HELP! Travel insurance claim - being investigated

[atchaa]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone could advise me on the following situation.

Back in January, I went on a trip to Spain, where unfortunately I was robbed at knifepoint for my suitcase, that had all my clothes, electronics and my wallet inside too.

I reported it to the police, got the relevant documentation and submitted the claim. My insurer (Morethan) have been diabolical at getting back to me regarding it. It has been 9 weeks since I submitted the claim, and having taken all this time (much to my disgust since I have little money for new clothes at the moment), they have today passed on the claim to a third party (Cunningham Lindsey).

I received a letter from them today asking me to call one of their "claims co-ordinators" to discuss the claim. Having checked their website they are clearly a fraud detection firm.

Firstly, I was told that the insurance company had 8 weeks to come to a conclusion on a travel insurance claim, is that right? It has already been 9 weeks and only now have they passed it on to ANOTHER company, who will probably take even longer. Can I do anything about this?

Secondly, my claim is 100% genuine, and I have nothing to hide. However, I am concerned that they will barage me with questions about an event that happened what is now (due to their incompetence) some time ago, in the hope of finding inconsistencies. Can I refuse to speak to them, and instead deal with them by letter? Any tips on dealing with thes people? What rights do I have here?

I am really sick of these people, as whenever I called Morethan (literally every 3 days for the last 9 weeks), they always fobbed me off with "we'll call you back" or "its being handled right now", and never got back to me. They claim that they aim to deal with claims "within 5 working days"! I really want to take them to court/ complain to ombudsmen...

any help would be much appreciated.

[BADGER 69]

Hi.
I'd be very interested in learning how things go. I have a subsidence problem with my house and Cunningham Lindsey are the "Project Managers". I've had problems with them and have had to complain to Norwich Union (My insurers) about them in the past. It has taken me several years to win,but they picked the wrong one to fight with me.

[Chesterexpress]

Originally Posted by atchaa

Hi,

Back in January, I went on a trip to Spain, where unfortunately I was robbed at knifepoint for my suitcase, that had all my clothes, electronics and my wallet inside too.

Having checked their website they are clearly a fraud detection firm.

First of all they are not a fraud detection firm, they are a very experienced and professional claims management and loss adjusting company. From what you have said about your claim it does on the face of it sound suspicious (I am not saying I don't believe you), however they will be wondering why would your wallet be in your suitcase etc. It would be in your best interest's to wholly cooperate with them.

	Are you letting your bank keep your money Are you giving away thousands of pounds?? Many people aren't claiming all of the money they are entitled to when they make their bank charges claims. You have been forced to pay unfair bank charges. Have you forgotten that your bank has charged you inteest on those charges? If you are overdrawn and the bank owes you charges - then your overdraft is made up of charges - money which you bank owes you. Yet you are paying interest to the bank - on your own money!!! Follow this link to see the discussions on this. You might even double th size of your claim.

[girlynutnut]

As a travel claims handler (not Morethan!), I sometimes appoint Cunningham Lindsey to interview customers about their claims. CL aren't targetted to find fraudsters and charge us a standard fee for every case. The interview may be over the telephone or face-to-face. We often use them to clarify circumstances by taking statements or check documentation provided.

To be honest, if you call every day, making threats of complaining to FOS and refusing to be interviewed, they will merely become even more suspicious and wonder what you have to hide. Attitiude of the customer is one of the most frequently used fraud indicators. I've had cases where FOS have supported my decision to appoint CL because of issues with the claim, so escalating your complaint may not help.

I would suggest that the best way to resolve this is to express your dissatisfaction with the delays, willingly go ahead with the inteview, be honest about what happened (even if there are bits you can't remember) and see what their decision is.

If the claim is declined, you can of course complain. If the claim is agreed you can request interest at 8% from the date that you submitted your claim.

The key to getting this resolved is to remain calm and let them complete their investigations. I hope you get a good result. Keep us informed.

	The Financial Ombudsman Service For the most part, don't bother. The Ombudsman is an industry arranged service which is under-resourced, takes too long, lacks clear transparency. You have no idea what evidence the FOS has received from the bank or how your complain has really been handled. The FOS is the preferred complaints route for the banking industry. The county court is to be preferred by consumers for its speed, openness, the quality of its awards and also because it will award 8% interest on top of any damages won by you. The Ombudsman should normally be used to solving little technical difficulties or customer service problems which you have expereinced with your bank.

	Are you letting your bank keep your money Are you giving away thousands of pounds?? Many people aren't claiming all of the money they are entitled to when they make their bank charges claims. You have been forced to pay unfair bank charges. Have you forgotten that your bank has charged you inteest on those charges? If you are overdrawn and the bank owes you charges - then your overdraft is made up of charges - money which you bank owes you. Yet you are paying interest to the bank - on your own money!!! Follow this link to see the discussions on this. You might even double th size of your claim.

[gyzmo]

I was "interviewed" by someone from this company when I worked in insurance (it was on a third party claim the details of which I had taken and had several calls since then). They were very ameniable and pleasant. I had spoken to the third party claimant since those calls who did ask about them and was a bit concerned. The claimant was paid. I would not worry if your claim is genuine.