Travel Insurance and Zika

[PolyChocolateSyndrome]

Has anyone had experience in successfully appealing against a travel insurance company? We had to cancel our trip to Vietnam due to the Zika virus there and the insurance company have refused to recoup our costs, despite their policy having a clause that allows a claim if our GP advises we are unfit to travel due to complications of pregnancy. Our last resort is now to take it to the financial ombudsman, but wondering if there is a magic formula/phrase that will help them to see things our way? Or are we doomed to fail?
Any help/insight appreciated!

if you have a twitter account put this on with the company name as a hashtag so that they pick it up and see you aren't happy.

name and shame on MN as well so people know to avoid them and let the company know that you are doing this.

go to citizens advice. most offer an hours free legal advice and see what their view is.

I am a bit confused. did your gp say you couldn't travel because of pregnancy complications or did they say you couldn't travel because of the Zika risk?

check what the govt website says about travel to Vietnam. if it specifically advises you not to travel if pregnant then send this to the company. if it just strong advice then this might not be a reason to reimburse you.

if you were deemed unfit to travel due to a pregnancy complication then I would stick to this and avoid the whole zika issue altogether. If you just got a bit stressed because you were pregnant and its a zika area then this sounds like grounds for them not to refund you.

I don't think you are doomed to fail. I just think you have to be really clear about why you cancelled.

Thanks mummymeister.
No pregnancy complications, just the Zika travel warning which is on the Public Health England, FCO, NHS and the National Travel Health Network and Centre websites, as well as the WHO advice on what Zika does to unborn foetuses. I would've thought that the risk of a serious/fatal effect on the unborn baby would be enough of a "complication" though, very disappointed to have to fight this hard for something that is so common-sense.
My claim form includes a GP letter stating that she has strongly advised me against travel due to zika warnings in that area, and my appeal letter following the initial denial was very clear.

Very disappointed in Covermore and their underwriters ERV...

unless it specifically says you must not travel somewhere - so like the kind of warnings they give for Syria then I cant see how you can claim.

you need to get blogging and twittering to spread the word. big companies hate the publicity.

if the FCO changed their advice after you booked, and said that pregnant women should not go, then I would hope you have a case.

but you will certainly have a battle - good luck.

Good luck op!
Are you currently pregnant or ttc?
Hope it gets sorted let us know!

i wouldn't have thought that the pregnancy complications clause would cover this although without seeing the actual policy it's difficult to assess with any certainty. Has the FCO advice on travel to Vietnam changed since you purchased the policy? I can't make the link work but there is an article on money saving expert that indicated in May 2016 there were warnings about the Zika virus in Vietnam so if you booked after this date I would say you wouldn't be covered as the insurer would argue you should have been aware of the situation in that country at the time you booked.