Travel; Insurance

[Justice]

Is travel insurance not one of the biggest rip offs going.

Not at all saved me a small fortune when my wife was to ill fly home from Spain a few years ago. Covered medical bills accommodation flights.

 

[Since1982]

Wife and I are going to Spain for 5 days in September but the price quoted was virtually the same as we paid for 17 days in Cyprus in June, how does that work out. However I decided to contact my bank with whom we get free travel insurance and found that the medical extras came to less than I had been quoted for insurance and that was for 12 months cover so took that.

The price is related to the likely cost of medical treatment in the country you are travelling to. Spain is bandit territory as far as medical expenses are concerned. The hospitals have no money and see tourists (and their insurers) as easy pickings.

 

[hybrid_x]

if you feel it is a rip off here is a tip (that i do not endorse)....

buy something you like (camera, smartphone, etc) - keep the reciept. When abroad goto the police station and fill in a theft form and get the number / photocopy - then claim it off the insurance company. i used to know someone who did this every year and he started to feel he was getting his moneys worth. Insurance companies are a little dodgy and greedy anyway, and fixing a broken bone for £20k doesn't sit right either.

 

[Deleted member 18477]

Right.

My friend broke his leg while skiing.

That cost over £25,000.

He didnt have insurance.

Holy cow! How is he paying that back?

Is he rich or massive debt with big interest rate?

 

[Since1982]

if you feel it is a rip off here is a tip (that i do not endorse)....

buy something you like (camera, smartphone, etc) - keep the reciept. When abroad goto the police station and fill in a theft form and get the number / photocopy - then claim it off the insurance company. i used to know someone who did this every year and he started to feel he was getting his moneys worth. Insurance companies are a little dodgy and greedy anyway, and fixing a broken bone for £20k doesn't sit right either.

So he would lie when he submitted the claim and lie again when applied for insurance the following year. Insurance isn't a savings scheme where you have to get out what you put in. It's pooling of risk so that the many pay for the few. Idiots like your mate just push up premiums for honest policyholders. It is no more defensible than shoplifting. Fortunately if he were trying that now he wouldn't get away with it thanks to the sharing of claims data.

 

[hybrid_x]

So he would lie when he submitted the claim and lie again when applied for insurance the following year. Insurance isn't a savings scheme where you have to get out what you put in. It's pooling of risk so that the many pay for the few. Idiots like your mate just push up premiums for honest policyholders. It is no more defensible than shoplifting. Fortunately if he were trying that now he wouldn't get away with it thanks to the sharing of claims data.

i love this common point of view.....yep, my mate taking £100 odd of these companies a year makes their bottom line figures hurt so much that everyone else has to pay more.....some facts for you below so you can shake your head out of the strange place it is in.....

In March 2013 Aviva announced profits of £155m.

Do you know the percentage £100 is of £155,000,000? do a tiny pee in the pacific, just a little one, then you might have some reference.

 

[BensGrandad]

My view is probably warped by the fact that I have never claimed anything on a travel insurance or had need to.

 

[Since1982]

i love this common point of view.....yep, my mate taking £100 odd of these companies a year makes their bottom line figures hurt so much that everyone else has to pay more.....some facts for you below so you can shake your head out of the strange place it is in.....

In March 2013 Aviva announced profits of £155m.

Do you know the percentage £100 is of £155,000,000? do a tiny pee in the pacific, just a little one, then you might have some reference.

Staggering. Quite staggering. I'll not bother even wasting my time replying.

 

[Garage_Doors]

No chance. In Spain and Greece you'll be lucky if it gets you any treatment at all these days. Travel insurance is an absolute must and compared to the cost of a holiday, for most people, is an absolute steal.

Only when your young, My dads 7 day cruise was £900 but travel insurance was £2'300 due to recent operation.

 

[saafend_seagull]

Holy cow! How is he paying that back?

Is he rich or massive debt with big interest rate?

He hasn't!

In dispute with our old company as it was a work ski trip so he is claiming the company should have had insurance but they didnt.

Had to pay for helicopter and treatment for about a week in the hospital! Helicopter probably was most of that cost though I guess.

 

[pastafarian]

i love this common point of view.....yep, my mate taking £100 odd of these companies a year makes their bottom line figures hurt so much that everyone else has to pay more.....some facts for you below so you can shake your head out of the strange place it is in.....

In March 2013 Aviva announced profits of £155m.

Do you know the percentage £100 is of £155,000,000? do a tiny pee in the pacific, just a little one, then you might have some reference.

you are selfish mentalton

 

[Kylies Stunt Arse]

i love this common point of view.....yep, my mate taking £100 odd of these companies a year makes their bottom line figures hurt so much that everyone else has to pay more.....some facts for you below so you can shake your head out of the strange place it is in.....

In March 2013 Aviva announced profits of £155m.

Do you know the percentage £100 is of £155,000,000? do a tiny pee in the pacific, just a little one, then you might have some reference.

You know Aviva do more than insurance don't you? And you know that the point is it isn't just your mate pulling fraud stunts like that too don't you? Oh and that most of that profit announced would be due to investment returns rather than huge premiums etc?

Of course you do, you're just a bell end.

 

[saafend_seagull]

You know Aviva do more than insurance don't you?

Indeed, I used to audit Aviva

 

[trueblue]

Why on earth should the EU pay for you or I to be flown home at a cost of £20k or more if you're ill/ injured?

Or, perhaps reversing it, should we pay for an air ambulance back to Warsaw for, say, a Polish tourist who gets drunk in London, falls over, and breaks his neck?

It's true what you're saying. Worth noting though that these days, if you fall over drunk, most travel insurance companies won't help either. Not sure where they draw the line but, as most people like a beer on holiday, that's a big hitch.

 

[BensGrandad]

I know a chap who works for Aria in Haywards Heath and his job is to try to find a reason for the company to not pay out a claim.

He told me that they have or can gain access to hospital records etc in most foreign countries and the usual get out for them is that the person has alcohol in their system. Most people on holiday, even my wife has a beer or two, but are not necessarily over the top.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

My view is probably warped by the fact that I have never claimed anything on a travel insurance or had need to.

Well change your view then. When you buy travel insurance, you buy peace of mind to enjoy your holiday. If you are unfortunate enough to have a claim, that just adds value.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Only when your young, My dads 7 day cruise was £900 but travel insurance was £2'300 due to recent operation.

Well perhaps he wasn't really fit to travel and should have claimed for cancellation
on the travel insurance he should have arranged when he booked it!

 

[dougdeep]

The younger people on this thread aren't really being fair. The price of insurance goes up dramatically when you get over 60, far more than it used to despite people living longer and general health being better. Also older people are far less likely to have accidents abroad because they tend to take part in less dangerous pursuits and they tend to drink less too.

 

[knocky1]

The younger people on this thread aren't really being fair. The price of insurance goes up dramatically when you get over 60, far more than it used to despite people living longer and general health being better. Also older people are far less likely to have accidents abroad because they tend to take part in less dangerous pursuits and they tend to drink less too.

Agree. Perversely, men pay the same as women although throughout our lives we are between 50% to 80% (depending on age band) more likely to die. So we get much better value than any female tourist with insurance. What a cheerful thought for tha day.

 

[Garage_Doors]

Well perhaps he wasn't really fit to travel and should have claimed for cancellation
on the travel insurance he should have arranged when he booked it!

Surgeons and GP were more than happy for him to travel and even encouraged it as part of his recuperation.