Just thought I’d vent my frustration and disappointment at my recent dealings with my long standing building society and their travel insurance.

Basically I was on the first day of a 2 week biking holiday in Switzerland when I lost the front wheel on a tight left hand switchback which resulted in me fracturing my left scaphoid.

This was Aug 11th. Aug 12th I’m put in a cast at the local Swiss hospital. When I got back to the chalet I rang my travel insurance to let them know and to raise a case as my riding holiday was over.

I got back in touch the next day to find out what the next steps where only to be told I did not have a case. They did not see how fracturing my scaphoid and being in a cast, unable to ride, was any reason to curtail my mountain bike holiday and that ‘lack of enjoyment’ was not a reason.

I was very disappointed and angry about this and asked for details to appeal.

So I re-arranged my return flight. Came home and contacted them again (as it was costing me money while in Switzerland). I appealed my case and was asked to provide the hospital documentation, holiday invoice and letter from owner as well as other receipts and a covering letter stating what I was looking to claim. This was sent Aug 16th.

Unfortunately, I’ve been informed today I have no grounds for a claim. Again, from their point of view, there was no reason to medically curtail my holiday and that I did so through lack of enjoyment. I also took it upon myself to cancel my holiday and return back to the UK without arranging to do so with them. Another reason why my claim cannot be processed.

This is not just the building societys standard travel insurance but I also took out the additonal hazardous activities cover too. Insurance which I thought would cover me in case of a biking accident.

The only thing my policy seems to cover me for is medical expenses. For which there are none as I went to a public hospital and used my E111 card. To be honest I’m not exactly sure what the cover provides. Basically nothing that you want cover for.

So, at this moment in time, I’m in a cast for another 4 weeks and £2k out of pocket.

Has anyone else had similar experiences with travel insurance? If so what was the outcome? Does anyone have any advice on what to do next?

The only thing I can think of is to raise a compliant with the financial ombudsman.

Obviously I’ve going to remove all of my custom from said building society and close down all accounts. Not that they’ll be bothered.

Gutted!!

Drop me an email – in profile – may be able to help draft a suitable response. No need to go to the FoS at this point.

Cheers

Danny B

Cheers danny, will do

I’m afraid I’m with them on this one.

Smashed my left wrist (distal radius in about 6 bits) up a couple of years back doing the mega. Once the cast was on, and with sufficient pain killers, I could still ride, so I did!. Did a practice lap of the full race route, and then got 1/2 way down my Quali before trying a cheeky overtake in the rocks and hitting an awkward 3′ drop flat out, which left me white, shaking and utterly unable to grip the bars. Ho hum.

It wasn’t an ideal situation, but it never occurred to me in the slightest to jack the holiday itself in. Even if you can’t ride, you can walk and sightsee, and there’s worse places to be broken than an Alpine resort – decent coffee, great views, beer, sun, heckling yer mates.

Snowcard sorted me out all my medical expenses, no questions asked. I never thought to ask about other stuff.

Of course being a reasonable person I can see their point too but..

I wasn’t exactly at a resort and a 40 minute walk from the nearest signs of life. Which there wasn’t a great deal of. I spent a day doing a walk which turned out to be very uncomfortable (alpine walking in a pair of vans with your arm in a cast and sling in 28 degrees is not ideal) and a day alone in a chalet for 8 hours. This made my mind up to come home. I didn’t go on holiday with my mates and the holiday riding wasn’t based in one spot a la Mega.

My holiday was an activity holiday that I was unable to participate in. I didn’t want to end the holiday but was left with no choice as I was unable to ride.

The thing is, what are you actually insured for? Nothing as far as I can see. Even with hazardous activities it’s just medical expenses which are often covered by your E111.

Bump…as I’ve seen another MTB holiday Insurance thread..

Anyone else with experience of contesting/appealing insurance?

I’m just waiting for the written confirmation that they are unwilling to accept my claim.

Their point of view is that a broken wrist is not a reason to curtail a holiday. My point of view is that a broken wrist is a reason to curtail an organised mountain bike holiday.

My point of view is that a broken wrist is a reason to curtail an organised mountain bike holiday.

