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Frequently asked
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Your questions answered 

ERGO FAQs

We have taken time to summarise a series of frequently asked questions, those most commonly asked by our customers.

If we have not succeeded in answering your question, please feel free to contact us.

Please bear in mind that we will only be able to respond to you within working hours, these are Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm.

If you or any other traveller on this policy contract COVID-19 and have chosen not to have the recommended vaccination(s) you will not be covered for any COVID-19 related claims under this policy. The UK Government has recommended that all eligible persons have a booster vaccination. If you have not had the booster vaccine you may not be covered under our policy. Discretion may be applied if you are medically exempt to have the recommended vaccination(s) and this is shown on your medical records. 

You should contact your Travel Agent, Tour Operator, airline or accommodation or credit card provider for a refund in the first instance

Booked through a Travel Agent or Tour Operator

If you booked with a Travel Agent or Tour Operator, you should contact them first to see if you can make any changes to your trip, or if they are able to offer you a refund.

You can make a claim under the Package Travel Regulations if any travel intermediary booked two or more parts of your holiday together and they are then unable to deliver the full package.

You should not pay any additional payments to your Tour Operator or Travel Agent without confirmation that any additional payment is fully refundable should the trip be cancelled for any reason by the operator (for example the balance of the holiday cost where you have only paid a deposit so far).

Booked flights only or accommodation only

If you booked your travel independently, you should still approach the travel provider (airline, accommodation provider etc) in the first instance to rebook or for a refund.

If you have alternative dates to travel after contacting your Travel Agent or Tour Operator, airline and/or accommodation provider, please contact our team who will update your policy. Please note, any change on your policy may result in a change of premium.

If you have tested positive while on your trip and have been asked to self-isolate, you will be covered for any emergency medical expenses in treating your illness. Terms, conditions and exclusions apply – please check the policy wording for full details. If you have not tested positive and have been asked to self-isolate as you have been a close contact of someone who has tested positive, there would be no cover under the insurance policy.

There is no cover for the cost of obtaining evidence to support your claim. 

If your children or anyone else on the policy have chosen not to have the recommended vaccination(s) you will not be covered for any related claims under this policy. Discretion may be applied if you are medically exempt to have the recommended vaccination(s) and this is shown on your medical records. 

If the person that tests positive is under the age of 18 or if medically necessary our assistance team may allow you to stay past your pre-booked return date. Please contact our assistance team as soon as possible to log a claim. 

If you have been given alternative dates to travel by your airline and/or accommodation provider, please contact our customer service team who will be able to assist you by updating your policy. Please note, any change on your policy may result in a change of premium. Hyperlink ‘customer service team’ to contact page.

If your GP has advised you not to travel because test results show you or a family member has contracted Coronavirus within 14 days of your pre-booked departure date you may be able to submit a claim for cancellation. If your GP has advised you not to travel because you, a travelling companion or a family member has been instructed to self-isolate  which prevents you from starting your insured journey and you have purchased the Enhanced COVID-19 cover option you may be able to submit a claim for cancellation.

General travel information

In the first instance, you should contact your airline, tour operator, accommodation provider, or other carriers to enquire about refunds, or about changing travel dates.

Please check what the entry requirements are required for your destination. If you do not meet the vaccination requirements set by your destination, there is no cover under the insurance policy for your accommodation / travel costs.  

If you need to change or cancel your travel insurance policy, please contact our customer service team

There is no cover under your policy if you are not allowed entry to a country which has:
closed its borders; or
placed restrictions on entry to its country to nationals from certain countries; or
placed restrictions to nationals who have travelled to countries affected by an outbreak of an infectious disease
If you are refused entry at passport/border control, you should contact your airline or transport provider to arrange changing your return ticket to allow you to come home early.

