 Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is low cost consequently the amount that can be claimed and when it can be claimed is always limited - it is usually just as cheap to buy annual travel insurance as a single trip policy. I used to be a claim handler for the following providers so here are some points about the best policies and things to remember for a succesful claim :
Norwich Union, Saga, HSBC, Barclays, Co-Op, Asda. Marks and Sparks, Axa, RAC policies are all handled by the same claim handling firm.
I thought they were very fair and prompt at dealing with claims and I actually admired their principles of fairness. I left only because of a better salary offer elsewhere. I felt very comfortable working for them and surprisingly did not feel that anyone was being ripped off or treated unfairly.
For a prompt claim it is important to supply the correct documents that you are asked for - claim is settled in five to ten working days.
It is also important to be honest - they have access to all the costing of any items claimed for and a dishonest or overinflated claim can be spotted a mile away this will lead to obvious delay handling the claim. It is amazing how many people suddenly own a Louis Viton suitcase or have lost a £600 mobile phone (about 70% of claims are obviously overinflated or dishonest).
In a lot of cases I found that we paid out even if the policy didnt specifically cover what was being claimed for if it was reasonable to pay the claim.
You will get back what you are entitled to without any hassle whatsoever - it it is important to read what the policy covers, what amounts for and under what circumstances and make suire you pick a suitable policy. It is also important to know what you have to do and what documents you will need to provide for the claim. Given the low cost of such insurances it is important to appreciate that you are not going to become rich making a claim and you will not be disappointed if your expectations are fair and not unreasonable.
As a general rule avoid the bank free travel insurance that comes with your account, there are too many restrictions and too many proofs required (I would advocate they are too restrictive and should not be relied upon as sole means of travel insurance).
The best and most comprehensive policies I think at present are Marks and Sparks, then Norwich Union Direct, Then ASDA and the Post Office and Saga for the over 50's.
If your claim is turned down it is either because you have not supplied the right information to start with, did not bother to read what was covered, your claim was badly worded, obviously unbelievable or the circumstances genuinely misunderstood by the insurer. It is always worth writing to the Customer Services Manager to have your claim reviewed.
These people are not idiots, contrary to popular believe I did not earn any bonuses for saving them money and I was not instructed in the training to look for reasons to avoid paying out. In fact I was very surprised to be told that I had to look for reasons to pay the claim rather than turn it down. | 
