Cancelled Trip

<p>Our trip was cancelled during April, the day before the time. We are now also claiming for our air tickets since our cruise was cancelled the afternoon before departure. Not only did they deduct the insurance premiums, they also did not offer any payments for people that was left out of pocket with lots of money and then they still deduct money for insurance premiums for a trip that never took place. I was also informed to call Hollard and claim from them, I did and it was rejected. This was based on MSC and Hollards' terms and conditions. We never received the terms and conditions nor a copy of the insurance policy. We were however informed that there was travel insurance, but we never knew what was included or excluded. According to a call centre agent at Hollard, the policy is there for when I as the consumer / client are at fault i.e. medical claim, loss backage or missed flights etc. However, when MSC is at fault i.e. cancelling a trip, there are no coverage. Consumers and clients are not made aware of this. It is clear from reviewing the Consumer Protection Act that there was non-compliance to the CPA. I am now proceeding to lodge a claim with the Short-Term insurance ombud as well as the Consumer Commission. I suggest that other people also follow this route. I agree that the insurance claims should never have been non-refundable since the trip never took place. Furthermore, they should have offered people some sort of compensation for the inconvenience cause of the cancelled trip and the out of pocket expenses incurred. Their customer service and the way in which they talk to you are very poor and should also be addressed. It also seems that the communication between MSC and their travel agents are lacking and should be addressed. It still remains the responsibility of MSC as the provider to ensure that customers are aware of terms and conditions, especially the insurance policy that is included. We were never given the oppertunity to rather opt for Zurich which is our usual provider and whose cover are much better and their service are excellent and professional.</p>