Holiday Insurance Problem - Trying to claim from a trip to France to see the folks...

[m4rcus]

Hi,

Maybe someone here might be able to help me, I do hope so. Back towards the end of August last year I went to France to visit the folks (I live in England and have worldwide travel insurance). To cut a long story short I lost my expensive digital camera. As annoying as it was at the time, trying to make a claim has proved to be impossible. I filled out the forms online for the claim and was asked to go and make a police report, this is something that I tired to do and was told by the policeman that they did not provide lost reports, only for stolen items. Can someone confirm that this is true please? The insurance company do not want to pay up as I did not get a police report, they themselves have twice written to the police station and not had a reply, so they are basically saying tough.

Cheers,

M

[Georgina]

It seems ludicrous to me that you should provide a police report for something that you lost (it was definitely not stolen?).  If the police made a report every time someone lost something, it would be complete chaos in all countries.  Maybe someone knows better, but really it sounds like your insurance company just wants some kind of proof, and to make it harder for you to claim of course. Sometimes when they just don't believe you they send you away for a long stand.[:)]

Georgina

 

[Dick Smith]

Did you lose it in a London cab? That has to be reported to the police, but no other losses of which I am aware.

[m4rcus]

ermmm. please note the words, tha related to me visiting France... :)

 

The slightly longer story is that I left it on the roof of the car and drove off... When I realised I spent ages looking for it, but never did.

[Jc]

Why should the police get involved?;it is not a crime,just negligence.

[Dick Smith]

Ermmm Marcus I DO apologise...

(Note to self : won't try to help HIM again!)

[Baz]

You may need a magnifying glass, but if you read the small print it should tell you the procedure that the Insurance Company wants you to follow to make a claim. If you go by the book it will make your life far easier.

Baz

[m4rcus]

note to Dick - try reading the whole thread that I put up and not making a random comment for a different country, and then don't get funny about it when I point out your mistake?

note to self - help Dick out in the future if I read his thread properly and answer what he is asking, it's what forums are for.

I know it was stupid of me, but it is lost, and the insurance company cover that, they just want a lost report. I was told by the police they do not issue them for lost items (which makes sense as they would be there all day) Is there somewhere on the web maybe that tells you that the Freanch police do not issue lost reports, therefore I can go back to the insurance company and complete the claim, otherwise France should not be covered for lost items on their policy.

Baz, I've read the small print, and they have quoted it to me, but how can you get a report that does not exist in the first place? How can they offer insurance for something they won't cover. They are trying to tell me that they do issue police reports... Personally believe the police man.

Jc, I know they shouldn't need to get involved... it's silly, they just don't want to pay up, that's it I think, they are a business after all.

Cheers,

M

 

 

[Dick Smith]

It wasn't me that drove off with my phone on the car roof...

[m4rcus]

(sigh - this really isn't what forums are about Dick)

Anyway moving on from Dicks comments and back to what I was asking the good people of this forum...

[Russethouse]

Have you tried asking the police for a letter confirming that they do not issue reports for lost property ? (you may have to pay, or at least offer to)

Does your policy specifically mention lost property ?

[m4rcus]

Hi, thank you Russethouse, that's very good point. I'll ask the folks to go back and speak to them to see if they would write a letter. The policy does cover lost property, I'm possibly just a little too honest, for I could have said it got stolen.

M

[Apero]

M4rcus welcome to the throng,  like your spirit[B] well done. I do hope what I have to say may help in some way.  A few years ago I left my mobile on a cafe table.....(dont we all do silly things at times) went back a few minutes later ............ gone.

On returning home I reported the loss to my local police station............my insurance company accepted this.

Bonne chance!

 

[m4rcus]

Hi Apero, hmm interesting one that, I wonder if I can do the same if I am correct in understanding that you lost it in France and reported it back here in the UK?

The insurance policy states this has to be within 24 hours...

M

[Apero]

Yes of course, we explained the situation and that I required to do so in order that the insurance company would favour my claim, they were most helpful.......was given a; crime reference number, which we passed on to the insurance company.

My main home is in Scotland, couldn't say if the same applies to other parts of the UK.

'Bonne chance'

[KathyC]

[quote user="Apero"]

Yes of course, we explained the situation and that I required to do so in order that the insurance company would favour my claim, they were most helpful.......was given a; crime reference number, which we passed on to the insurance company.

My main home is in Scotland, couldn't say if the same applies to other parts of the UK.

'Bonne chance'

[/quote]

Many travel insurance policies have a specific clause regarding taking "reasonable care" of your property. I think that you were very lucky to be able to make a successful claim and I'm not surprised that the OPs having problems.

[m4rcus]

Hi, that was what I was expecting of the insurance company, however they even took it on them selves to contact the police station twice by letter, so I guess they are not going down this route or they would have said that from the start. Thankfully they didn't or the air would have been very blue... more so than when I realised the camera was on the roof part way into the journey.

M

[Lori]

Perhaps if you draft out the letter so the Gendarmes don't have to go to any trouble themselves.  Just draft out a letter stating the Gendarmes in France will not write up a report on a lost item and ask someone at the Gendarmerie to sign it.  Or they can use it as a draft and write out their own on their own letterhead.  That might suffice for the insurance company. 

I do find it rather amazing they would cover a lost item. 

 

[Jc]

Check the wording on your HOME insurance;lost items are often covered on this -even out of the country.

[Nick Trollope]

I did exactly the same thing as the OP - I was in the UK at the time and my insurance company told me that a loss report and a crime number was mandatory for all UK claims - all about cutting fraud, I guess. The same would apply to overseas claims. There is no reason why you should not report the loss to your local (in the UK) Police station and no reason why they should not give you a "crime" number.

The Gendarmesdon't/can't/won't issue reports for losses where noone else was involved. Nor will the French Police.

But bear in mind Kathys mention of "reasonable care", above - a useful get-out for most companies - read the policy!

 

[m4rcus]

Hi,

Thank you all for your help. The policy states "(a) Personal effects and baggage - The insurer will pay for accidental loss", there is a bit about reasonable care, but as this claim is now 5 months old I don't think that they are going down that route or they wouldn't have bothered to write two letters to the Police... and as they have ignored their letters then I think I'm going to go down the Ombudsman route and see what they say.

I'll let you know how it went,

Cheers,

M

[Teamedup]

My husband has lost things in exactly the same way in the past. Once he was lucky though and got all the way from here to the peage at Cruiseilles when the bloke at the autoroute asked him if he knew he had left some trainers (very expensive) on the roof. I don't  do this as a car roof isn't a natural place/height for me to 'pose' things.

I'm sort of surprised that the gendarmes haven't told you to stop wasting their time. Personal negligence doesn't have anything to do with them. However, the insurance should know that it isn't the police or gendarmes remit to make out such declarations in France, and AS they have 'loss' as being covered, then they should bite the bullet and fork out. I think that your insurance is being unreasonable.