covered for something that from their perspective is a pre-existing issue. I worded option one badly, it should have been
"We manage to sort insurance that covers us, we claim everything and end up getting everything back should we need to but hopefully the trip goes ahead with no issues"
My gut is saying to go with option two and get whatever we can back asap and learn a lesson
Not a chance anyone will cover you for a cancellation now, is my feeling.
Go with 2, but only cancel at the last possible second, hoping 3 will happen.
You won't be able to sort valid insurance now. Perhaps could have done yesterday afternoon as it took Dominic Raab all day to change the FCO advice....
You won’t be able to sort valid insurance now
You probably can but the insurance company will price in their risk accordingly.
It won't be cheap.
TO ask the follow on question then. What does insurance cover ?
Assuming me and my mate are happy to accept we don't have it now and accept the financial loss on accomodation etc, is there any point us getting insurance for Belgium trip ?
It's times like this that makes annual travel insurance worth its weight. Spending thousands on a holiday, and only taking out insurance a few weeks before is quite bonkers really.
2), hope for 3)
What does insurance cover ?
Depends on the policy.
Potentially, medical bills / repatriation in the event of an accident, additioanl accommodation costs if there's a reason that you can't travel home, like a volcano or being quarantined for some sort of infectious disease.
As Nobeer says, an annual all emcompassing policy is the way to go. WE get ours with our bank account and it covers UK travel as well as overseas.
Additional cover might be required if you intend to participate in dangerous activities like sky diving, scuba or even mountain biking.
I know a guy who had to sell his house to pay his son's medical bills after his parachute failed to open while skydiving in Israel without adequate insurance cover
You won’t be able to sort valid insurance now
You probably can but the insurance company will price in their risk accordingly.
It won’t be cheap.
Reviewed two different policies over the weekend and both clauses on cancellation said the insurance must be in place before any FCO advice is issued.
An insurance company might be mad enough to take on the risk, but I think it highly unlikely. They'd be gambling on the travel advice changing. What's the point for them? Paying out and a loss is the most likely outcome.
They’d be gambling
That's what insurance companies do.
My mate went to Tenerife for a week in October last year. The holiday cost about two grand.
The insurance cost three and a half.
He had terminal cancer but was in a period of remission at the time.
As Nobeer says, an annual all emcompassing policy is the way to go. WE get ours with our bank account and it covers UK travel as well as overseas.
Was at the point of canning my RBS account recently, due to the gradual erosion of benefits, this has made me keep it going.
That’s what insurance companies do.
They also have to spread their bets. The travel advice applies to all and at the moment all trips will be cancelled. Whereas individuals might or might not have issues. A known situation vs. potential situation.
The holiday cost about two grand.
The insurance cost three and a half.
If the OP can get insurance it's going to be in that region!
That's pretty much what I expected, I didn't think any companies would insure for what is pretty much a given risk without charging the earth for it. Annoyingly our annual policy ran out on Saturday but when it came up for renewal we didn't have any trips planned/booked
I think it'll be option 2 as late as we can (end of this month to get full refund for the accomodation) then. I have no real idea how long the FCO advice could stay in place for and even if it does get lifted it raises another question - do we actually still want to go given the risk?
It's only a long weekend away costing about £280 each for flights and accomodation so as someone said above it's not a total disaster but still annoying, I'm now viewing it that whatever we get back is a bonus
It’s only a long weekend away
You could just go, the symptoms take over a week to appear so you'll be home by the time you need medical attention any how...
....unless you were already infected at home the week before, in which case you're in an overstressed, collapsing foreign healthcare system as a UK national post-Brexit.
You pays yer money, you takes yer chances.
in which case you’re in an overstressed, collapsing foreign healthcare system as a UK national post-Brexit.
Shhhhh.
More beds for the rest of us.
More beds for the rest of us.
Beds?
You'll be lucky to get a damp flannel and a space on the corridor floor.
You’ll be lucky to get a damp flannel and a space on the corridor floor.
Nah, I've just renewed my passport so when it arrives I'll have one of those blue ones giving me access to my own utopia.
Even if you have travel insurance will it cover corona virus? I heard today that nurseries won't be covered by insurance if they have to close as corona virus counts as 'force majeure' apparently.
Yet another reason to hate Insurance companies if that's the case..
Yet another reason to hate Insurance companies if that’s the case
Whilst I'm no fan, the [business'] policy will explicitly not cover things like war and mass outbreak so its no surprise. If it did cover it you wouldn't get paid out anyhow as they'd be going bankrupt over night when 20% of the world's population and businesses simultaneously claim.