Travel insurance - a cautionary tale

There’s always the Motor Insurers’ Bureau to compensate victims of uninsured drivers - which costs insured drivers a lot of money.

Joseann

So, welbeck, should we take a calculated risk with driving our cars today and not have insurance?

Slightly different because Third Party Car Insurance is a legal requirement. Whereas Comprehensive cover isn’t and therefore a ‘self risk’ if not opted for.

Germanshepherdsmum

My distance glasses have broken and my new ones won’t be ready for a week. Without them I can’t read any of the letters on the optician’s board, but perhaps I should take a calculated risk (that I won’t kill anyone) and go out for a spin with the roof down, it’s such a lovely day.

LOL!

My distance glasses have broken and my new ones won’t be ready for a week. Without them I can’t read any of the letters on the optician’s board, but perhaps I should take a calculated risk (that I won’t kill anyone) and go out for a spin with the roof down, it’s such a lovely day.

Joseann

So, welbeck, should we take a calculated risk with driving our cars today and not have insurance?

Now that police cars so often have an automatic number plate recognition device installed, which flags up ‘no insurance’ or e.g. ‘stolen’, it’s a risk too daft to take - unless you want your car seized and then have to pay £160 or more to get it back. Not to mention having to walk home….

I don’t mind admitting that I often watch Police Interceptors while knitting in the afternoon - can’t follow anything with a plot since I usually need to concentrate on the pattern!

Totally agree with Marydoll on this subject. My late DH was refused travel insurance the last 10 years of his life due to many chronic health problems. Although he would have dearly loved to have seen his family in the USA, he refused to take the risk.
He did manage to see 2 of his sisters before he died as we helped them to come over here.

welbeck

no one is under any obligation to contribute to a crowdfunding appeal.
i don't understand some of the attitudes espoused here.
let's kick a man when he's down.
i wouldn't want to go there, wherever it is, but if going abroad equals holiday for him and partner, then he they took a calculated risk.
it was only 2 weeks.
might be the last foreign holiday he can manage.
leave him alone, if you don't want to help him.

The point is his attitude - a calculated risk which others would have to pay for if he 'mis-calculated'. Which he did.

I had my last foreign holiday years ago, though didn't know it was, at the time.

It's sad that people who have conditions that require huge amounts of insurance can't travel anymore, but lots of people suffer deprivations during their lives, too, that's how it is. He's nearly 70 and may well have had previous holidays abroad that many cannot afford at all.

As the thread title says, it's a cautionary tale, and if nothing else, perhaps it might make someone think twice about travelling without having proper travel insurance in place, especially if they have pre-existing health conditions. What's wrong with that? Some people just like to pick an argument over anything on here.

I'd be terrified of travelling without adequate insurance and if I couldn't afford it then I simply wouldn't go.

You could understand it more if he was a back packing youngster. No cure for stupid as the Americans would say.

It's certainly a salutary tale and makes me extra grateful for living in a country with free health care.. I wonder what the hospital can do if the money isn't found...

i don't feel guilt tripped into doing anything in regard to this man, do you ?
i still can't see why the condemnation.
people can contribute if they wish, or not.

waving to Granniesunite

I find it hard to believe that this man was unable to obtain insurance cover.
How hard did he try? I’m sure it’s very time consuming for those with multiple health conditions but it’s madness to contemplate going abroad without it.

I’m sure in some cases the insurance can double the cost of the holiday but the cost just has to be factored in.

That’s how I see it welbeck kicking a man when he’s down.

I just can’t see the purpose in doing that. But that’s just me in real life too.

We’ve all read horror stories of folks being so badly hurt by things said about them on social media. I will not be drawn into that. No matter what they have or have not done.

Wellbeck The point is other people are guilt tripped into paying out due to someone else’s fecklessness.

You may well want to contribute to his crowd funding appeal, wellbeck and if enough people do then he will get home. But what a risk he took for the sake of having a foreign holiday. His family must be frantic with worry but blaming the hospital by using language like holding him hostage and demanding money loses some of my sympathy. They made a mistake and now have to rely on the kindness of strangers to resolve it. I hope he gets home soon.

Joseann

So, welbeck, should we take a calculated risk with driving our cars today and not have insurance?

there is no comparison.
it is a legal requirement to have third party cover for driving, as it is others who may suffer losses.
this is a personal choice for an individual.
he did nothing illegal.
of course in circumstances, it may have caused his family worry, but the idea of crowdfunding will spread the cost.
i'm sure more than his family have contributed.
i don't see why people are getting so aerated.
it doesn't adversely affect them, or the wider community.

Not only ill, we got stuck in Australia when Covid struck. Although we had paid for 3 days accommodation in Perth we were there over a week, had to find another flight and hire a car when we got to HR. The cost of that more was way more than the cost of our insurance.

I think you may have missed the point welbeck. Consider the stress he has put his family under, trying to deal with the situation and find the funding to pay for his treatment.

A lot can happen in a few days, never mind a few weeks. I would dearly love to go abroad, but have accepted that it is no longer possible. There is no way I would put that responsibility on my family. It would be totally irresponsible to do so.
The ramifications of becoming ill on holiday, without insurance are enormous.

Even if you have travel insurance be careful particularly the US many will pay for treatment in a “public hospital” not a private hospital, the first question they ask is about insurance.

Iceland takes no prisoners when it comes to tourists either, the last place I would go without insurance.

Hope he gets well and is home soon.

So, welbeck, should we take a calculated risk with driving our cars today and not have insurance?

then he they took a calculated risk
A “calculated risk” would have involved having the funds to get home before setting off.
This risk was far from “calculated”
They also ignored the medical reasons behind being denied insurance.
No, it was far from “calculated”.

Calendargirl

^of course we no longer have ehic^

No, we have ghic, Global Health Insurance, just like ehic. . Still free to apply for.

But not a substitute for proper travel insurance.

GHIC wouldn't have been of any use to him in Icmeler, as it is in Turkey and the GHIC doesn't apply there. It is absolute madness for anyone to travel without proper travel insurance - never mind if you have pre-existing health conditions. You should also take out travel insurance as soon as you book a holiday. I had taken out a policy for our recent trip to Corfu, but in the period before we actually travelled, my husband was put on medication for high blood pressure. I made sure to contact the insurer and notify them of this.

no one is under any obligation to contribute to a crowdfunding appeal.
i don't understand some of the attitudes espoused here.
let's kick a man when he's down.
i wouldn't want to go there, wherever it is, but if going abroad equals holiday for him and partner, then he they took a calculated risk.
it was only 2 weeks.
might be the last foreign holiday he can manage.
leave him alone, if you don't want to help him.

I have to agree with RosiesMaw.

I can no longer get travel insurance and would never consider travelling abroad and putting that burden on my family if I became ill.

So many incidences of crowdfunding to pay for the treatment of someone, who deliberately and irresponsibly travelled without insurance.

I remeber many years ago finding out late at night that my son, with chronic asthma and a peanut allergy was travelling the next day, without insurance. I was raging and spent hours tring to get him insurance. He won't do that again in a hurry.