Insurance t&c’s
Discussion
I’m curious as to what might have happened in the worst possible scenario.
I’m in Japan just now on holiday. 2 days before I left I got bitten by a cat. The next day my hand swelled up and I decided to be on the safe side and go to A&E, where I spent most of the day going to 2 different hospitals.
I got home late and couldn’t contact my travel insurance co till 8.30 the next morning when I was literally in the queue for boarding (The doctor advised that I’d need to inform them)
I told them I was informing them of a change in circumstances and didn’t think anything of it. However on checking the amended policy online I realised the incident was recorded under my wife’s name rather than mine.
I emailed them and received a reply saying they can’t amend the policy by email and I’d have to phone them. Now, I’ve got a physical Japanese sim on my phone with no way to make phone calls.
I simply emailed back saying I couldn’t phone them, I’d already emailed them and as far as I was concerned I had informed them correctly the first time and my part in this was done.
Would you have done any different?
Drawweight said:
I emailed them and received a reply saying they can’t amend the policy by email and I’d have to phone them. Now, I’ve got a physical Japanese sim on my phone with no way to make phone calls.
Download Skype (on wifi) and call them? Or buy a calling card (e.g. https://www.comfi.com/calling-cards/UK/from/Japan)Drawweight said:
I’m curious as to what might have happened in the worst possible scenario.
I’m in Japan just now on holiday. 2 days before I left I got bitten by a cat. The next day my hand swelled up and I decided to be on the safe side and go to A&E, where I spent most of the day going to 2 different hospitals.
I got home late and couldn’t contact my travel insurance co till 8.30 the next morning when I was literally in the queue for boarding (The doctor advised that I’d need to inform them)
I told them I was informing them of a change in circumstances and didn’t think anything of it. However on checking the amended policy online I realised the incident was recorded under my wife’s name rather than mine.
I emailed them and received a reply saying they can’t amend the policy by email and I’d have to phone them. Now, I’ve got a physical Japanese sim on my phone with no way to make phone calls.
I simply emailed back saying I couldn’t phone them, I’d already emailed them and as far as I was concerned I had informed them correctly the first time and my part in this was done.
Would you have done any different?
Perhaps I'm missing something here, but what is the change of circumstances you were informing them about, surely you were informing them about an incident and a potential claimI’m in Japan just now on holiday. 2 days before I left I got bitten by a cat. The next day my hand swelled up and I decided to be on the safe side and go to A&E, where I spent most of the day going to 2 different hospitals.
I got home late and couldn’t contact my travel insurance co till 8.30 the next morning when I was literally in the queue for boarding (The doctor advised that I’d need to inform them)
I told them I was informing them of a change in circumstances and didn’t think anything of it. However on checking the amended policy online I realised the incident was recorded under my wife’s name rather than mine.
I emailed them and received a reply saying they can’t amend the policy by email and I’d have to phone them. Now, I’ve got a physical Japanese sim on my phone with no way to make phone calls.
I simply emailed back saying I couldn’t phone them, I’d already emailed them and as far as I was concerned I had informed them correctly the first time and my part in this was done.
Would you have done any different?
Why did having a Japanese sim stop you from making calls?
martinbiz said:
Perhaps I'm missing something here, but what is the change of circumstances you were informing them about, surely you were informing them about an incident and a potential claim
Why did having a Japanese sim stop you from making calls?
Some tourist SIMS are data only, no calls.Why did having a Japanese sim stop you from making calls?
vaud said:
martinbiz said:
Perhaps I'm missing something here, but what is the change of circumstances you were informing them about, surely you were informing them about an incident and a potential claim
Why did having a Japanese sim stop you from making calls?
Some tourist SIMS are data only, no calls.Why did having a Japanese sim stop you from making calls?
vaud said:
martinbiz said:
Don't believe you can't just go and buy one
You can but data only is an option. If I was going to Japan, and given that I don't speak Japanese I would probably go data only.... martinbiz said:
Ehhhh ??? You're not buying it to speak Japanese though, it's so you have a way of contacting people should you need to in an emergency.......Oh wait a minute!
Personally I would buy a data only sim as IIRC they are better value. My personal contract doesn't cover Japan for roaming at a reasonable rate. I would have a laptop or mobile + data and/or wifi with Skype for calls.
But then I'm crazy.
martinbiz said:
Perhaps I'm missing something here, but what is the change of circumstances you were informing them about, surely you were informing them about an incident and a potential claim
Why did having a Japanese sim stop you from making calls?
Possibly badly put on my part but either way it is definitely advisable to tell the insurer I’d be on antibiotics for at least part of the trip.Why did having a Japanese sim stop you from making calls?
I’ve no need for a voice SIM card, any emergencies I can be reached on WhatsApp.
I saw the guy installing the SIM and it needed a username and password so I’m not mucking about trying to install another one.
Drawweight said:
Possibly badly put on my part but either way it is definitely advisable to tell the insurer I’d be on antibiotics for at least part of the trip.
I’ve no need for a voice SIM card, any emergencies I can be reached on WhatsApp.
I saw the guy installing the SIM and it needed a username and password so I’m not mucking about trying to install another one.
Skype or Viber will cost very little to install, add a credit and make a call.I’ve no need for a voice SIM card, any emergencies I can be reached on WhatsApp.
I saw the guy installing the SIM and it needed a username and password so I’m not mucking about trying to install another one.
BertBert said:
Is it normal to ask to be notified of changes during the policy? I understand about it before taking out the policy, but less so during it.
Policies will vary, but here is an example at random:"Should I notify you if my medical conditions have changed since taking out my policy with you? Yes - you must inform us if the health of any traveller changes. We would need to know before the start date of your Single Trip policy, or before you next travel on your Annual Multi-Trip policy."
It's easy to see why - the risk profile has changed for the insurer from the point that the policy was taken out.
QuickQuack said:
I don't think that insurers would be too worried about simple, limited infections which are already being treated or self-limiting illnesses such as common colds, minor sprains and small sporting injuries. Otherwise we'd have to call them 15 times before each holiday.
I was surprised how seriously the injury was treated. I attended the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh who flushed it out and gave me an intravenous antibiotic then sent me to St John’s in Livingston who flushed it out again. In fact if I hadn’t told the doctor I was going on holiday they were considering keeping me in overnight.
At 4 am getting ready to go to the airport and my hand double its normal size I was seriously considering cancelling. Now sitting in my hotel room in Kyoto with 2 little scabs on the back of my hand obviously I’m glad I didn’t.
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