Travel Insurance – Common Pitfalls When Claiming Lost or Stolen Goods
Published November 26, 2011 | 
Many of us will take out travel insurance when going on holiday but do you know what to do when something goes wrong? Knowing upfront can save a lot of heartache down the track. Read the following tips so that you can be prepared.
Proof of ownership
Travel insurance companies will often refuse to pay for lost or stolen items unless that you can prove that you own them. The best way is with the original receipt. We might keep receipts for the expensive items but who has a receipt for every item you are taking away with you!
Now, travel insurance companies are not all evil and will cover you for general things like clothes, toiletries, and luggage but without proof of brand or value you’ll often only get a fraction of the true replacement cost.
Digital cameras are cheap and most people will be taking them on holidays. So you should take a photo of everything that you are taking. Get the brand and style where possible. Detail all this in a spreadsheet as well. Scan all receipts, manuals, warranty cards, or tags. You can claim when you get home but I’d suggest emailing all the photos, scans and spreadsheet to a free email site like Gmail or Hotmail so you can claim while away if needed.
Replacement value
It has become common now for car or home and contents insurance to offer new for old replacement. This is generally not how travel insurance works. You’ll usually be offered the value of the goods minus depreciation. This should mean that the money you are offered can buy a replacement item second hand. Some items hold their value really well and you actually won’t be able to buy a replacement one for anywhere near the money the travel insurance company gives you. You should always lodge a complaint if this is the case. Provide proof of the true market value (e.g. from classifieds, second hand shops, or eBay). If the travel insurance company still refuses to cover the real cost then take it to the ombudsman.
Stolen goods and police reports
Travel insurance companies will generally not just take your word for it when something is stolen. They want some sort of proof. This is generally best in the form of a police report but can be a statement from the airline, cruise ship, etc if it happened there.
Police reports can be a tricky thing to obtain in some countries. You may be asked to pay a fee for this service. If the amount is small then just pay as it probably isn’t worth the hassle. If it is larger then you may want to consult your guidebook or the internet to see if this is normal. If not then your embassy or consulate should be able to help. Some countries have special tourist police who are the best to approach in regards to this.
If you have trouble speaking the local language and the police can’t understand you then you could try an online translation service (e.g. babelfish) or finding a local or fellow traveller who speaks English and take them along (a tip is generally appreciated).
Unattended luggage
A major area in which travel insurance will not cover you is when your bags are left unattended. This may seem like it would rarely happen as you normally don’t leave your luggage just lying around but unattended is usually defined as being left in an unlocked environment or with someone you don’t know. Common scenarios are left luggage at hotels or hostels, with doormen, or with tour companies.
A Closer Look At Your Covent Garden Hotel Options
Published November 9, 2011 | There are many differences in how people select their Covent Garden hotel. Some base their decision solely on price, while others only consider what the hotel has to offer in the way of amenities and location. There truly is no right or wrong way to choose a hotel, so long as you are having your lodging needs met on a consistent basis.
There is certainly no shortage of hotel choices in the Covent Garden area. If you are one of the people that invests lots of time in choosing your hotel, it may take you a while to decide. If you are the, “pick and go” type, then you should be able to quickly sort the good from the bad, make your reservation, and then move on to other things.
If you feel that you are spending too much time deliberating, then try sorting your options based on what it most important to you. For example, if you only have a limited amount of money that you would like to spend, quickly eliminate all of the hotels that are out of this price range.
Once you have narrowed your Covent Garden hotel options down, you should be left with no more than two or three. Out of these few, choose a hotel brand that has a great reputation for clean rooms and good customer service. With these two things in place, it is hard to make a wrong decision.