Have you struggled to get a refund for travel cover you haven’t ended up using? Here are the steps you should take to get your money back.
A member and his wife got in touch with Which? Money when their trip to the Canary Islands last June was thwarted by the pandemic. They received a refund from Jet2 for the cancelled trip.
He already had travel insurance in place with his packaged back account, but his wife wasn’t insured so Jet2 arranged single-trip cover for them when they booked. They’ve since been told that it won’t refund the £50.00 premium paid, which the member believes in unreasonable as the insurance was booked specifically for that holiday.
Which? Money’s view
This is particularly disappointing because, as in your case, Jet2 has been very good at refunding the cost of holidays affected by COVID-19. It’s partly for this reason that the company is a Which? Recommended Provider of package holidays.
Jet2 told us:
“Travel insurance cover does not just apply when on holiday, as the policy is active and in use as soon as the policy is purchased”
That is correct – the customer would have been instantly able to claim for cancellation, for instance – but ignores the fact that they’ll never be able to use the full cover they paid for (such as for medical assistance abroad or repatriation).
When we surveyed 73 insurers in October about their COVID-19 cover, 63 would under some circumstances, partially refund premiums if the cover was cancelled
Jet2 Travel Insurance is arranged through Rock Travel Insurance Group, and we understand that the member has now made a formal complaint to Rock, which has been unsuccessful. They now have the option to appeal to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), but must do so within six months from the date of Rock’s final response.
Making sure travellers get value from their insurance is on the agenda of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and a priority for Which?.
If you’ve read this and also feel you’ve been let down by your insurer please do get in touch with us in the comments.
Helping our members
Did you know about Which? Money Helpline? It’s staffed by financial experts with more than 100 years’ experience in the financial services industry between them.
Members can ask us questions about a range of personal finance subjects, and there are no limits to the number of calls you and your family can make, or the length of time you can spend talking to us.
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Which? members can call the helpline on 029 2267 0001.