# Compulsory travel insurance - what do you reckon??



## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

In June 2011, my wife and I are spending a couple of weeks in rented accommodation in France (long story!).

One of the places we have booked we did so through Cottages4you (part of the Hoseasons Group).

I was just checking the details of balance of payment timing etc and, for once, reading the small print in the booking terms and conditions and came across the following entry:

"Details of the Personal Travel Insurance policy we offer are shown in our brochures and on our website. If you decide not to purchase this insurance, you must take out alternative Personal Travel Insurance that provides equivalent or better cover to the policy we offer. You must also give details of your alternative policy (insurer and policy number) in writing. If you fail to do so we will add the appropriate premiums for the Personal Travel Insurance we offer to your booking confirmation."


I can't believe such a condition is legal or enforceable yet Hoseasons are a reputable company in business for many years.

I can understand them pushing sales of their own travel insurance policies but can they really make it a mandatory condition?

Wasn't there a lot of hoo har a few years ago with some travel agents in trouble with ABTA for pushing their travel insurance too hard??


Edit:

And it goes on to say:

"If booking more than 10 weeks before departure, your deposit payment will be deemed to include the applicable premiums for the Personal Travel Insurance we offer for all persons named on the booking unless you give the required details of your alternative acceptable insurance in writing at the time of booking. "

Surely that can't be right?


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Doesnt sound right to me but I seem to remember years ago Thomsons or James villas doing this, dont think they do now. Why should it concern them?


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## ICDSUN (Oct 10, 2006)

Unfortunately it is quite a common practice, if you could/do not fulfill or cancel the booking for any reason they will insist on payment in part or in full dependent on how far into the booking you are, package hols have had similar rquirements for a number of years, as it is part of the contract and you no doubt were asked to sign a form or agree T&C then very little you can do sadly

I use a Multi-trip worldwide policy which covers all these type of scenarios and also all my business travel etc so worth it for me but if this is a one off not such a good buy

Chris


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Insurance*

As far as I am aware, all companies that arrange package travel overseas will point out that cover should be their own or "equal to".

No doubt in the past, someone has travelled without insurance and then been ill or injured, later suing the travel agent/tour operator etc.

Russell


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

*Re: Insurance*



Rapide561 said:


> As far as I am aware, all companies that arrange package travel overseas will point out that cover should be their own or "equal to".
> 
> No doubt in the past, someone has travelled without insurance and then been ill or injured, later suing the travel agent/tour operator etc.
> 
> Russell


Yes Russell, I could partly understand it for a package holiday but in this case I have just rented the property - no travel to/from involved - we will already be in that part of France some weeks prior and for some weeks after.

I don't see that it's any business of the renting agency as to whether or not I have travel insurance and certainly way out of order for them to take their insurance premium from the deposit I've paid for the rental.

If it turns out that I do have to pay for this insurance then I see it as yet another example of rip off Britain by large, untouchable organisations.


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Insurance*

I wonder if that counts as "negative selling"?

Russell


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

The coach company I used for a trip last year to Cologne Christmas Market had the same clause. I arranged my own insurance and gave them details of the company and Policy number. I left it to them to decide if the level of cover was comparable to their own.


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## Pyranha (Jul 4, 2006)

I think this is a pretty normal condition - some years ago (shortly before internet booking became the norm), booking a ferry ticket only, one of the high street travel agents informed me this was their policy, and that buying through them meant agreeing to insurance which they would provide, and charge for if I didn't tell them, at the time of booking who my insurer was. I lied and gave an insurer name, as I wanted to get it sorted.

It got better, though, when I asked for the justification of this policy:

1) Because if you have an accident, *they* might find your ticket with our name on it and will call us expecting us to help you. I can see some sense in this on a package, and particularly on an escorted tour, but it was only a ferry ticket

2) It is important whenever you travel abroad to have insurance. Even though France isn't really abroad, our company considers it to be, so we have to tell you to have insurance.

I've got to admit, I was stumped at the idea that France might not be *abroad*, but I think that statement 2 does sum up something or other.

Obviously I didn't learn my lesson, since I went back (or to another one) a couple of years later to book a package to Austria - the 'assistant' said the usual "Of course, all the party are UK passport holders". No, they're not - two are Irish. "Well, we can't advise on travel requirements for non British people, but you will need visas, which you will have to sort yourselves.

I suspect that some training was required . . .


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

We had the same problem with Cottages4u.

I was trying to book a villa more than a year in advance. When I was told I needed current personal insurance for all in the party I asked why that would be of any use as it would have expired before our booking date anyway.

I was told I had to give them current details and then update when I renewed.

So I might have had to take out personal insurance for 6 people for a year with no-one ever travelling in that time, just to satisfy their rules - crazy!

I can see they would want their money - or some at least - if you cancelled and it's possibly easier for them to get it out of an insurance company than to pursue individuals. But surely it should be up to you to make that decision.

In the end we booked with www.ownersdirect.co.uk


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

make it up! Give your bank name as the insurer, and put a 6 figure number in :roll: . They won't check it.

It's assuring them that if you don't go, or something goes wrong, that you have the means to pay them - even via your insurers. Their contract is with you, not the insurers, and their recourse is to you if you have a problem & don't turn up etc. It's not as if you will need the cover provided in most travel policies like flight cancellation, lost luggage, death repatriation etc.


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## thieawin (Jun 7, 2006)

Not as odd or unreasonable as you might think. The insurance they offer will not just be about your health and repatriation, but will insure you against 3rd party claims, ie public liability if you do something daft, ie kick a ball which hits a fellow guest or negligently leave on the gas and cause a corrie style explosion the other injured guests will have the benefit of being able to claim against you covered by the policy. It is to protect them and may be a standard requirement of running the tourist premises from national regional or local tourist authority. I have to have a similar policy covering all my guests for my letting property in Catalonia. I absorb the charge rather than pass on individually


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