Red Pennant "will not cover anything Coronavirus"
I contacted Red Pennant regarding coverage of Coronavirus related claims i.e. cancellations and received the following response:
"I have discussed this with a Team Manager who is in charge of Red Pennant. They have confirmed to me that underwriters would not be able to cover anything Coronaviurs and it applies to both all new policies and also any existing policies. If you were abroad when the COVID-19 virus started shutting down the borders of foreign countries, then the Red Pennant would extend until you would find yourself back at home.
It is worth noting that you can contact your travel operator to request a refund for any ferry journeys that have been cancelled due to the Coronavirus. In regards to any Red Pennant Single Trip cover, as long your trtrip start date has not passed, you can receive a full refund."
I purchased a single trip policy in January for a trip starting in May. At the time the club happily took my money for the policy Coronavirus was not even mentioned in any of the policy terms and conditions so the club is now unilaterally changing the contract they entered into with me at that time.
This is an absolutely disgusting way to do business at best. I suggest everyone who currently has a Red Pennant policy contact the club directly and get their own confirmation of the stance for their own trips if cancellation is necessary for them.
Comments
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KeithL
Share your frustration that our insurance terms with Red Pennant have changed, and we are only finding out when we ask. Surely an update to all policy holders would have been the best way to inform members. Even telling us to refer to a website briefing.
I was told
If you just change your mind you would not be covered.
if the FCO advise against travel the Red Pennant would not cover you but we would contact the ferry company and sites to get a refund for you or amend your holiday to later dates.
Travelling against Government advise is not something I would do, as I travel worldwide and the FCO do not over-react with their advise to UK citizens not to travel.
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Must be the only travel insurance provider that does not pay out when FCO advise against travel to a country. Industry commentators are all saying you can get travel insurance payouts when FCO advises again all or all but essential travel to the place you're going. Red Pennant obviously believe the sites we book are on Mars because FCO advise against all but essential travel globally!!
I feel a formal complaint and subsequent referral to the Ombudsman coming on.
Know where I'm never buying insurance again if this is there response to a cancellation claim
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Must be the only travel insurance provider that does not pay out when FCO advise against travel to a country.
Actually not the only one at all if you look at exclusions from other insurers. I thought that there would have been cover but not on the T&Cs of several that I looked at
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There is no such restriction within any of the policy documentation issued to me in January. I'm aware a lot of providers are currently refusing to provide travel insurance or excluding coronavirus impacts from their coverage as it's now a 'known risk' however that's all new business only.
As an analogy would people accept Life Assurance not paying out on death caused by Coronavirus when the policy was taken out years ago? No of course they wouldn't so why should the club be able to refuse the cancellation cover people bought, in good faith, as part of the policy when travelling goes against FCO guidance, when you can't even get into those countries because they've closed borders, and/or they've banned all but essential travel within the country to a very short list of acceptable travel reasons?
This is not an example of a club, of which are we are all members and pay our membership fees, acting in the best interests of those members.
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I agree, although I am waiting for a response from the club to my email (phone too busy) requesting they cxl my policy taken out mid Feb for single trip 14th April - 7th July, no response as yet, I would be prepared to accept a credit note so that i could maybe take out a similar policy next year.
Giving cash refunds is not what insurance companies like to do, my daughter had an all inclusive booked for Egypt over the Easter period, all she has been offered is a voucher valid only for 6 months. As i said in a previous post, insurance companies will try to wriggle out of any sort of payout if at all possible.
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There is no such restriction within any of the policy documentation issued to me in January. I'm aware a lot of providers are currently refusing to provide travel insurance or excluding coronavirus impacts from their coverage as it's now a 'known risk' however that's all new business only.
Not to do with Coronavirus at all I still believe that many policies would have exclusions if the travel was prevented by countries closing borders or things of a similar nation in just the same was as they do regarding civil war, riots etc.
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BF are saying this
We’re now in the process of automatically cancelling customers and issuing a voucher for the amount of the affected sailing. The voucher will be accompanied by an explanatory email (that will further explain your options) and can be redeemed against a future sailing or inclusive holiday with Brittany Ferries. The voucher will remain valid for 12 months.
so, ok you will not get your money back in cash but a voucher for travel in the future, so if like me you are planning another trip then that is good, if not and RP are not going to pay any compensation then it is not good,but i think this is as good as it is going to get, I did not book my ferries via the club so have no re-dress with the club.
My inbound ferry for 22nd June is a BF flexi ticket so i can simply keep moving the dates out at no extra cost, even into next year.
as for the RP policy as i think stated by you, provided your policy has not actually kicked in then you can cancel and get a full refund. I am still waiting for the club to respond to my request to cxl.
