Annual Travel Insurance

I renewed my annual travel policy in November of 2019 and used it once for three days in Portugal - with no claims. 

The total cost of the policy was in the order of £200 and usually my wife and I would have around 3 to 4 holidays a year – excellent value. 

When the current virus situation hit I emailed the Caravan Club asking then to suspend my policy as the advice at that time was to avoid all overseas travel. I received several responses over a two month period stating that the underwriters had been asked to make a decision. I never received an answer and had to chase things up regularly– fair enough they were busy. But two months for an answer to a simple administrative question? 

A few weeks ago I telephoned the Club and asked what progress had been made. The person I spoke to said that the underwriters were adamant that there would be no refunds, no suspensions of any policy – nothing. They said that they were pursuing things and would call me back – they haven’t. 

Several insurance companies are offering pro rata refunds for unused insurance policies due to the recent situation. Some are not. I had hoped though, that a ‘Club’ might have offered a more conciliatory approach. 

Had I purchased a single trip policy, it is very likely I would have been refunded. 

I suppose that I will need to ‘take this on the chin’. An insurance policy is based on risk – but in my case there is no risk at all to the underwriters because I will not be travelling. This is not my own choice – but Government advice. 

I didn’t buy my insurance off the underwriters. I bought it from the Club – a Club which promotes itself as having members’ interests at its heart. I won’t be renewing my membership, my travel insurance (obviously) or my Caravan insurance. 

I will take my chances on the open market as I cannot see what the ‘value added’ is from continuing as a member.