Options Insurance Policy Wording

Contents

General Information

Important information
Definitions
Customer service
Medical and other emergencies
Important claims information

The Insurance

General conditions
General exclusions
Sections of insurance and/or with specific exclusions

 

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General Information

Insurers

Holiday tips

1.  Check that the tap water is safe to drink. Unless you know it is safe, always drink bottled water and avoid ice in your drinks and ice cream.
2.  The sun on holiday can be much more powerful than you are used to at home. To prevent sunburn and sunstroke, do not stay out in strong sunlight between 11am and 3pm. And, always wear suncream.
3.  Think before you dive. Check the depths of swimming pools and the sea and only dive in if you are sure that the water is deep enough.
4.  Please ask and follow local advice on health and safety in your resort area.
5.  Do not pack valuables, money and important documents in the baggage that you check in at the airport. Keep them with you at all times during your journey.
6.  Do not take more cash than you need. Use traveller's cheques if possible and use safety deposit boxes whenever they are available.
7.  If you are taking particularly valuable items on holiday, you should insure them under the 'all risks section' of a household contents insurance.
8.  Never leave your belongings unattended or with strangers, particularly at airports and on the beach, or in vehicles.
9.  Leave in plenty of time to get to the airport, port or train station before the check in time shown.
10.  Make sure that all passports, visas, vaccinations and health requirements are up to date and be sure to take all the documents you need with you.

Health agreements

Your travel insurance

Important Information

Contract of travel insurance

Health

Your belongings

Excesses

Dangerous activities

Premium refund

Law

Any questions?

Definitions

'Business associate'

'Overall limit'

'Permanent total disability'

'Public transport'

'Relative'

'Ski equipment'

'Trip'

For multi-trip policies only

Special note

1. Please remember it does not matter how long you buy cover for, it ends when you return to home in the United Kingdom or Channel Islands.
2. If you want to extend your insurance, please make sure that you phone Options before the period shown on your validation slip ends.

'Validation slip'

'Valuables'

'We', 'us', 'our'

'Winter sports'

'You', 'your'

Multi-trip options

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Geographical areas

Customer service

The Customer Services Manager
Options Insurance Services Limited
Lumbry Park, Selborne Road, Alton, Hampshire GU34 3HF.

The Claims Manager
Inter Group Claims Services Limited
Lumbry Park, Selborne Road, Alton, Hampshire GU34 3HF.

The General Manager
Inter Group Insurance Services Limited
Lumbry Park, Selborne Road, Alton, Hampshire GU34 3HF.

Medical and other emergencies

24-hour emergency service

Emergency phone number + 44 (0) 1420 566 130 Emergency fax. number + 44 (0) 1420 566 121

Hospital treatment abroad

Returning early to the United Kingdom or Channel Islands

Note to all insured people, treating doctors and hospitals

Important claims information

Medical claims

Claims for delay, loss or damage to money, personal belongings, baggage and so on.

General

The Insurance

General conditions

1. You must live in the United Kingdom or Channel Islands and have not spent more than six months abroad during the year before you bought this policy.
2. You must tell Options if you know about anything which may affect their decision to accept your insurance (for example, dangerous activities or a health condition). If you are not sure whether to tell Options, tell them anyway.
3. We will not pay for any loss or damage caused as a result of your not acting in a reasonable way to look after your property.
4. You must take all reasonable steps to get back any lost or stolen articles and you must help the authorities in their efforts to catch and prosecute any guilty people.
5. You must take all reasonable steps to avoid or reduce any loss which may mean that you have to make a claim under this insurance.
6. You must keep to all the terms, conditions and endorsements of this insurance. If you do not, we may turn down your claim.
7. You must help us get back any money that we have paid from anyone or from other insurers (including the Department of Social Security) by giving us all the details we need and by filling in any forms.
8. If you try to make a fraudulent claim or use any fraudulent means in trying to make a claim, you may be prosecuted and we will not cover your claim.
9. You must give Inter Group Claims Services all the documents they need to deal with any claim. You will be responsible for any costs involved in doing this.
10. You must keep any articles which are damaged and send them to Inter Group Claims Services if they ask. You must pay any costs involved in doing this.
11. You must agree to have a medical examination. If you die, we are entitled to have a post mortem examination. You or your legal representatives are responsible for any costs resulting from these examinations.
12. You must pay us back, within one month of asking, any amounts that we have paid to you which are not covered by this insurance.

