Travel Insurance claim

Gael23

My wallet was stolen on three last night of a holiday on Friday in Barcelona. By the time I cancelled all my cards and got myself back to my hotel it was 2:00 in the morning and I didn’t have enough money for a taxi to and from the police station.
Will not reporting the theft to the police immediately give my insurance (VHI Multitrip) an excuse not to pay out? When I contacted the police the next morning they advised I could wait until I got home.

John_Rambo

Gael23 wrote: »

My wallet was stolen on three last night of a holiday on Friday in Barcelona. By the time I cancelled all my cards and got myself back to my hotel it was 2:00 in the morning and I didn’t have enough money for a taxi to and from the police station.
Will not reporting the theft to the police immediately give my insurance (VHI Multitrip) an excuse not to pay out? When I contacted the police the next morning they advised I could wait until I got home.

The insurance company will do everything to avoid paying out. Are you home now? If not, get a police report of the theft. You'll need LOTS of evidence to back up your claim. I had an injury that I claimed for. I had reams of evidence, receipts, reports, photos, scripts and they still tried to worm out of paying.

Best of luck.

Gael23

John_Rambo wrote: »

The insurance company will do everything to avoid paying out. Are you home now? If not, get a police report of the theft. You'll need LOTS of evidence to back up your claim. I had an injury that I claimed for. I had reams of evidence, receipts, reports, photos, scripts and they still tried to worm out of paying.

Best of luck.

Yes I got home yesterday evening. My flight was early in the morning so the police in the airport told me to wait until I got home and report it here which i'll do tomorrow. How does it work claiming for cash? there was €50 in it and I can show a withdrawal of €40 on my bank statement the day before it was stolen.

Effects

What's the point of reporting a crime that took place in a different country? Surely it should be reported where it took place.
Sounds like the Spanish police just didn't want to deal with it.

I had my wallet stolen while in New York once. It was a pain having to get the police statement there but the insurance company paid out fine once I had it.

coylemj

Gael23 wrote: »

Yes I got home yesterday evening. My flight was early in the morning so the police in the airport told me to wait until I got home and report it here which i'll do tomorrow.

You're going to walk into an Irish Garda Station to report the theft of a wallet in Barcelona? Save yourself the petrol or bus fare, just don't bother.

Gael23 wrote: »

How does it work claiming for cash? there was €50 in it and I can show a withdrawal of €40 on my bank statement the day before it was stolen.

In the general scheme of things, that is a small amount of money and one which may fall below the threshold, otherwise known as the 'excess' which is often higher for cash than it is for general belongings. You need to check the policy document but as things stand, you will not be in a position to provide the insurance with a police report and based on the evasion tactics employed by the Spanish cops, you probably never will.

Gael23

coylemj wrote: »

You're going to walk into an Irish Garda Station to report the theft of a wallet in Barcelona? Save yourself the petrol or bus fare, just don't bother.



In the general scheme of things, that is a small amount of money and one which may fall below the threshold, otherwise known as the 'excess' which is often higher for cash than it is for general belongings. You need to check the policy document but as things stand, you will not be in a position to provide the insurance with a police report and based on the evasion tactics employed by the Spanish cops, you probably never will.

There is no excess on my policy,
The woman on reception in my hotel said there were seven guests robbed that day so I guess the police have to deal with dozens per day if 7 come from just one hotel

coylemj

Gael23 wrote: »

The woman on reception in my hotel said there were seven guests robbed that day so I guess the police have to deal with dozens per day if 7 come from just one hotel

+1 Explains why the Spanish cops couldn't be bothered taking your report. As far as they are concerned, they're just doing paperwork for travel insurance companies. But I still can't see you getting anywhere trying to report it in a Garda Station.

grimm2005

Happened to me a few years back, had my wallet and phone stolen on a night out in Berlin. Went to a police station first thing the following morning and got a report. Officer knew well it was just for insurance purposes and was more than happy to do out the form and fill out any details they'd require. Waited a good hour or so to get seen but was grand in the end.

To be fair to VHI, they were fine to deal with and I had no hassle getting my claim but I was very thorough in submitting everything (email receipt for the phone which was only 3 months old and a police report) and I got back everything that I claimed (full cost of phone, money that was in the wallet and even the cost of the wallet). I could have taken the p!ss and said there was €200 in the wallet but I was honest and stated just €50 that I knew was in it.

I think if you submit a report with all required docs and be honest with what you lost, they won't make it too difficult for you. Obviously if you make out in your story that it was in any way your own fault for losing the items then they will start to poke holes.

I think without the police report you might be stuck but worth trying anyway.

Gael23

Could I say it was very late at night, I had no money to get a taxi to the police station and as I was alone and frightened I just went back to my nearby hotel as I had to catch an early morning flight. Then when I went home the Guards couldn’t help?

Something along those lines anyway

killbillvol2

Gael23 wrote: »

Could I say it was very late at night, I had no money to get a taxi to the police station and as I was alone and frightened I just went back to my nearby hotel as I had to catch an early morning flight. Then when I went home the Guards couldn’t help?

Something along those lines anyway

You could. But the insurance company won't entertain a claim without a police report.