EUROPASSIST TRAVEL INSURANCE - WHAT A DIFFICULT AND HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH THEM - I HAVE A VALID CLAIM AND THEY ARE TRYING TO NOT PAY ME!!! Ref: 20-***-T-01

I took out Premium travel insurance with Europassist through the Old Mutual platform in February. I specifically took the Premium package as that also covers me against loss should in this case STA travel go bankrupt or if my package was . changed due to any reason 2. the travel company went into liquidation 3. for Force Majeure. or any other reason. The fact is that if I moved the package forward then I would not have a claim. I already communicated this with Europassist in April. the email I received back said that if I cancel the package I will not have a claim but if the service provider, thus STA is cancelling the trip then I do have a valid claim. The thing is the policy also covers me specifically in the event should the travel agency provider be liquidated. So that happened and I lodged my claim. The first answer I got back from a person not even in claims was that I should approach the liquidators. I sent him a mail back that he was not even in the right department and after a "snotty" email he referred me to a lady by the name of Pamela (***). They only told me that they are waiting for confirmation of the travel costs after which I managed to get hold of Donovan de Bruyn from the STA travel branch in Stellenbosch. Obviously they are not allowed access to any of the system but he managed to save my file on his laptop and sent all he was able to retrieve. He also sent a statement of the travel amount and I also copied and sent this to Pamela. So they have the proof. I sent another mail asking the following: Dear Pamela,

Can you please give me a timeline on when this has to be finalised? What is the holdup? I have a valid claim and I have paid for it exactly against travel dilemmas like this. Why do I have to constantly call and follow up instead of hearing from your offices on the outcome of my claim? I feel that I have the facts for a valid and grounded claim based on the print in your contract as well as the insurance documentation. I have further given and provided more than enough proof of all aspects related to my claim. I am seeking legal assistance from my lawyer in Pretoria should I not hear from you by Friday the 9th of October 2020. That mail was sent on 05 October. I had to call them again and after a long hold only got told that they will get back to me by this week. Well this has still not happened.

I called again today on the 8th and still no answer. Then another lady said she can see on the system that they are still waiting for an email from Donovan @STA. So I explained to her that I have sent proof of the travel amount and that they must understand that nobody working for STA in the past was able to log on. They do not have access to the system anymore and the server is not even on as STA has seized all operation in South Africa. So obviously the document should just be sent again. So I sent it again today. I am frustrated with Europassist. I understand at this time they are under pressure but I feel that I am not being helped as I should. Can you please assist me in this matter?