As for closing borders, technically nobody has closed the borders between France and the UK, BF have cxld all sailings but that is their choice, you can still travel via the tunnel and i believe some ferries out of some channel ports, what the F&CO have said is that they advise against any non-essential travel to many countries in the world, i think valid for 30 days, judging by some reports it would be very difficult to travel in France just now but not impossible, so arguably claus 28? is a non starter, but after having a long association with insurance companies, nothing surprises me.
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I have cancelled my summer trip to Spain one week before the final payment was due.
I discussed this with the Club and they have returned my Red Pennant premium as it was only for a single trip, and refunded the deposit on the sites I have booked.
However the T&C's from BF means that the ferry deposit has been lost. A price to remain safe I suppose.
There is always next year - I hope!!
Stay safe everyone
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Would BF not let you carry over the deposit until next year?
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Yes indeed. Ferry bookings bought directly from Brittany Ferries need not be cancelled - they can simply be amended forward to any date within the current published timetable, and when the 2021 timetable is published in July they can be amended forward again. All can be done on line .
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This exactly what I have done online..moved my current May/June return booking to end of current timetable with a view to amend when the 2021 timetable is published...
Aside, On the main Corvid-19 Latest page..under frequently asked questions and Red Pennant tab / Can I cancel my Insurance? ..there is this post...
Can I cancel my policy?
If you have a single trip policy and your trip has been cancelled we will cancel your policy and provide a full refund. Please be aware we can only cancel your policy if you won’t be making a claim on the policy. If you want to cancel please call us on 01342 336633.If you have an annual multi-trip policy with a start date on or after 1 February 2020 until 13 March we will be writing to you to tell you how you can defer your cover for up to six months.
This actually applies to my annual policy...waiting for the letter.
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I have just cancelled my France trip this year and as I booked Eurotunnel I cannot get a refund of the fully paid fare but Eurotunnel have taken the very sensible view that they will roll over the fare until anytime in 2021. A company taking a sensible and fair view of the unprecedented circumstances we find ourselves in.
However, Red Pennant take the opposite and penny-pinching view.
RP will NOT entertain ANY claim related to Covid regardless of when the policy was taken out and I am informed by the Club that the reasons given by Intana and the underwriters are that the policy did not specifically state if covered me in the event of a pandemic – even though the risk wasn’t known at the time - so they decline to pay out on any financial loss incurred by policy holders. I had always believed that insurance was there to cover against unknown risk!
As a result I have cancelled the RP policy and will get the premium back and as a result of the laudable stance of Eurotunnel I am not significantly disadvantaged.
Next year (or even later this year if the lockdowns are lifted) I will again take out insurance but it is highly unlikely I will consider Red Pennant (or CC&C version as they also use Intana) as they are not to be trusted and will look elsewhere. Does anyone have any suggestions for a reputable alternative?
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Watendlath, if you want an alternative all embracing policy (car and caravan breakdown, repair and recovery + cover for medical emergencies, repatriation, theft and everything else) then that will be hard to find outside the two Clubs.
I myself split things in half and take out a normal travel insurance policy (annual or single trip) taking advice from St Martin Lewis and tne range of comparison sites - and then a separate breakdown/recovery policy which includes Europe as well as U.K. That latter can be a freestanding policy or an add on to annual car insurance.
There are infinite ways to go . What suits one person's requirements won't suit someone else, but over the years I have had overseas motoring breakdown/recovery policies with GreenFlag Europlus and the RAC via an M&S Premium motor insurance, while others swear by Britannia Rescue via LV motor insurance. But personal medical insurance is another matter and is so much dependent on age and medical history. I just cannot say which policy will do for you.
Enjoy your search !
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PS. And back in tne day when my Freelander was new I had three years of free Land Rover assistance cover, for Europe as well as UK, so I simply relied on that and merely took out an annual personal travel policy to cover medical expenses and the like.
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Watendlath, I use the insurance provided by the Nationwide B/Soc under their Flex Plus account.
It provides me with Full Worldwide Annual Travel plus European Breakdown including UK (provided by LV) and covers towing. It also provides other bits and pieces cover such as Mobile Phone loss or accident etc. Whilst they give 31 days as standard you can increase it for additional premiums. They'll cover my pre existing medical problems, again at extra but less than RP wanted. We've even extended it when needed to cover MiL when she goes on a holiday with Mrs WN. She's 87 (MiL not the wife) and they wanted £20 for a 10 day holiday in Europe. The cover is not just for caravanning but any trip worldwide.
