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It turns out Insure and Go travel insurance that I specifically bought for European MTB rides because it cites mountain biking as covered, only covers mountain biking ON THE ROAD.
If you have a policy with them, you are not covered. I'd suggest contacting them for a refund.
Their policy wording says: Mountainbiking: covered with the exception of racing or extreme ground conditions.
But when I called I'm told even a gentle off road path counts as extreme ground conditions. This is nonsense and fraud.
Spread the word to any of your friends who may have this policy as it could make 10s of thousands of pounds difference should the worst happen.
I don't really use social but if you do, please spread the work about this on Facebook etc
Thanks. Have used them in the past. Won't be again.
You never really know with all the vague wording until you need to claim.
Got a good price at yellow jersey this time. With a stw discount too.
I've not used them before for this exact reason.
We've used BigCatTravel insurance before - and they've paid out on a claim.
We've found more than one provider in the past that will not cover you the moment you use an prepared trail. So if you fall off and need cover on any bike park green trail you can go and whistle, they ain't going to cough up.
That's why we stick with Yellow Jersey. It only takes one nasty accident....
Big Cat also really good for me - Group booking last Summer - paid out for all 3 claims with no hassle
I used Direct Line a few times for MTB & travel insurance - they once paid out over £20k for an air ambulance trip, hospital treatment and repatriation to the UK following an MTB accident abroad.
Everything sorted with no hassle at all, superbly professional throughout.
I did have to specify MTB on the "what will you be doing?" bit but it covered everything from riding to the village shop to riding down an Alp (or in my case, falling off halfway down said Alp).
Thanks for the heads up. Pretty terrible from Insure and Go, I will avoid
I'd be taking that to ASA or the ombudsman tbh.
I used dog tag
Fell off and knocked unconscious in Whistler.
£3000 bill, I don't really remember any of the treatment happening to me.
They took a year to pay up, but they paid up in full eventually.
OP do you actually have a loss that you want to claim?
They're having a laugh. "Extreme ground conditions" is weird phrasing, but they don't unilaterally get to decide it means "all offroad conditions".
On a trip to the Alps last year I used Insure and Go but paid for a enhanced policy. I was concerned about the wording on the normal policy so so bought the enhanced one. Wasn't a huge amount more. I called them up and asked if I was covered for everything and was told I was including racing as we were doing Mountain of Hell. Seems I would have been covered by the MOH insurance but I wasn't aware of that before I left.
Not sure if that's still available this year.
They’re having a laugh. “Extreme ground conditions” i
I've carried on shopping around after getting to the final stages of an extreme sports/cycling marketed insurance policy, I think the t&C's stated it doesn't cover you on dedicated MTB trails unless you have accompanied by a qualified guide. So you could ride multi-use and natural trails but as soon as they are colour graded you need a guide. Presumably aimed at bike parks but inadvertently scoops up everything. Can't remember who it was.
Insure and Go doesn't have any of that detail unfortunately. If they want to exclude claims on that basis, they should have that detail...
"Extreme ground conditions" [sic] require an additional payment, as @uggski suggests
My Barclays travel insurance stated it covered injuries arising from mountain biking in the large print,but when you read the small print it stated mountain biking was only covered on tarmac surfaces. I think this kind of exclusion is pretty common in generic travel insurance policies, you really need to read the small print to ensure you're covered.
As a result i always took out a separate policy whenever we went abroad for mountain biking trips, think I mainly use snow card, but given I've never had to claim off it I have no idea whether they would actually pay up.
Even with a specialist provider like snow card you still need to read the small print as they have different policies for different kinds of riding.
OP was this a specialist’s’extreme’ policy or their bog standard travel policy ?
If bog standard then I wouldn’t expect it to be covered . Proper off road Mtb insurance costs more than standard insurance
I am trying to make a small claim with Snowcard right now. They have twice sent me the wrong claim forms and had me complete a claim with the wrong re-insurer. It’s only for a few hundred so not too bothered but pretty diabolical.
As for InsureandGo - I enquired about their winter insurance claiming it covered heliski and was told Yes it does provided it takes place within a controlled ski resort area. FFS - like covering MTN biking on pavements only.
Read the fine print with these shysters
I've got the Silver upgrade on my policy and just called them to check. They directed me to the page on my policy where it states that I'm covered for DH racing and "extreme ground conditions". Is yours the standard (non Silver/Gold) policy?
@SAMBUKA - Did you purchase the hazardous activities cover?
I have a policy with them and just called to check after seeing this post. They confirmed I am covered for downhill mountain biking on rough terrain with the hazardous activities cover.
I have also checked their terms and it clearly states it's covered (with hazardous cover), "Mountain biking (including downhill racing and extreme ground conditions)".
I’ve got the Silver upgrade on my policy and just called them to check. They directed me to the page on my policy where it states that I’m covered for DH racing and “extreme ground conditions”.
Not exactly - the basic Silver policy covers you for "Mountain biking (not including downhill racing and extreme ground conditions" [sic] - see table on p.27.
If you also want to be covered for DH racing, then in addition to the Silver policy you must also have purchased the "hazardous activities upgrade", which covers you for "Mountain biking (including downhill racing and extreme ground conditions)" - see table on p.35.
To go back to OP's concern - Insure and Go's position seems to be that anything offroad is "extreme ground conditions", which is unreasonable and (I think) not consistent with the contract.
If you also want to be covered for DH racing, then in addition to the Silver policy you must also have purchased the “hazardous activities upgrade”, which covers you for “Mountain biking (including downhill racing and extreme ground conditions)” – see table on p.35.
Thanks for clarifying, it turns out that I have opted for the "hazardous activities" cover. The guy on the phone wasn't very helpful. Will probably go elsewhere next time.
To go back to OP’s concern – Insure and Go’s position seems to be that anything offroad is “extreme ground conditions”, which is unreasonable and (I think) not consistent with the contract.
That's surely some form of misrepresentation? I can understand them not wanting to insure DH or some random black route in some random Eastern European country with a relaxed attitude to H&S without a hike in premiums. But MTB is by definition offroad, mincing along a towpath is hardly "extreme conditions."
But MTB is by definition offroad, mincing along a towpath is hardly “extreme conditions.”
exactly.
more for any future lawyers who find this thread, but can we as the UK's most popular mtb forum, decree that "riding a mountain bike on a paved surface" is not mountain biking/offroad cycling/VTT;
much in the same way that a kid sitting in their parents car stationary in the driveway making "vroom vroom" noises is not considered driving, even though they possess the equipment to do so...