UK Travel Insurance Tips

What to watch out for

Complaints about UK travel insurance rose by 20% last year according to the UK Financial Ombudsman.

The problem seems to be that too many of us buy travel insurance without checking the small print to see what is really covered.

They highlighted the following problem areas.

Medical cover which usually offers medical treatment worth up to £2m and above might sound OK. However if you have a medical condition, which might be unrelated to the problem while you were abroad - then you might not be covered. So watch out for the section on 'pre-existing conditions' in the small print

Alcohol is the other problem: Insurers can refuse to pay out if the loss or accident occurred while under the influence.

Loss and theft. You will probably only be refunded the current value ie the second hand price of a brand new item that's been lost or stolen.

And if the item is classed as a valuable, the amount you can claim is probably limited to say £200 - which includes any other valuables that might have been stolen at the same time.

These type of catches will be commonplace with cheap policies - but watch out for the expensive ones which play these tricks too.

How to Get Your Best Quote

The best thing you can do is checkout a specialist broker. They should be able to find you the best prices and also the most appropriate deals ie where someone has read the small print.

Always get THREE quotes. And don't forget: if you go direct to an insurance provider they'll only tell you about their own "products".

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