Many UK travel agents are selling holiday insurance to unprepared customers without fully explaining the contents of the policy, a new study has revealed.
According to research from Sainsbury's Travel Insurance, 13 per cent of British holidaymakers in the last 12 months said that their travel agent had not explained what their insurance did and did not cover – falling victim to ‘bullying tactics’ from travel agents .
The survey also found that 17 per cent of consumers who bought holiday insurance from a travel agent were not asked about their pre-existing medical conditions, while 9 per cent were mistakenly told that they could only buy holiday insurance at the same time as purchasing a trip .
Steve Johnson, head of travel insurance at Sainsbury's Bank, explained: "It's possibly tempting to purchase cover from the travel agent when the pressure is on and you're told it's a popular destination and there's not guarantee there'll be any room left. "
"But the only way to be sure you get the cover appropriate for all your needs at a price that's right is to shop around," he added.
Worryingly, consumers revealed that some travel agents were still not selling their insurance products in a responsible manner, despite recent regulatory and media attention on the issue.
As of 2009, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) will regulate all travel insurance sold by agents as part of package deals – a decision that was reached following an MP report that highlighted how 10m holidaymakers in the UK travelled abroad during 2006 unaware that their policy would fail to provide medical cover in the event of a terrorist attack.
 |
 |
|
|
Travel Agents Still Mis-Leading Consumers Over Holiday Insurance Thu, 30 Aug 2007      Recommended linksFind your local travel agencyApply for a free travel insurance quote online Compare travel insurance policies UK Holidaymakers Remain Naive Over Travel Insurance British Watchdog To Regulate Travel Insurance Sales Do Not Be Fooled By Offers of Free Travel Insurance UK Travel Agents Still Providing High Quality Service Online portal for insurance quotations and information |
||
 |
 |
| Travel news |
|---|
| 14th Dubai Shopping Festival To Take Place Next Month - Wed, 19 Nov 2008 |
| Rail Passengers Set To Suffer Network Closures This Christmas - Tue, 18 Nov 2008 |
| Eurostar Reveals Huge Passenger Growth - Mon, 17 Nov 2008 |
| More News |