I phoned Amex to renew my annual travel insurance today. I travel a reasonable amount with work, so I claim it back from my employer. Amex said they had helpfully already renewed it already. I haven’t had any paperwork / emails to indicate that it had been renewed so I asked how much the premium was. It was half what I paid last year.

I expressed surprise at this reduction in premium.

Amex: That’s because when we renew, we clear any pre-existing conditions you have declared from the policy, you declared you were on medication for high blood pressure when you applied, but we clear that off, so your premium has dropped

Me: But I still have high blood pressure

Her: We will need to requote to take that into account

Me: But you have taken the premium knowing I wouldn’t be covered

Amex er, yes, we assume the medical conditions are no longer present.

I don’t mind auto renewing, as I want to be covered. But autorenewing with them adjusting the policy so I’m not covered seems pretty out of order.

Does this sound bad? It sounds worse than PPI misselling to me…Not only take they money for a policy I could never have claimed against, if I had a heart attack in the US, it could bankrupt the family. Is this worth taking further?

That doesn’t sound right, does it?

In fact, I’d say it was even worse than the PPI mis-selling, as at least when they pushed PPI you knew you were buying it (even if you didn’t realise it was useless) – you’ve been sold a useless insurance product without even being told.

Complain, though not sure how far you will get. Raising the issue more publicly like contacting BBC Watchdog or another consumer program might be bother more useful in pressuring them to change their policy and also alerting any other policyholders in the same boat.

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumer/complaints.htm

I reckon you’d have a very strong case if they ever tried to not pay out using some pre-existing condition clause. You can easily prove that on x date you advised them of your high blood pressure. If they subsequently choose to uninform themselves it’s hardly your fault.

I’d look at another provider, with ‘controls’ like that you’ve no idea what else they may do.

Cheers guys…complaint going in tomorrow.