Guide to making a claim

Step by Step Guide to making a claim

This document is not the policy wording which contains the insurance contract, this is a guide only and you must refer to the full policy wording for the terms, conditions and exclusions of cover. The contact details contained below are for policies underwritten by Allianz Assistance only.

Who is responsible for assessing and settling claims –

The contract of insurance is with the insurance company Allianz Assistance who are responsible for fulfilling the payment of claims.
Snowcard are the agent of the insurer and are responsible for the sale and administration of the policy.

How does insurance work -

Travel insurance is usually supplied by insurance intermediaries like Snowcard, clubs like the BMC or Ski Club of Great Britain, your bank or building society and sometimes directly by the insurance company via their web site.
The insurance intermediary (Snowcard) is responsible for selling you the policy and providing policy information.
The insurance company (Allianz Assistance) is responsible for assessing and paying claims.
If you have a complaint about the way your policy was sold you must contact Snowcard.
If you have a complaint about a claims settlement, you must contact Allianz Assistance.

Snowcard and Allianz Assistance

The team at Snowcard have personally met the claims and assistance teams at Allianz Assistance. We have a strong working relationship with the insurers and their staff who are experienced, dedicated and committed to providing you with the best and fairest claims settlement service that they can. It is rare that problems arise but when they do it is usually down to miscommunication. If any of us are at fault we will be the first to admit to a failure but if you are dissatisfied with any element of the claims service, please treat us with curtesy and respect and we will do everything we can to ensure your claim is completed fairly. We will do all we can to help you at all stages through policy purchase to your having to make a claim.

Allianz claims support 9.00am to 5.00pm Mon-Fri 0208 603 9692 see also How claims are assessed

24 hour emergency medical support when you are abroad- +44 (0) 208 603 9693

Why do you need travel insurance -

When you go on holiday, there are expenses that you will encounter that you might have to pay for that you do not normally have to pay for in the UK.

The main reason to purchase travel insurance is to cover emergency medical costs that must be paid for in other countries.

You can also insure against the risk of losing your belongings and also the cost of your holiday should you have to cancel because of injury or illness.

Other travel expenses for delays, missed departures and travel interruption can also be included.

What are the benefits of travel insurance -

What to expect:

In the event of an emergency you have access to a 24 hour helpline
If you need to make a claim, your claim will be assessed and a settlement agreed based on the policy wording which was provided with your booking confirmation.
You will be asked for certain information for the insurer to assess your claim, you have a duty called the ‘burden of proof’ to supply any requested information.
Information is requested to ensure only events covered by the policy are included in the claims settlement.
Insurers are also required by law to prevent money laundering and fraud which is why a claims process must be followed.
Sometimes it might not be clear why certain information is being requested but staff in claims departments must follow procedures laid out for them in order that they can fairly and accurately assess your claim.
Claims must be submitted as soon as possible although there is not a time limit if you are awaiting or need to collect certain information like travel delay reports or medical information.

How are claims processed:

Notification of the claim – it is your responsibility to collect the necessary information to process your claim and submit this in a readable format with the claim form.
Investigation and evaluation of your claim – it is the responsibility of the insurer to assess and process your claim in a timely manner although this will depend on current workloads, staff absences and the time of year.
Settlement of your claim – payment of your claim is normally made shortly after the assessment process and will usually be made by BACS to your current account.

What to do if your claim is declined:

If your claim is declined, you will be provided with a reason by the insurer.
If you are not satisfied with the response from the insurer, you can make a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
This can be a lengthy process but Snowcard can guide you on the process and comment on the insurers decision.

Common problems or reasons why claims can be delayed:

The biggest cause of a claims assessment delay is failure to provide the policy schedule or certificate with the initial submission. Your policy schedule is attached to your purchase email confirmation, save this document to your smart phone or device so it is always to hand when you travel.
Failure to provide all requested documents can also hold up a claims assessment. Travel or flight documents, car hire bookings, tour operator invoices, airline property irregularity reports or travel delay confirmations must all be collated before calling the claims department. This list is not exhaustive but any expense you are claiming for must be supported by official receipts or documentation.
If you are supplying screen shots or scans of documents, ensure these are of a high enough resolution to be readable.
For invoices involving multiple travellers, ensure there is a breakdown of the costs applicable to your loss.
Ensure your name is clearly visible on any medical certificates or receipts for medical expenses. Receipts that cannot be identified as belonging to you may influence the assessment of your claim.
Do not supply information on editable documents like Word. By all means provide a summary of your breakdown but you will need to support any amount being claimed for with an original non-editable document.

Limits and excesses

Refer to the policy document and to your schedule (certificate) of insurance for details of policy limits and restrictions.
Policy limits are per person per event insured by the policy.
Policy excesses (the amount you pay in the event of a claim) are per person per claim made on each section of the policy where the excess applies.

Medical and other expenses

If you have an accident – contact the 24 hour help line as soon as possible if you require assistance and if your expenses are likely to exceed £500
If you have been rescued or need to have rescue expenses guaranteed - contact the 24 hour help line as soon as possible for authorisation of the expenses - for small claims under £500, you should pay these yourself and reclaim the amount on your return from holiday
If you are taken ill or hospitalised - contact the 24 hour help line as soon as possible and if you are admitted, you must inform the insurers by calling the 24 hour help line - do not agree to an operation or medical procedure without first obtaining the agreement of Allianz Assistance

If you can’t call or get through to the helpline, you can email but you should follow up with a call to the help line as soon as you can.