• By entering into a contract of insurance you will take on certain obligations and grant certain powers to the insurer. Nothing contained in the contract affects your statutory rights as a conumer.

General exclusions

1. Any claim arising from or resulting from, a trip that you take or, any person who your travel depends on, if:
   a) the claim relates to a medical condition or any illness related to a medical condition which you or they knew about before you bought this insurance;
   b) you are travelling against medical advice;
   c) you are travelling to receive medical advice or treatment;
   d) you are on a hospital waiting list waiting for treatment;
   e) you have been given a terminal diagnosis.
2. Loss or damage directly or indirectly caused by war, terrorism, revolution or any similar event or any Government, public or local authority legally taking or damaging your property.
3. Any claim arising from or as a result of civil commotion's or riots of any kind.
4. Loss, or damage to any property, or any loss, expense or liability arising from:
   a) ionising radiation or contamination by radioactivity from any nuclear fuel or from any nuclear waste from the burning of nuclear fuel; or
   b) the radioactive, toxic, explosive or other dangerous properties of any explosive nuclear equipment or any part of it.
5. Any claim under Section G (Personal belongings, baggage and money) if you already have a more specific insurance covering this.
6. You, if at the time of loss, damage or liability arising under this insurance there is any other insurance covering the same loss, damage or liability. We will only pay our share.
7. Loss, destruction or damage directly caused by pressure waves resulting from any aircraft or other flying object travelling at or above the speed of sound.
8. Any claim arising from you being in, or entering, or leaving any aircraft other than as a fare-paying passenger in a fully-licensed passenger-carrying aircraft.
9. Any claim arising from using a two-wheeled motor vehicle.
10. Any other loss resulting from to the event you are claiming for unless we provide cover under this insurance.
11. Any claim arising directly or indirectly from financial problems.
12. Any claim resulting from the tour operator, airline or any other company, firm or person becoming insolvent, or being unable or unwilling to fulfil any part of their obligation. (This does not apply if you buy cover under section T (Scheduled airline failure) of this insurance and the claim is covered.)
13. Any claim arising or resulting from you being involved in any illegal or criminal act.
14. Racing of any kind (except on foot).
15. Winter sports (unless we provide cover as shown on your validation slip).
16. Any claim arising or resulting from services or inter-services championships, or heats, or officially-organised practice, or training for these events, ski-jumping, ice hockey, or using skeletons or bobsleighs, mountaineering (if this involves using ropes) or pot holing or any equipment used for these events.
17. Any claim arising or resulting from depression, anxiety, mental illness, depressive illness of any type, suicide or attempted suicide or injuring yourself deliberately or putting yourself in danger (unless you are trying to save a human life).
18. Any claim resulting from you being under the influence of or in connection with the use of alcohol or drugs.

Sections of insurance

Section A - Medical and other expenses

1. Emergency medical, surgical and hospital treatment. (Emergency dental treatment is covered up to £200 as long as it is to immediately relieve pain only.)
2. Up to £2,500 for either the cost of returning your body or ashes to the United Kingdom or Channel Islands, or for the cost of a funeral in the country where you die if this is different from the country where you normally live.
3. Extra accommodation and travel expenses to allow you to return to the United Kingdom or Channel Islands if you cannot return as you originally booked provided this has been approved by us.
   a) Extra accommodation for someone to stay with you and travel home with you, if this is necessary due to medical advice and authorised by Inter Group Assistance Services.
   b) Or expenses for one relative or friend to travel from the United Kingdom or Channel Islands to stay with you and travel home with you, if this is necessary due to medical advice, if this is necessary due to medical advice and authorised by Inter Group Assistance Services.
4. The extra cost for you to return home following the death, serious injury or serious illness of a relative or business colleague.

Section B - Sending you home in an emergency

Special exclusions which apply to sections A and B

1. The first £50 of each claim, for each person (except for claims under section A (Medical and other expenses) where an excess of £50 will be deducted on claims exceeding a settlement value of £100 if you have not enclosed a completed E111 that we can use to obtain a recovery from the DSS. Claims with a settlement value of below £100 will not have an excess applied where you have been successful in making a recovery against the DSS. Where an E111 cannot be used, an excess of £50 will be applied).
2. Any treatment or surgery which Inter Group Assistance Services thinks is not immediately necessary and can wait until you return home.
3. Any expenses for treatment or surgery carried out more than 12 months after the date of the incident which you are claiming for.
4. The extra cost of single-or private-room accommodation unless it is medically necessary.
5. Any treatment or medication of any kind that you receive after you return to the United Kingdom or Channel Islands.
6. Pregnancy or childbirth where the expected date of delivery is within eight weeks of the end of your trip.
7. Any claim arising for costs you run up, if you are travelling to Australia or New Zealand and you do not register for treatment under the national Medicare scheme of those countries if you become ill.
8. Any extra costs after the time when, in our medical advisor's opinion, you are fit to be returned to the United Kingdom or Channel Islands.

