Annual travel insurance renewal runaround. Check those T&C

[wessie]

Here's why it pays to be diligent when taking out travel insurance. I have provided the PDF link for policies so you can check to see if they suit your situation. Just check the T&C are the same at time of purchase as they change often e.g. the Allianz wording changed in Dec 2023.

With my annual policy via Tesco due for renewal in a couple of weeks, I received an email reminding me to get a requote. No invitation to renew as they want me to make a new medical declaration. Seems travel insurance is going the same way as motor insurance, skywards. Same policy from Axa, same medical stuff just a year older. Last year, £36 for the year, this year £76

Time to explore the market. Same Axa policy from a different broker, Puffin, same price as Tesco. Although I can get a £11 cashback at Topcashback.
Policy wording: https://crystalreports.blob.core.windows.net/puffin-docs-static/Puffin MSM Wording 20231208.pdf

I also ran the comparison tool at Topcashback and moneysupermarket. They came back with the same prices from the same companies. The user interface on both sites was identical so I assume they both use the same third party provider.

Half an hour spent reading PDF T&C. Only Tesco & Puffin seem to be selling the Axa policy. Admiral and No Limits were very cheap but no motorcycle cover.

Several brokers are offering an Allianz policy from £48 and this is one to be wary of. It offers riding motorcycles over 125cc in the included Activity pack. No stipulation about whether you are using a hire bike or your own. What is tricky, is that whilst the policy covers all of Europe, the motorcycle cover is EU only. Fall off a Swiss Alp or get mowed down by a pissed Andorran peasant and things might get tricky.
Then there is section I - Travel Accident - no cover for motorcycles over 125cc for this section only. This wording might confuse some as they might think it applies to the whole policy. It's not something hugely significant as it only applies in very limited circumstances and is not a huge amount of cash if you qualified through death or disability. Read the T&C yourself https://www.voyageroasis.co.uk/documents/voyager/Able2Travel2023_CYTI_PolicyWording_V4.pdf

I would be happy to have this Allianz policy if I knew I would only ride in the EU. My trip in June involves spending a couple of nights in Bregenz in Austria. We will be very close to the Swiss and Liechtenstein borders and a daytrip could easily cross the border. Therefore, I will renew my Axa policy, probably via Puffin due to the cashback.

I would be grateful if someone could read the Allianz policy and check I have interpreted it correctly.

 

[Oldrat]

Thanks for the heads up Wessie, useful
Info

My annual policy excludes motorcycles completely so I’ll be looking for something to cover a single EU trip soon.

 

[Oldrat]

I read that travel section as saying the policy does not cover motorcycles of 125 or over. I’ve not read the whole doc though.

 

[Paul G (BHT)]

Does the Nationwide travel policy not meet your needs @wessie?

::.Edit.:: page 10 of the Policy doc would possibly suggest not.

Motorcycling (up to 125cc, crash helmet must be worn, and you must have a valid UK licence to ride the vehicle,
no cover under Personal Liability)

Having said that, your motorcycle insurance would cover you for that.
Apologies if I have miss understood your question.

 

[wessie]

the Nationwide would work except that I did the medical screening and they want over £100 extra to provide cover. That would put my combined breakdown and travel cover to around £260 a year with the £13 a month fee plus medical top up. Buying separate policies is a lot cheaper.

Edit: the 125cc limit only applies to activities such as hiring a scooter in Corfu. Elsewhere they mention riding a larger motorcycle if you are using it as transport from home

 

[wessie]

I read that travel section as saying the policy does not cover motorcycles of 125 or over. I’ve not read the whole doc though.



View attachment 305544

you have fallen into the trap I tried to explain - the exclusion you reference only applies to Section I not the medical cover

 

[Oldrat]

you have fallen into the trap I tried to explain - the exclusion you reference only applies to Section I not the medical cover

I must be missing something Wessie

I’ve read and re read the travel accident section above and I still interpret it as the 125 cc + exclusion applying to the whole policy following an accident

It might need a phone call..

 

[Pukmeister]

Thanks for the heads up Wessie, I can't be arsed to wade through pages of PDF bumph so I'll stick with Puffin again as my provider for this years Euro tour.

I recall the accident that befell "DakarDC" (on one of Steptoe's Moroccan dashes IIRC) and the amount of time he spent in a Spanish hospital, hence I wouldn't dream of chancing it abroad without first having a travel insurance policy in place.

 

[Wapping]

I would be happy to have this Allianz policy if I knew I would only ride in the EU.

Wessie, if possible, contact the ‘broker’ or indeed Allianz directly, please. Most insurers, wrap the non-EU countries, for example Norway, Switzerland and the UK) into ‘Europe’. From what you are I think saying, the Allianz policy does not wrap.

