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Original poster

Holiday insurance requesting official proof of storm Arwen

44 replies

Thetrainisinthestation · 03/12/2021 07:10

How can I find out where to get an official authority letter about storm Arwen as proof that it caused power outage for 6 days?

I just assumed when I claimed initially that the amount across the news would be enough and confirmation from the electricity board that the power cut was to my postcode

OP posts:
Original poster
Thetrainisinthestation · 03/12/2021 07:14

In addition to this they want proof that no refund has been made by the holiday company

We are just being ignored by them so I’ve no idea how I can prove that either

OP posts:
Summersdreaming · 03/12/2021 07:17

Hopefully someone who knows more will come along but did the electricity company post updates that you can screenshot, and the Met Office weather warnings?

If you booked the holiday online you should have a manage booking page showing the amount paid, would that show the (lack of) refund?

cookiemonster2468 · 03/12/2021 07:17

Wow, that seems quite OTT.

Can you get evidence from your power supplier if it's about a power outage?

And just ask them what they would accept as evidence of no refund if the company is not communicating. That is a hard thing to prove!

cookiemonster2468 · 03/12/2021 07:19

I mean get your power supplier to confirm that it was caused by Storm Arwen.

I don't think there is any other authority that could be involved or would send you a letter confirming that there was a storm Hmm Sounds like insurance company are just being difficult.

Santaischeckinglists · 03/12/2021 07:21

Email some black photos...
*house in the dark!!
Screenshot news items.

Sounds bonkers!

GerbilCurse · 03/12/2021 07:26

Are you claiming for missed departure? I.e. you couldn't depart to go on holiday as no power. Or was your holiday in an area affected by the outage?

Original poster
Thetrainisinthestation · 03/12/2021 07:27

I don’t even know what I should be claiming for

The power went off within a few hours of arriving

We managed by candlelight for the first 48 hours but we couldn’t wash as no hot water and have a baby and it was stressful and not in any way relaxing not being able to cook or stay warm

We had no phone signal and once our batteries drained the only way we could charge them was driving around with them plugged into the car.
We tried local villages for cafes but all the power was off in the area so nothing open.

We stayed thinking the power would come back soon enough but realised when I managed to find some signal how bad it was on the news

I’ve no idea if we should expect full refund, I’m cross with the holiday owner that they haven’t just refunded.
We saw them once when we were there and they sort of shrugged it off as something that happens occasionally and it’ll come back on and how romantic it is. (It’s not )

They gave us some candles and when they ran out we realised that they must have gone away for a few days

It’s cost us a fortune in fuel alone to get there and back, we couldn’t cook in the place so our fresh produce had to be thrown as the fridge obviously didn’t work and so any food we did have was if we drove miles to somewhere with power (which half the time we struggled to even get to as so many roads were blocked)

It’s been such an awful time. It was our first holiday since 2019 due to last years cancellations.
Feeling a bit low

OP posts:
parkrunner1977 · 03/12/2021 07:27

I'm a bit confused, did you stay away on holiday for 6 days with no power?

Original poster
Thetrainisinthestation · 03/12/2021 07:28

@GerbilCurse

Are you claiming for missed departure? I.e. you couldn't depart to go on holiday as no power. Or was your holiday in an area affected by the outage?
Holiday was in the area of outage. We left after a few days of no power but can see from the power network companies website that it didn’t have power from Friday until yesterday
OP posts:
parkrunner1977 · 03/12/2021 07:28

Have just sern update, crossed with my post.

Original poster
Thetrainisinthestation · 03/12/2021 07:29

@parkrunner1977

I'm a bit confused, did you stay away on holiday for 6 days with no power?
No! We have up after a few days and came home

We had been hoping the power would come back

If we’d known there was no Hope in hell of power we would have come home as soon as we arrived

OP posts:
Original poster
Thetrainisinthestation · 03/12/2021 07:30

Thanks don’t know if I should be expecting the holiday owner to refund or if we are expected to claim through insurance.

It’s such a faff after an already stressful weekn

OP posts:
BonesInTheOcean · 03/12/2021 07:33

@Santaischeckinglists

Email some black photos... *house in the dark!! Screenshot news items. Sounds bonkers!
Ali express always ask for photos even when it's a non delivery..... I send them a photo of an empty desk
WorriedGiraffe · 03/12/2021 07:34

Considering their power only came back on yesterday I think it’s a little unreasonable to be cross with the owner for not having refunded you already, imagine the stress they’ve been under, give them a chance. Hopefully theyl eventually reply and if they say they won’t refund you can explain that if they give you proof the power was off you can claim through your insurance and then hopefully theyl give you that so that you don’t have to carry on contacting them. It’s not even been a full week so i think a little patience may help resolve the issue really.