Section C - Personal accident

1. Permanent total disability.
2. Loss of a leg or foot.
3. Complete loss of use of an arm or hand.

Section D - Personal liability

1. injuring someone; or
2. damaging or losing somebody else's property.

Special exclusions which apply to section D

1. The first £150 of each claim, for each person.
2. Any liability arising from an injury or loss or damage to property:
   a) owned by you, a member of your family or household or a person you employ; or
   b) in the care, custody or control of you or of your family or household or a person you employ.
3. Any liability, injury, loss or damage:
   a) to your employees or members of your family or household or a person you employ;
   b) arising out of or in connection with your trade, profession or business;
   c) arising out of a contract you have entered into;
   d) arising out of you owning, possessing, using or living on any land or in buildings;
   e) arising out of you owning, possessing, or using mechanically-propelled vehicles, water craft or air craft of any description, animals, firearms or weapons; or
   f) arising out of any criminal, malicious or deliberate acts.

Special conditions which apply to section D

1. you must give Inter Group Claims Services notice of any cause for a legal claim against you as soon as you know about it and send them any other documents relating to any claim; and
2. you must help Inter Group Claims Services and give them all of the information they need to allow them to take action on your behalf. You must not negotiate, pay, settle, admit or deny any claim unless you get Inter Group Claims Service's written permission.

Section E - Legal expenses

Special exclusions which apply to section E

1. The first £150 of each claim, for each person.
2. Any claim where we or our legal representatives believe that an action is not likely to be successful or if we believe that the costs of taking action will be greater than any award.
3. The costs of making any claim against us, our agents or representatives or against any tour operator, carrier or any person with whom you have travelled or arranged to travel.
4. Any costs or expenses which are based directly or indirectly on the amount of any award.
5. The costs of following up a claim for bodily injury, loss or damage caused by or in connection with your trade, profession or business, under contract or arising out of you possessing, using or living on any land or in any buildings.
6. Any claims arising out of you owning, possessing, or using mechanically-propelled vehicles, water craft or aircraft of any description, animals, firearms or weapons.
7. Any claims arising out of your criminal, malicious or deliberate acts.

Special conditions which apply to section E

1. we will have complete control over any legal representatives appointed and any proceedings;
2. you follow our advice or that of our agents in handling any claim; and
3. where possible, you must get back all of our expenses. You must pay us any expenses you do get back.

Section F - Missed departure

Special exclusions which apply to section F

1. The first £50 of each claim, for each person.
2. Any claim which is the result of a strike or industrial action which you knew about before you started your trip.

Special conditions which apply to section F

1. you must allow enough time to arrive at your departure point at or before the recommended time;
2. you must get confirmation of the reason for the delay and how long it lasts from the appropriate authority; and
3. if your claim relates to a vehicle breaking down, you must give us evidence that the vehicle was properly serviced and maintained and that any recovery or repair was made by a recognised breakdown organisation.

Section G - Personal belongings, baggage and money

G1 - Personal belongings and baggage

1. After taking off an amount for wear, tear and loss of value, we will pay for the loss, theft of or damage to property owned by you with a limit for any one item, set or pair of £150 for Gold Plus cover, Winter sports cover and Multi-trip cover only or £100 for Gold cover only.
2. After taking off an amount for wear, tear and loss of value, we will pay for loss, theft of or damage to valuable items that you own. We will pay up to £250 for Gold Plus cover, Winter sports cover and Multi-trip cover only with a limit for any one item, set or pair of £150 for Gold Plus cover, Winter sports cover and Multi-trip cover only.
3. We will pay up to £100 for Gold Plus cover, Winter sports cover and Multi-trip cover only for buying essential items if your baggage is delayed or lost during an outward journey for more than 24 hours. You must get written confirmation of the length of the delay and receipts for any items that you buy. You must get authorisation from Inter Group Assistance Services if you want them to increase this limit up to £400 to buy essential items to allow you to continue your trip. We will take any payment we make for delayed baggage from the amount of any claim if your baggage is permanently lost.

