Insurance is designed to put you back in the position you were in before the loss - not to let you profit from it.
If you make a travel insurance claim, we need to know if you have another insurance policy covering the same loss, so that:
- You don't get paid twice
- The total payout doesn't exceed the value of the loss
For example, if you claim on your travel policy through Collinson for lost baggage, you may also have travel insurance through your bank, or you may have a separate home contents insurance policy covering personal possessions outside of the home. Also, if the airline you travelled with were responsible for the loss, then we could contact the airline. If either one of the other insurers, or the airline agrees to share the cost of the loss with Collinson, this process is known as a recovery. It's important to understand that this has no impact on the outcome of your claim, and by sharing the cost, it also helps us to keep future travel insurance premiums affordable.
When you first submit your claim to us, we will ask you for brief details of any other insurance policies you have which may cover the same loss.
Examples:
- Many UK banks offer packaged current accounts that include travel insurance as part of a monthly fee. To settle your claim, we will ask you for details of your bank account including the type of current bank account you have (e.g. Silver, Platinum or Gold) as this will determine the scope of travel insurance that your bank provides.
- You may have home contents insurance covering your personal possessions, so we will ask you to provide the name of your insurer and your policy number.
- If you're making a medical expenses claim, you may have private medical insurance which covers inpatient treatment, so please provide the name of your provider and the policy number.
Under the General conditions section of our travel insurance policies, it states that you must assist us in pursuing a recovery from other insurers, and also any third party or government department by providing details required and by completing any necessary forms. For any travel insurance claim you submit to us, it is important that you retain any supporting documents in respect of your claim for at least 28 days after your claim has been settled. For example, on a baggage claim involving an airline, we will need to see your trip booking confirmation, and if your baggage was lost or delayed, you will need to obtain a PIR (Property Irregularity Report) from the airline as soon as you realise you don't have your baggage.