Original poster
Thetrainisinthestation · 03/12/2021 07:37

@WorriedGiraffe

Considering their power only came back on yesterday I think it’s a little unreasonable to be cross with the owner for not having refunded you already, imagine the stress they’ve been under, give them a chance. Hopefully theyl eventually reply and if they say they won’t refund you can explain that if they give you proof the power was off you can claim through your insurance and then hopefully theyl give you that so that you don’t have to carry on contacting them. It’s not even been a full week so i think a little patience may help resolve the issue really.
That’s true, I worried that there could be a time limit on claiming for things like this through insurance . I’ve never used my holiday insurance before so no idea of the process.
OP posts:
CormoranStrike · 03/12/2021 07:37

I’m not sure you have a claim - your holiday did happen, it was just miserable!

And while it would be lovely to have your holiday refunded by the owners, I’m not sure they would have to either, as it was a situation out with their control too - ie, they didn’t caught your power off, they were not in a position to restore etc.

Contrarily, the house was not in a habitable condition.

Did you have a contract with them? Was it through any kind of agency or broker?

InTheLabyrinth · 03/12/2021 07:38

Ok. Take a deep breath. You are less than a week after the holiday should have been, the cottage and owner probably still have no power, and much as a refund is a priority for you, I can guarentee the owners have other things higher up their to-do list.

Contact the owner with a "as you will be aware the cottage lost power due to the storm. After X hours, we left to come home for heat and power. Please confirm if you are refunding us, or if I need to pursue through our insurance" then give them a week before you chase.

Can you find local newspaper articles with your location having no power? Save those incase you need them for the insurance. You could also try searching the power company (not supplier) for updates on power outages. Ours has a map - northern power grid. And screenshot that as zoomed in as possible to the cottage location. You could also try and sign up for updates to that postcode and get emails from them detailing power off til X (which going by current performance, they wont meet, so keep on top of getting the evidance).

GerbilCurse · 03/12/2021 07:42

I think in these circumstances I'd expect the refund to come from the holiday home owner. Insurance might not always cover this situation depending on your policy.

Original poster
Thetrainisinthestation · 03/12/2021 07:43

@CormoranStrike

I’m not sure you have a claim - your holiday did happen, it was just miserable!

And while it would be lovely to have your holiday refunded by the owners, I’m not sure they would have to either, as it was a situation out with their control too - ie, they didn’t caught your power off, they were not in a position to restore etc.

Contrarily, the house was not in a habitable condition.

Did you have a contract with them? Was it through any kind of agency or broker?

Really? What would be the point in insurance if it doesn’t cover for such an event?

Of course we didn’t have a holiday.
Yes we arrived, no it wasn’t a holiday, we couldn’t stay. It would have been dangerous to continue it for much longer due to no hot water, light, heating, cooking facilities, especially with a baby.
There was snow on the ground, and it was dark by 4pm.
We didn’t have candle holders so just managed all night with a few tea lighten dotted around the few safe places they could be put.

OP posts:
Original poster
Thetrainisinthestation · 03/12/2021 07:44

@GerbilCurse

I think in these circumstances I'd expect the refund to come from the holiday home owner. Insurance might not always cover this situation depending on your policy.
I’d really had expected the holiday owner to refund. They will be entitled to the compensation provided by the power network due to extended blackout.
OP posts:
Christmaspanties · 03/12/2021 07:51

Does your insurance have a force majeure clause OP? Usually they do and they'll probably say that exempts them from needing to pay for any event caused by the storm.

CormoranStrike · 03/12/2021 07:53

Hi OP, I really hope you DO get your pay out, but insurers are notorious for not paying out and I suspect they may say your holiday did happen, you got there etc. the fact it was miserable cos of a power cut is likely not covered. Hope for you I am wrong.

Carpetsareforflying · 03/12/2021 07:59

There's still no power in the surrounding villages of my town. They will probably sort you out when they have power and phones

WorriedGiraffe · 03/12/2021 08:08

Also for the holiday home owner to refund you, it could be they need to claim through their own insurance? Which obviously they won’t have had chance to do yet, they are probably still trying to get their home/business back working properly after a week with no power. I’d contact your insurance and check how long you have to gather the evidence now you’ve started the claim, and then give the owners the weekend to start getting back on their feet and then contact them again on Monday and hope to get a reply from there. I doubt your insurance would only give you a week or two from the start of the holiday date to claim as it’s just not realistic.

ImInStealthMode · 03/12/2021 08:21

Echoing others I'm not sure this is something most holiday insurance would cover, given that you could actually have the holiday (albeit understandably very miserably).

I hope you hear back from the holiday company OP, sorry for your rubbish luck Thanks