G2 - Personal money

1. We will pay up to £500 for the loss or theft of cash, or traveller's cheques, if you can give us evidence that you owned them and evidence of their value. We will pay up to £300 for cash for travel outside Area 1 and up to £150 for places within Area 1 for Gold Plus cover, Winter sports cover and Multi-trip cover only. (The most we will pay for children under 16 years of age is £50 for all areas of travel.)

G3 - Passport and travel documents

1. We will pay up to £300 for the cost of replacing your passport, travel tickets, Green Cards and admission tickets for Gold Plus cover, Winter sports cover and Multi-trip cover only. We will pay up to £200 for Gold cover only.

Special exclusions which apply to section G

1. The first £50 of each claim for each sub-section, for each person.
2. Breakage of fragile articles (including china, glass, sculpture and video equipment) or sports equipment whilst in use.
3. Theft, loss of or damage to household goods, pedal cycles, motor vehicles, watersports equipment, marine equipment and craft and their accessories.
4. Wear and tear, loss of value, mechanical or electrical breakdown or damage caused by any process of cleaning, repairing or restoring, or damage caused by leaking powder or fluid carried within your baggage.
5. Shortages due to mistakes or neglect.
6. Any loss or theft which you do not report to the police within 24 hours of discovering it and which you do not get a written acknowledgement for.
7. If your belongings are delayed or held by any customs or other officials legally taking your belongings.
8. Cash which you do not carry on your person (unless it is held in a safety deposit box or safe that is not in your hotel room or apartment).
9. Theft, loss or damage to photographic, electrical equipment, electrical items or jewellery not carried in your hand baggage while you are travelling.
10. Theft, loss of or damage to dentures, bridgework, corneal lenses, spectacles, sunglasses or artificial limbs or hearing aids.
11. Any item, set or pair worth more than £50 which you haven't got an original receipt or insurance valuation for before the loss.
12. Property you leave unattended in a public place.
13. Any loss, theft or damage to items carried on a vehicle roof rack.
14. Theft, loss or damage to baggage or personal belongings during a journey unless you report this to the carrier and get a property irregularity report at the time of the loss.
15. Damage caused to suitcases, holdalls or similar carriers unless you cannot use the damaged item.
16. Loss or theft of personal belongings or baggage while not in your control or in the control of any person other than an airline or ferry company.

Section H - Cancelling and cutting short your holiday.

1. You dying, becoming ill or injured.
2. The death, injury or illness of a relative, close business associate or a person with whom you have booked to travel or a relative or friend living abroad with whom you plan to stay.
3. If you are called for jury service or as a witness or you are put in quarantine.
4. An accident to a vehicle in which you were planning to travel which happens within seven days before the date you planned to leave which leaves the vehicle unusable (this applies to self-drive holidays only).
5. If you are a member of the armed forces or police, fire, nursing or ambulance services which results in you having to stay because of an emergency.
6. If you are made redundant as long as you are entitled to payment under the current redundancy payments law and that, at the time of booking your trip, you had no reason to believe that you would be made redundant.
7. If the police need you to stay after a fire, flood or burglary at your home within 48 hours before the date you planned to leave.

Special exclusions which apply to section H

1. The first £50 of each claim, for each person.
2. Any claim which results from depression, anxiety, mental illness, or a depressive illness of any type.
3. You not wanting to travel.
4. Any extra costs resulting from you not telling the holiday company as soon as you know you have to cancel your holiday.
5. Pregnancy, if your expected date of delivery is within eight weeks of the end of your trip.
6. Cancelling or cutting short the trip because of a medical condition or any illness related to a medical condition which you knew about or should have known about before the start of this insurance. This applies to you, a relative, close business associate or person you are travelling with and any person you were depending on for the trip.
7. The cost of your original return trip if this has already been paid and you need to cut short your journey.
8. If you have to cut short your trip and do not return to the United Kingdom or Channel Islands.
9. If you cut short your trip and you have less than 25% of the trip left or five days, whichever is greater.

Section I - Abandoning your holiday and travel delay

Special exclusion which applies to section I

1. Any claim that results from strikes or industrial action which were public knowledge before the start of your trip.

Special conditions which apply to Section I

1. you must have checked in for your trip at or before the recommended time; and
2. you get a written statement from the appropriate transport company or authority confirming the reason for the delay and how long it lasted.