All Defato ratings for travel insurance products are listed on the Defaqto Insurance Brokers page on their website. You can search for ERGO, or any insurance provider, on this page to see a list of the products which Defaqto have rated.
If you are planning multiple trips within a year an annual multi-trip policy may be more suited to your needs. This would cover you for multiple trips within the policy period of up to 31 days per trip. If you are going away for longer or are only making one trip in a year, then our single trip policy which covers trips up to 90 days may be more suited to your needs. If you are travelling for longer than 90 days, our backpacker policy may be more suited to your needs. Our backpacker policy will cover trips up to 550 days. For more details please check the policy wording.
To find out which countries are covered by an ERGO policy please check the policy wording. However, some countries or areas are considered too dangerous for travel and We will not cover you if you choose to travel there. We define these to be areas which are subject to War and Civil Unrest or where the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has issued “advice against all but essential travel” or “advice against all travel”. You can find this Foreign Travel Advice about any country You are planning to travel to at https://www.gov.uk/foreigntravel-advice
Yes, your policy documents should contain all the information you need about your insurance. If the unfortunate occurs, this will be your main point of reference. If you do not have your policy documents with you, please contact our customer service team on 01403 788 513 or email: contact@ergo-travel.co.uk. You will need your postcode or the email address you used to buy the policy.

If you have been given alternative dates to travel by your airline and/or accommodation provider, please contact our customer service team who will be able to assist you by updating your policy. Please note, any change on your policy may result in a change of premium.

If in doubt please contact our customer service team.

Useful information can be found on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office website https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, this provides up to date essential travel information.

Medical questions answered

We offer cover for a number of many pre existing medical conditions. When going through the quote journey, we will ask a number of questions about your pre existing medical condition(s) which will help us determine whether we can cover you. If you are above our set levels, unfortunately we will not be able to provide cover.

Please note, The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) have developed a directory of travel insurance providers to ensure customers with pre-existing medical conditions are able to obtain access to travel insurance. As part of getting a travel insurance quote you may wish to contact them for details of these providers by calling 0800 138 7777 or visiting their website: https://traveldirectory.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

If you are thinking about travelling with Asthma, it can be a worrying thought leaving the comfort and safety of home. However, this should not prevent you from taking that dream holiday.

Information on travelling with asthma
Below there are a number of informative articles that we suggest reading, in an attempt to make your trip and travelling with asthma, go as smoothly as possible.

-NHS Choices – http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/travelhealth/Pages/travelling-with-asthma.aspx

-NHS Fit For Travel – http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/advice/general-travel-health-advice/asthma.aspx

-Asthma UK – http://www.asthma.org.uk/knowledge-holidays

-Asthma UK – http://www.asthma.org.uk/knowledge-bank-living-with-asthma-air-travel

-Kids Health – http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/asthma/travel_asthma.html

Asthma is well known by many travel and insurance companies and performing research before you go travelling with asthma can make a real difference.

If you have any questions regarding travel insurance and asthma, please contact us for more information

If you or your child have Chickenpox, we recommend that you read these useful information pages provided by NHS Choices: 
Chickenpox – Introduction
Chickenpox – Prevention 

Chickenpox is infectious and spreads easily and quickly. Your airline may not allow you onboard if you or your child have chickenpox, so you should inform us if you do have it in case your flight needs to be re-arranged. It’s also important to let us know if you or your child has chickenpox during your trip as you may need to extend your stay abroad if you or your child is not well enough to fly home.

Details relating to cover during pregnancy can be found in the policy wording. Please note, you may not be able to fly while pregnant – please check with the airline to find out their restrictions. Our policy will only cover complications of pregnancy. Any costs arising from your pregnancy or childbirth if the expected date of delivery is less than 12 weeks (or 16 weeks for a multiple birth) after the scheduled end of the trip would not be covered.
It can be a daunting experience if you or a family member is taken ill overseas; you simply need to contact the ERGO Medical Assistance service. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The contact number is contained within your policy wordings.

About your policy

Your policy documents will be sent to you by email when you have purchased your policy. Please check your spam folder or junk mail folder just in case. If you need this resent to you, don’t worry, simply drop us an email with your surname, postcode and telephone number and we will resend your documents to you. As we have to verify your policy by hand, please be aware we can only do this within normal office hours: Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm.

