Holiday Insurance refusing to pay

[andyb2]

Hi

We purchased annual holiday insurance from M&S on 3rd August 2007. We then booked flights to Tenerife on 6th March 2008 departing on 25th October 2008. We found out after taking out the insurance and booking the flights that my wife is now pregnant and will not be able to fly as she will be 38 weeks pregnant. Both the airline,Monarch, and the insurance company, M&S, are refusing to either refund the flight cost or pay out on cancellation cover.

Does anyone have any advice

Cheers

[Bookworm]

What is the reason given for declining?

(Nothing to do with Monarch, btw, this is purely between you and M&S tvl ins, so don't waste any energy on them)

[andyb2]

They have suggested that we should go back to monarch and change the dates of the flights!! They have been very vague in the phonecalls so far but say that the insurance does not cover cancellation for pregnancy. However we took out the insurance and booked flights before pregnancy was diagnosed.

[Bookworm]

Don't phone. Write.

Tell them that you want the exact reasons why they are declining cover, that you want them to quote the exact sections of your policy on which they rely to decline cover. Point out that unless pregnancy under your particular circumstances are specifically excluded terms, then they have no ground to refuse settlement.

Tell them you expect either full settlement or a "final decision" letter so you can then take it to the FOS.

Don't mention changing flights or anything to do with Monarch, it is irrelevant. If you have to cancel for the reasons as described and they are not specifically excluded (they're not, I have checked policy here), you're covered and that's that. You'll lose your excess, of course, unless you had excess waiver.

If they persist with their attitude, then off to the FOS.

[andyb2]

Thanks for that. I will get a letter off tomorrow and see how they respond.

[Bookworm]

Let us know.