We took out insurance on 24 February 2020 to cover us if we had to cancel my daughter’s bat mitzvah party, planned for 29 March. The policy was underwritten by UK General but administered by the Davies Group. We had to cancel the party not because the venue had cancelled, but because on 15 March I fell ill with suspected Covid-19 and had a high fever and dry cough. My GP recommended my children and I continued self-isolation.
I cancelled on 18 March, at a cost of £3,612, and on 26 March made an “illness” claim rather than a “venue cancellation” claim.
But, at the moment, it appears as if the claim has not even been sent to UK General for processing, despite my being advised twice over the phone that it was valid, and even straightforward.
SG, London
When you made your claim, you sent a bundle of documents to Davies Group for processing, wisely using recorded delivery. After not hearing anything for nearly a month, you called in late April, only to be told it had not received your claim and knew nothing about it. Fortunately, you had a copy of the receipt confirming that the company had taken delivery in March. In any event, you decided to email another copy of your claim that day.
On 5 May, you still had not heard from Davies Group, so you called again. This time you were informed that your claim should be dealt with by no later than 12 May.
On 12 May you were told it would be another five to 10 days. This was, of course, all during the lockdown, so you put this down to the inevitable delays.
At the end of May, you rang again. You encountered some confusion over the GP note but were left with the impression that the claim would be processed by 1 June. Then, on 2 June, you were told UK General had put all claims on hold.
This saga rumbled on until 14 June, and, with the claim now months old and no payout in sight, you contacted us for help.
Davies Group directed us to UK General, even though it confirmed that it was the claims administrator for your policy. Fortunately, UK General got back swiftly, and said that after a review it had agreed to pay. You have now received £3,612.
Most of us will have some sympathy for delays during the pandemic, and, indeed, you gave them ample time to reply. But it’s very odd that a recorded delivery should apparently go missing.
You now want compensation for the time you spent chasing your claim, and the manner in which it was handled. You say that Davies Group has acknowledged your complaints and you expect to receive compensation before long.
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