If you’ve bought a travel insurance policy from Compare The Market and have taken up the offer of 2 for 1 cinema tickets through ‘Meerkat Movies’ please note that cancelling your travel insurance policy may invalidate your Meerkat Movies membership.

Please read the following pages before cancelling your policy:

Compare The Market – Meerkat Movies Terms & Conditions

To cancel your policy, please contact the customer services team on 01403 788 513. Make sure you have your policy number at hand. Please be aware that our policies carry a 14 day cooling off period. If in doubt please contact our customer service team.

Unfortunately we can only provide travel insurance products for residents of the UK. As ERGO UK is a branch of an international team, you may want to visit www.erv.com where there are details of local country websites. Select the country of residence for the policyholder and follow the online instructions.

About your claim

If you remain dissatisfied then you may write to the Financial Ombudsman Service to lodge a formal complaint. The Financial Ombudsman are an independent service and their decision is final and binding on the Insurance Company. This process does not affect your legal rights. You cannot lodge a complaint with the Financial Ombudsman Service until you have followed the claims complaints procedure in full and received a final decision from the Insurance Company.

Please ensure that all documentation includes your claim reference number and is sent to the relevant and correct address that is supplied on your appropriate claim form.

If you require the claims forms please click here. Or alternatively, if your require further assistance please visit our contact us page and do not hesitate to get in touch.

We suggest that you first refer to your policy as limits, exclusions, depreciation or excesses may apply. The settlement letter will outline what has been settled and this may provide further information. If you remain dissatisfied with the settlement you should contact our travel claims team at contact@ergo-travel.co.uk. Alternatively you can write to us at the address below – please mark “Appeal” on the envelope. The claim will be reviewed and you will then be advised of your further options.
Payments will be made by bank transfer, as part of the claim form we will ask for your bank details. Please allow 5-7 working days for the payment to appear in your bank account if the claim is successful. We can also make a claim payment by cheque, if you require this please contact our claims team to request this.
If you are not already in possession of these documents you can request them directly from the travel agent where you booked your trip. If you purchased your insurance with an alternative provider you will need to contact them directly.
You can still submit your claim with an accompanying letter explaining the reasons why you are unable to supply the required documents, but without all relevant documentation we cannot guarantee that the claim can be processed.
The only original documentation required to support your claim are invoices and receipts. We also suggest that you keep photocopies of every item you send to us. Please note all costs incurred obtaining documentation should be borne by the claimant. This will include any further information such as doctor’s reports that we may need. In addition to the claim form you will receive, there is an information checklist that explains the documents that are required for different types of claim.
We are committed to providing a quality of service – you should expect to receive a response from us within 21 working days. We will settle your claim, ask for more information or if not within the terms and conditions of your policy, repudiate your claim with reasons why the claim is not valid. To avoid delays, please ensure that you provide us with all the relevant documentation required to process your claim. Please note, due to COVID-19 we have extended our response time from 10 to 21 days.
When you make a claim you will be allocated a claims reference number. It is important that you take note of this number and keep it safe as we will require this in all communications regarding your claim.

There is no cover under our insurance policies for consequential costs such as loss of earnings or the cost of obtaining the relevant documentation to submit a claim.

Making a complaint

If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our service and wish to make a complaint, please get in touch using the details on our complaints page here, and we will ensure a full investigation is carried out and respond to you as soon as we can.

 

When contacting us regarding your complaint, please quote your name and policy number (as shown on your policy schedule).  If your complaint is in relation to a claim, please direct your complaint to your claims handler as detailed in your policy wording or correspondence received. Alternatively, you can find the address on the relevant claim form found here.

We ask that you give us as much detail about your concerns as possible, including any evidence you feel may be relevant. This will aid our investigation and ensure we can respond quickly.

If you remain dissatisfied then you may write to the Financial Ombudsman Service to lodge a formal complaint. The Financial Ombudsman are an independent service and their decision is final and binding on the Insurance Company. This process does not affect your legal rights. You cannot lodge a complaint with the Financial Ombudsman Service until you have followed the claims complaints procedure in full and received a final decision from the Insurance Company.