travel insurance help

[mommykola]

Hi all I recently travelled to turkey with my husband and daughter.

Whilst we were there we lost a beach bag containing several items, once we discovered this was lost we went to the local police station and reported it. we were given a crime reference number and a police stamp.

Upon our return to the uk we contacted our insurance company and then filled out all relevant forms and sent all receipts and manuals for items which were in the bag.

We have received a letter back stating that as we have no official police report they wont be continuing with our claim.

We have contacted the police in turkey again and they have stated that as items were lost we would only get a crime reference number and not a official report as the police there class this as an official report in itself.

The isnurance company are refusing to pay us because of this, does anyone have and advice on this matter?

Many thanks

[mxyzptlk]

Contact the insurance ombudsman for a ruling.

[mommykola]

hi it is debenhams

[bednobs]

i wouldn't bother persuing it. It'll be in their T and c that you are not covered for lost stuff, or it'll be in there you need a police report

[mommykola]

We are covered for lost items one of which was my husbands Armani watch!!!!! As far as the police are concerned the crime ref number is enough I think we will go to the ombudsman. What infuriates me most is that so many people with flase claims seem to have no problems yet here we are with genuine claim all relevant receipts for items sent to insurance company and we are refused

[mommykola]

we lost the bag and our insurance states we need to report this to the police incase it is handed in!!!!! When we reported it list we were given a crime ref number. I lost a phone on a bus in England once and was given crime reference number by the police here

[mommykola]

At no point was anything reported as stolen our insurance does cover for lost items

[twix123]

Before you can go to the Financial Ombudsman Service you need to complete the insurers complaints process. If you check the insurance policy this should state to whom you should complain in the first instance, be it either a Complaints Department or the Managing Director. Your complaint has to be acknowledged within 5 working days, and subsequently thoroughly investigated. Either the insurers will find in your favour, or if not send you a final response. After this, if you are still not satisfied, you have recourse to the FOS, whose contact details will be on the policy documentation.

[mommykola]

Thankyou will get the complaints procedure details tomorrow

[titusadrum]

As someone who sells travel insurance in their work, I see this problem all too often, most frequently where a 'cheap' policy has been bought. I spend a lot of time helping people resolve these sort of problems when had they gone for a better quality policy they simply wouldn't encounter such problems.

The procedure is simple.

a) Check your policy actually covers losing items (rather than just theft)
b) Check whether the policy requires you to supply a crime report
c) Follow the complaints procedure to the letter
d)if still no satisafction follow the complaints procedure to the ombudsman

At the end of the day, you get what you pay for. Sorry if this doesn't sound sympathetic but all too often the so called high street shops sell products which give them the best profits rather than selling the best products!

[oscarkim1]

Can I just say that, as a retired Police Officer, the circumstances here do not indicate a crime(theft) has been committed,the author says that a crime report number was given for losing a phone on a bus, I very much doubt it, it may well have been a Lost Property report number which is very different (at least as far as insurance companies are concerned)