24 hour help line - +44 (0) 208 603 9693

Email: [email protected]

(If you are being asked to settle a medical bill before returning to the UK, call the 24 hour help line if you are unable to pay the invoice yourself but if you do pay the bill yourself, you should then submit a claim as soon as you can on your return to the UK)

To reclaim expenses that you have paid yourself – Monday-Friday office hours claims department:

9.00am to 5.00pm 0208 603 9692

or use the Allianz online claims portal accessible via the Snowcard website https://www.snowcard.co.uk/how-make-claim

Documents to collect …

Do check your loss is covered - refer to the policy wording before submitting your claim https://www.snowcard.co.uk/medical-and-accident-expenses

For all claims you have a duty (called a ‘burden of proof’) to provide receipts for any expenses you incur including:

Any supporting medical evidence to assist the insurers in assessing your claim.
If you are rescued because of injury or illness you must provide a medical certificate confirming it was necessary to be rescued.
If you are admitted to hospital you must call the 24 hour help line so the insurers can assess your treatment and return home to the UK.
If you need help getting home you must contact the 24 hour help line before making arrangements to obtain authorisation for any costs you incur.

Activity pack

If you are injured or ill and cannot use your pre-paid costs for courses, lessons, hire, lift pass, green fees etc you must provide receipts for these expenses along with the medical evidence that it was necessary for you to stop your activities.

Personal accident

The personal accident benefit is a lump sum payment should you die or lose a limb on holiday because of an insured event.

Personal liability

Personal liability covers your legal liability should you accidentally injure someone (a third party) or cause damage to another person’s property on holiday.

If you are asked to provide your details because of injury to someone else, you should comply but do not admit liability or agree to pay any expenses without obtaining the insurers agreement.

You should collect names and addresses of any witnesses including their report on what they saw and photographs as this will help the insurers assess your liability.

Personal belongings, activity equipment and techno pack

https://www.snowcard.co.uk/personal-belongings-and-equipment

Baggage delays or damage in transit:

In the first instance, if your belongings are lost or delayed by your airline or transport provider, you should obtain written confirmation from them and make sure you comply with their reporting deadlines.
Obtain confirmation of the duration of the delay.
If your baggage or equipment is damaged, report the damage before leaving the airport and obtain a damage report from the carrier.
Keep tag receipts and flight tickets.

If your belongings, equipment, or money is lost or stolen:

You must report the loss to the police within 24 hours of discovery and obtain a report.
You will not be able to make a claim without a loss report so if you are unable to visit a police station, obtain a report from another authority or your tour operator.
Keep damaged items for inspection.
If your belongings or equipment is repairable, obtain a repair estimate from the manufacturer or retailer.
Proof of purchase may be required.

Equipment hire

If your equipment is delayed in transit and you need to hire temporary equipment to enable you to continue with your activities, you will need to keep your receipts and obtain a confirmation of the delay from the carrier.

Money and documents

If your money or travel documents are lost or stolen, you must report the loss to the police within 24 hours of discovery and obtain a report. You will not be able to make a claim without a loss report.
You will need to provide proof of ownership of money/currency so keep bank or bureau d’change transaction receipts.

If you lose your passport

If your passport is lost or stolen, you must report the loss to the police within 24 hours of discovery and obtain a report. You will not be able to make a claim without a loss report.
Keep receipts for expenses relating to obtaining a replacement passport.

If you cancel your trip

https://www.snowcard.co.uk/trip-cancellation-and-travel-delay

If you are injured or ill and it is medically necessary for you to cancel your holiday, you will need to:

Check the policy wording to ensure the cause of the cancellation is covered https://www.snowcard.co.uk/trip-cancellation-and-travel-delay
Obtain a medical certificate from your doctor confirming the cause of the cancellation with their advice that the holiday should not go ahead.
Request any applicable refunds from your travel service providers.
Obtain a ‘cancellation invoice’ from your travel services providers confirming non-refundable amounts.

If your trip is cut short by injury or illness

If you are injured or ill and your trip is cut short and you are medically advised to return home, you must contact the insurer to obtain permission and to agree your return travel arrangements.
Contact the 24 hour helpline.
Obtain a medical certificate confirming that your holiday needs to be abandoned.
Depending on the nature of the injury or illness, you may need to obtain a ‘fitness to fly’ certificate from the doctor or hospital treating you.

If your trip is delayed

If your outbound trip is delayed for more than 12 hours, obtain a letter from the airline confirming the cause and the length of the delay.
Request any available compensation from the carrier within their reporting time deadlines.

If a departure is missed

If your departure is missed because of an insured event you must obtain evidence of the reason that the departure was missed.
Provide receipts for expenses incurred as a result of the missed departure.

If your travel is disrupted

If your travel is disrupted because of an insured event (https://www.snowcard.co.uk/trip-cancellation-and-travel-delay) you can claim up to £1,000 if compensation is not available from your transport or accommodation provider.
Receipts for irrecoverable expenses can be claimed for by calling the claims line.

Piste closure

If you are unable to ski because all of the lifts at your resort are closed you can claim £50 per lost days skiing up to £500
You will need to obtain written confirmation from the piste authorities in your resort that the slopes were closed and the reason for the piste closure.

Legal expenses

https://www.snowcard.co.uk/travel-legal-guard

If you are injured by another person on holiday you can claim for the legal costs to pursue them for damages but you must obtain the insurers agreement before proceeding and use the legal representatives that the insurers recommend.