Section J - Hospital benefit

Section K - Mugging

Section L - Hijack

Special exclusion which applies to section L

1. Any claim resulting from you acting in a way which could cause a claim under this section.

Special condition which applies to section L

1. you must give us a written statement from an appropriate authority confirming the hijack and how long it lasted.

Section M - Disaster

Special exclusions which apply to section M

1. The first £50 of each claim, for each person.
2. Any expenses that you can get back from any tour operator, airline, hotel or other provider of services.
3. Any expenses that you would normally have to pay during the period shown on your validation slip.
4. Any claim resulting from you travelling against the advice of the appropriate national or local authority.

Special conditions which apply to section M

1. you must give us a written statement from an appropriate public authority confirming the reason and nature of the disaster and how long it lasted;
2. any event that results in a claim under this section was not known about before you left from your international departure point; and
3. you must give us evidence of all the extra costs you had to pay.

Section N - Domestic pets

Special exclusions which apply to section N

1. Any claim that results from a strike or industrial action which you knew about before the start of your trip.
2. Any kennel or cattery fees you pay outside the United Kingdom or Channel Islands or as a result of quarantine regulations.

Special conditions which apply to section N

1. you must have checked in for your trip at or before the recommended time;
2. you get a written statement from the appropriate transport company or authority confirming the reason for the delay and how long it lasted;
3. any amount we pay under this section only applies to domestic cats or dogs that you own; and
4. you must get a written statement from the appropriate kennel or cattery confirming any extra charges that you have to pay.

Section O - Piste closure

1. the cost of transport to the nearest resort up to £20 for each full 24-hour period; or
2. up to £20 for each full 24-hour period if you are unable to ski and there is no other ski resort available.

Special conditions which apply to section O

1. you get a written statement from the management of the resort confirming the reason for the closure and how long it lasted;
2. the pre-booked holiday resort where you are staying is at least 1000 metres above sea level; and
3. if you do not buy this insurance within 14 days of the date you plan to leave and that you do know about any reason that could cause you to claim under this section, we will not provide cover for you.

Section P - Avalanche cover

Special exclusion which applies to section P

1. The first £50 of each claim, for each person.

Special condition which applies to section P

1. you get a written statement from the appropriate authority confirming the reason for the delay and how long it lasted.

Section Q - Ski hire

1. the skis that you own are lost or delayed during your trip for over 12 hours; or
2. the skis that you own are lost or damaged during the course of your trip.

Special exclusions which apply to section Q

1. Any claim involving damage to your skis where you do not bring them back to the United Kingdom or Channel Islands so we can inspect them.
2. Any theft or loss which you do not report to the police within 24 hours of discovering it and getting a written acknowledgement.
3. Any theft, delay, loss of or damage to personal belongings or baggage while it is transported unless you report this, at the time, to the carrier and get a property irregularity report.

Special condition which applies to section Q

1. we take any payment made under this section from any claim under sub-section G1 (Personal belongings and baggage) of this insurance.

Section R - Replacing staff

Special exclusion which applies to section R

1. The first £50 of each claim, for each person.

Section S - Business samples and documents

Section T - Scheduled airline failure

1. any expenses that you have paid or agreed to pay under a contract that are not part of a package holiday and you cannot get back from any other source.
   At the start of your trip, we will pay for:
2. the costs of replacing your flight arrangements to a similar standard so that you are able to continue your trip; or
3. the cost of a return flight to the United Kingdom or Channel Islands to a similar standard if you need to cut short your trip.

Special exclusions which apply to section T

1. Any flight that is not booked in the United Kingdom or Channel Islands.
2. Any flight that is not booked through a travel company who provides a bond for you in the event of the travel company's financial failure, or direct with a scheduled airline.
3. The financial failure of:
   - any scheduled airline that was in Chapter 11 (US Code, Title 11 - Bankruptcy) at the time you bought this insurance;
   - any scheduled airline that holds another bond or insurance (even if that bond or insurance is not enough to pay the claim in full); or
   - any travel agent, tour operator, booking agent or flight consolidator arranging your booking.
4. Any claim if you knew, at the time you bought this insurance, about any reason that could cause a claim under this section.

Options Insurance Services Limited
Lumbry Park
Selborne Road
Alton
Hampshire GU34 3HF
Telephone: 0870 848 0870
Facsimile: 01420 566 321
Copyright © 1999 Options Insurance Services Limited