Travel insurance

[BertiWooster]

Would there be a problem in taking out travel insurance with two different companies for the same trip ?

[Ethel]

Yes

"If there is double insurance then unless the policy says otherwise payment may be claimed from the insurers in any order. However despite paying two (or more) lots of premium the assured cannot recover more than the greatest insured value and must give credit for any sum received by him under any other policy."

So you would be paying two lots of premium and only benefit from one policy.

[BertiWooster]

Thanks Ethel

Just to clarify
Say I was abroad and a claim had to be made as a result of an occurance - could i make a claim against ONE insurer LEAVING the other out of it ?

[Ethel]

Berti - the problem is the insurance company will always know who else covers you. An example of my own: I lost or had stolen my camera on holiday some years ago. I claimed from my travel insurance and they refused to pay as I was covered for this on my home contents policy (unknown to me!).

When I successfully claimed from my home contents' insurance I had to sign a document to say I would not/had not claimed elsewhere.

If you have two insurers giving similar cover, they will always try to hold the other responsible. In my instance, the home contents policy was taken out first so they were deemed liable. It did not make my life easy.

[BertiWooster]

Thanks again

The reason I asked was because i have taken out travel insurance - however later , upon reading the terms and conditions again, there was a question which i wasn't sure would apply to me , and if the answer to the question is yes , then i would't be covered .

After speaking to the insurer , I was still not sure about the answer to the question , and i got the impression from the person I spoke to , that he wasn't sure either - even though he said it would be ok

[Ethel]

Don't settle for 'not sure'. Get it in writing.

If it is an important specific, you may be able to make other arrangements solely for that. Or it may be grounds to cancel and go elsewhere.