AXA Won't Pay Legitimate Claim

My fiance and I booked a holiday in the US for my 40th birthday. I flew out a week earlier on work and my fiance was due to meet me in Las Vegas for the start of our travels.

The night before his flight my twin brother suddenly died from a pulmonary embolism. My fiance flew out as planned to tell me the heartbreaking news. We spent a day at the airport trying to secure flights home.

I then began a three-month battle with Coverwise/Axa, with whom we held a joint travel insurance policy, to claim back the cost of our trip. We have been offered £371 even though our losses were £2,115. My calls and emails are being ignored.AL, Birmingham

Given that claims often involve distressing circumstances, you would suppose customer services would be trained in empathy and efficiency.

In your case the problem was Axa’s incompetence. Only when the Observer takes up the cudgels does it admit that the derisory offer was made in error and that your fiance’s expenses had been wrongly excluded from the sum. Within a day of its press office being contacted, it decides you are due the full cost of the holiday.

“Mistakes were made,” says a spokesperson. “We strive to treat our customers with compassion and settle their claims quickly. On this occasion we fell below our usual standards.”

The sum has now been paid out in full and £150 added in compensation. It’s depressing that, but for the prospect of a headline, you would be spending these early weeks of bereavement battling insentient bureaucracy.

If you need help email Anna Tims at your.problems@observer.co.uk or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number.