Just got back from a bitter-sweet cycling trip in Peru and Bolivia, this post covering the bitter..

Roughly two thirds into the trip, our group of around 16 crossed into Bolivia, and arrived at our hotel accommodation.

We were advised by the hotel and our guide NOT to carry valuable items such as big cameras or even our passports and bank cards around town as there has been cases of foreigners getting robbed for them.

With this in mind, and contrary to the rest of the trip where I had carried this stuff on my person pretty much 24/7, even down to breakfast etc, I left my camera/Man-bag on my bed in our locked hotel room and we all went for an explore of the town and markets etc.

I came back earlier than the group, about 2-3 hours, to find that several of our rooms had, had the locks forced on the doors and lots of our stuff taken.

I personally lost…

DSLR Camera – just shy of £600
Camera filters- £120
Gilet-£30
Sunglasses-£40
IPod shuffle-£40

Not to mention an 8gb card full of fantastic photos of my trip which is the worst thing about it…

Anyway, my question really is more of a legal one. I have travel insurance cover as part of my subscription bank account although because they do not cover mountain biking, I had to get separate specialist insurance too for the mountain biking part.

Looking into the small print (something so many of us do AFTER we need it) it seems that my bank insurance don’t give more than £500 for any one item, which my camera exceeds, and no more than £500 total for ‘valuables’ anyway, which I’m guessing that all but maybe the gilet would be classed as.

My other specialist insurance is more about medical cover so only gives £100 cover for valuables.

So, from a legal standpoint, does anyone know if it is okay if I were to split my claims between companies to try to minimise my inevitable losses? I’ve lost just over £800 worth of stuff so obviously want to get back as much as I can.

Any similar experience/advice would be grand cheers.

I had a suitcase go missing. The travel insurance claimed off our household insurance without our knowledge. In the end it would have been better just to claim off our household insurance.

So, from a legal standpoint, does anyone know if it is okay if I were to split my claims between companies to try to minimise my inevitable losses?

Yes, it’s called subrogation. Standard practice for insurers.

I do not have house insurance incidentally…. 😕

Not sure how that is subrogation. Reading about it a little, it’s saying that subrogation is to prevent over-recovery of losses. I am still going to get way less than I lost even if I do split my claim.
I’m not suggesting claiming for the same thing from two companies, just splitting my claimed items between two to get a tad more than I would otherwise. Just not sure if this is legal…

I would classify valuables as jewellery and watches, not electronic equipment. Although I think it’s a deliberately vague word to give the insurance company wriggle room. Stick to your guns you should be able to claim most of the value back.

Shame about the pic’s, they are priceless.

Did you report it to the police? Sounds to me like the hotel staff set up the robbery.

Check your small print…I seem to recall a clause in recent insurance saying that if you’re claimed through another company you couldn’t claim through them.

The pessimist in me would be wondering about someone at the hotel…they advise you not to carry stuff with you, and then your rooms are broken into when you go out. It’s almost as if someone knew your rooms would be full of swag.

Did you report it to the police? Sounds to me like the hotel staff set up the robbery.

Exactly what we were all thinking really, but no way to prove it of course. It was Bolivian festival time too so the border very busy and the police not particularly interested. We even had the chief of police of the town down to the hotel.
All very fishy yes, but nothing we could do.
It’s a very different experience conversing with Bolivian police to what you become used to in the UK.
I’ll have another look at my small print but sadly, I think they class cameras as valuables and it looks like I’ll get a lot less than the value..

Where was this? Copacabana?

You had some cash stolen as well didn’t you? You’ll find that cash is another singl item sometimes covered…

It was Copacabana, the hottest spot north of Havana.
I didn’t have any cash stolen no. I ignored advice and took my wallet. Shame I didn’t ignore the advice about taking my camera too..

Claim for camera body and lens as individual items?

^^ beaten to it!

The kind of policy you get bundled in with a bank account is generally very poor. Valuables are precisely that and I’m pretty sure that you will find the best you get is £500 less any excess which will probably be high with this type of policy.
Sorry that I can’t put a brighter spin on it but don’t let it ruin all the good stuff that happened on your trip.

Claim for camera body and lens as individual items?

Would still only get a max of 500, plus receipts wouldn’t concur.

wrightyson – Member

You had some cash stolen as well didn’t you? You’ll find that cash is another singl item sometimes covered…
OP, read this bit again.