04/01/13

Insurance claimant David Jones angered at Saga travel insurance

by business editor Trevor Sturgess

When a retired newspaper editor claimed on his Saga travel insurance for a lost pair of glasses worth £200, he was angered by a demand to divulge the names of his bank and other insurers.

David Jones, 66, and his wife Linda, who live in Minster, Isle of Sheppey, exposed a little-known clause in many travel policies when they took out travel insurance with Folkestone-based Saga for a touring holiday in South Africa.

After Mrs Jones lost the prescription spectacles during the trip late last year, Mr Jones made a claim.

After initially being told there would be no problem, he was sent a detailed form demanding police confirmation of the loss, a demand later waived after Saga accepted it would have caused unacceptable delay to others...

“But there was worse to come," Mr Jones said. "I was astonished – no enraged is a better word – to be asked for details of my bank account and my home insurance provider so that Saga‘s insurers could obtain a contribution from them.

“The form concluded by holding a metaphorical gun to my head  by threatening me that my insurance claim may be invalid if I did not provide details of other insurers.”

He feared that any contact with his existing bank or insurer would blacken his claims history and raise premiums.

“I paid my premium to Saga and I expect them to deal with it, not dig around trying trying to extract cash from third parties who I do not wish to be involved. I was appalled.”

Saga spokesman Paul Green said it was standard industry practice for one insurer to ask for a contribution from others so as to spread the risk.

“What we are doing is not out of line with others. If the boot was on the other foot, it would have no detrimental effect on somebody with Saga home insurance.

"There is unlikely to be any customer detriment. If we didn’t take this contribution, the cost of travel insurance would go up.”

The issue is due to be aired on the Money Box programme on BBC Radio 4 tomorrow at noon, repeated on Sunday at 9pm.