We pay a monthly fee which at one time was only £6 per month but has since increased to about £13 although we do get credit for some purchases etc. All in all it's still worth it at the moment.
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Booked ferry & red pennant in February R.P. paid in full £406.00 for multi trip.CMC cancelled ferry & full refund.However many e-mails re R.P. refund,& the Club trying very hard for its members with the insurer I have only had £305.00 refunded.Loss of £100.00 is a lot for admin purposes.Wonder if it is goodbye CMC?
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Very interesting , and i dont doubt what you are saying, however, it was not my experience, we had single trip Red Pennant paid in December 2019 for trip commencing April 2021, telephoned March to cancel, person was working from home so took some time to cxl as system slow, full refund of all monies received some 3 weeks later, they did say it would be 2-3 weeks due to volumes, so no complaints, maybe as we cxld after the ban by the government of non essential foreign travel.
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If Red Pennant is still, as the heading says, "not covering anything Coronavirus" then those going overseas this summer might like to look at Staysure travel insurance which does cover problems arising from Coronavirus picked up while on holiday. I have already mentioned this on another thread but it seems appropriate to put it here as well.
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Hi all,
I renewed my RP Multi-trip For £455 mid Feb this year and left for Spain 25 Feb. After 3 weeks we had to head home, so had RP cover for almost a month and one trip. Earlier this week I noticed an article on The Club website that RP customers should ring the RP office. I did this and was told I would get no refund or extension of policy. I then wrote to the RP Business Manager explaining the situation. He phoned me back this afternoon and apologised for the first contact and explained he had closed my RP account and refunded me £318. Can’t grumble with that. My next o/s trip will probably be Jan 21 to Spain so I will take out a new policy then.
The BM went on to explain that The Club had been in discussions with the underwriters for weeks and were only now making some progress. He said future policies would be covered for Coronavirus, but I can’t remember what date that would start. But that is good news.
BillC
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As an aside and having read this post I contacted our travel policy provider for further information as we have booked a cruise for Christmas.I was told that the policy wouldn't cover us if we had to cancel due to the virus but if we contract the virus on our holidays we would be fully covered.
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The C&CC have a newish statement about travel insurance which states they will be able to provide corona (or other virus) insurance for medical emergencies and repatriation if necessary, but not for cancellations etc. I've insured with them for several years and found their charges very reasonable.
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BillC..You were very lucky to get a refund...I too renewed my RP Multi-trip policy early February and have not used as first and second trip out were cancelled. After enquiring by phone on a couple of occasions and getting response similar to yourself (call centre agents are not singing from the same hymn sheet !!)....I too wrote to the BM and received this reply on the 1st June.
I would like to apologise for the delay in contacting you regarding your request for either a refund, extension, deferment or freeze of your current Red Pennant policy. We are still in discussion with the Underwriters, Astrenska, with regards to what exactly can be applied and aim to contact you with an update as soon as we are able. Please be assured that the Club are working hard to protect the interests of our members.
As soon as we have an agreement in place we will update you with the options available.As always, we want to ensure that all Red Pennant policy holders receive the very best service from the Club.
We very much appreciate your patience in waiting for an outcome to your policy query.
In the meantime, keep safe and well, as we all look forward to European travel in the future. If you do need to call as ahead of our next update, please do so on 00800 1907 1907 or 01342 336606 where one of the Emergency Services Team will be happy to help.
It is well documented that Insurance companies do not like giving refunds...As the BM says we only now..after months of 'negotiations'...making some progress. Might get a response in time for next years policy..??
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Hi GTP,
I don’t think it was luck, but just good timing. I think my email landed on his desk soon after he made progress with the underwriters.
The BM also stated that all agents were to be briefed so they do understand what changes have been made and “sing from the same hymn sheet”. They are clearly short staffed and very busy, so be patient for a little while longer and if you don’t hear anything, drop the BM an email, or ring him.
I also highlighted that my car insurance with RSA had surprised me with a refund of £50 without any contact with them. There reason, very few claims for damage coming in.
I hope your case turns out favourable for you.
BillC
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BillC...Spoke with Deputy Business Manager yesterday who informed me that the underwriters, Astrenska, were still insisting on a 60% refund of the Multitrip policies. The BM was still in discussion with the underwriters as she spoke, negotiating for a better deal...she would let me know the outcome..
Deputy Manager rang me back yesterday evening to say they had finally agreed on 75%...and that she would set the refund in motion tomorrow (today).. Not the best result given that we had only renewed a few weeks before lockdown...
Hope everyone with a MTP receives an email shortly with the refund offer...
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