I think the Allianz policy is very badly worded, which is unusual for a consumer lead company and product. I am not sure that I’d touch it.

 

[wessie]

Wessie, if possible, contact the ‘broker’ or indeed Allianz directly, please. Most insurers, wrap the non-EU countries, for example Norway, Switzerland and the UK) into ‘Europe’. From what you are I think saying, the Allianz policy does not wrap.

I can't be arsed, sorry. The wording says clearly EU specifically relating to motorcycles under the "included activities" section. I will take the easy option and buy the Axa policy that does not have this mismatch between different sections of the T&C.

 

[Wapping]

I can't be arsed to wade through pages of PDF bumph so I'll stick with Puffin again as my provider for this years Euro tour.

Do still ‘wade through’ the documents you receive, as sure as hell you’ll be arsed to, when you are lying on your front and they are scrubbing road gravel out of your ‘arris.

 

[Wapping]

I can't be arsed, sorry. The wording says clearly EU specifically relating to motorcycles under the "included activities" section. I will take the easy option and buy the Axa policy that does not have this mismatch between different sections of the T&C.

Fair enough. As I said, I wouldn’t touch the thing anyway.

 

[wessie]

Fair enough. As I said, I wouldn’t touch the thing anyway.

actually, I obviously have too much time on my hands ...

I looked at https://www.allianz-assistance.co.uk/help-and-advice/policy-info.html and it is evident the policy they sell themselves has much clearer wording compared to the product they offer third party brokers. I queried the "travel accident" exclusion and cover in the EU only, not the full EEA which includes Norway etc. I received this response a couple of hours later.

"Thank you for contacting us at Allianz.
You are covered to take part in the sports and leisure activities listed below, as long as you are not:
• taking part as a professional;
• racing; or
• taking part in a competition
Kindly note you will be covered for motorcycling, as long as you hold a valid, full UK motorcycle licence and wear a crash helmet.
The helmet must either meet the British Standard BS 6658:1985 and carry the BSI Kitemark, or be of an equivalent EEC standard"

I'm impressed they replied so quickly but they did not address the EU/EEA discrepancy. I think Amrita, the respondent, was only responding to the T&C at the policy sold on their own website, not the 3rd party policy.

The Allianz policy going direct is a lot dearer than the Puffin/Tesco Axa policy

As per my original post, caveat emptor.

 

[Wapping]

That looks like an AI Bot reply to me.

If I remember, I will ask one of my UK personal lines broker colleagues if they know anyone in Allianz (London) who can clear it up. Not least they can tell Allianz that the policy looks like it has been put together by a chimp. It is unusually poor for an across the counter product, flogged in the UK by a usually pretty slick operation like Allianz.

 

[wessie]

Further update after a recommendation for Allclear popped up elsewhere. I had heard that they no longer cover bikes but this seems to only apply to the Silver level cover. Gold cover as in this PDF is okay, underwritten by a decent name, Zurich, and Allclear have a great reputation. https://www.allcleartravel.co.uk/images/alc/AllClear_Options_Policy_Booklet_G.pdf

Prices once through the medical stuff are fine with lots of options on gold, gold + etc and for me, a decent discount for excluding cancellation. I rarely prepay for anything other than a ferry so not needed. Most ferry/tunnel bookings can be altered for a lower fee than any policy excess.

If the 25% Topcashback comes through that will be even better.

 

[chasbmw]

I ended with a All clear Gold Policy. Covers Motorcycling over 125cc as long as part of an activity holiday, resonable price for 12 months multi trip excluding USA. My old insurer Voyager was a lot more expensive.

Her is a link to a possible 20% discount, havent a clue if it works, but worth a try.

https://all-clear.mention-me.com/m/ol/xr0rr-charles-newall

 

[ChasMill]

One thing to consider is the valuables limit/ any one item. My son had his iPhone stolen in South Africa. Payout was £250 (per single item limit), not even close to the value of the phone.

 

[Wapping]

One thing to consider is the valuables limit/ any one item. My son had his iPhone stolen in South Africa. Payout was £250 (per single item limit), not even close to the value of the phone.

I lent my camera and a couple of lenses to my son-in-law to use on his honeymoon. He had to top-up the limits available, as the camera body alone exceeded his Travel policy’s limit.

That being said, don’t forget that, besides the sometimes fairly modest single-item limits under a Travel policy, you may well have cover under your conventional Household Comprehensive cover’s All Risks extension, where the single item limits can be often much higher than under a basic Travel policy. There is nothing to stop you claiming under both policies. For example, using a £600 phone:

1. £250 under the Travel policy.

2. £350 under the Household policy.