And their reply might be that this is a specialist type of holiday so should have had specialist insurance. Suppose the analogy is the same as a skiing holiday, break your leg the first day kinda thing.

That’s actually the analogy they used breatheasy 🙂

I did take out additional ‘hazardous activities’ cover with them also

Unfortunately, I’ve been informed today I have no grounds for a claim

That’s probably because you have no grounds, they told you that you had no grounds, then you did it anyway.

I used to work in Travel Insurance, they aren’t interested in you being bored because you can’t ride your bike as (as far as they’re concerned) you went on a ‘holiday’ and can still have a ‘holiday’ with a sore wrist.

They did not see how fracturing my scaphoid and being in a cast, unable to ride, was any reason to curtail my mountain bike holiday and that ‘lack of enjoyment’ was not a reason.

I was very disappointed and angry about this and asked for details to appeal.

So I re-arranged my return flight.

That last part also works against you. You spent the money without prior approval

did take out additional ‘hazardous activities’ cover with them also

which will cover medical expenses and repatriation in the event of a claim, not cancellation and curtailment.

FWIW, my mate re-broke his scaphoid 2 days before a trip. Still had a few days riding on it anyway.

legend, if I could ride I would have, I couldn’t grip the bar or move my wrist, probably due to a fracture on the opposite side of the wrist flaring up again/soft tissue damage according to the consultants assessment back in the UK.

I’m still in a cast until the end of September and tried gripping my bars yesterday and it’s still painful and it’s not the scaphoid area that hurts. So I may be off the bike for some time.

My point is the holiday was an organised biking holiday. Not a beach holiday. Not a walking holiday. Not a family holiday. So surely it’s about the definition of ‘holiday’. If you book an activity holiday and cannot be active then is there not a case to pursue a claim and compensation?

As for returning to the UK I felt I had no choice.

From my perspective I thought I’d taken out adequate cover in case of such accidents. For which I’d be able to seek compensation. What the insurance company is telling me, and for which you’ve pointed out, I did not.

So, what cover does?

If you go on beach holiday and get sun stroke you can’t come home either, so it’s not just activity holidays being penalised.

Your choice to come home is a personal feeling, there was no actual reason that could be claimed for (medical reasons, bereavement, etc).

You’ll also never see anything in a policy booklet saying you can fly home in times if boredom – there are worse places in the world to be stuck than the Swiss Alps! (Although I concede that resorts can end up boring as hell)

I’ve never seen any cover for your situation unfortunately.

Thanks legend

Ahh but sun stroke and beach holiday would not prohibit the rest of your holiday. Granted maybe a few days ill but you could return to the beach thereafter 🙂

Of course the spot was beautiful and the weather was great but it was an empty chalet and 40 mins walk from anywhere unfortunately.

I suppose my reason is that my choice to come home was a medical reason but again, definitions and wording, etc.

It just leaves a sh1t taste in the mouth really. I’ve always paid into insurance and never made any sort of claim in all these years only to be let down when you need/want it.

Yes, it could have been much worse but I’m over £2k down for the holiday, with a broken wrist and damaged bike with no means of compensation. Good times eh?

I’m still going to appeal though 🙂

Did you take out specific mountain biking insurance?

If not, you were covered for accidents, but you weren’t paying a premium for insurance to cover a dangerous sport with the possibility of injury curtailing your holiday.

Unlucky man.

Nothing to loose by appealing though.

Ahh but sun stroke and beach holiday would not prohibit the rest of your holiday. Granted maybe a few days ill but you could return to the beach thereafter undefined

EDIT: like really really really bad heat stroke.

Bloody pedants 😉

P.S. FWIW I’ve kinda been there myself. Had 6 weeks booked up one summer, then ruined my shoulder before I went so had to suck up a load of the cost of that trip

I’m just going to keep pestering them dirtycrewdom until they pay up….or pay me off 🙂

Yeah that doesn’t sound good legend. Although it seems strange that insurance wouldn’t cover you for that either?

I’ve heard from people that have booked (biking) holidays and are no longer able to attend (through one reason or another) claim their deposits back. Perhaps slightly different in your case but still…