Snowcard Reviews 

Reply from Snowcard

Updated Mar 22, 2021

Our insurers from last year, Ageas Insurance, are no longer underwriting Snowcard policies (they have stopped issuing travel insurance because of the pandemic) and we now have new insurers backing our scheme. We had lobbied them for some recognition that this ski season has been lost to our policy holders but we have been refused any concessions. We are very sorry that this year has been so difficult for our valued clients with ruined holiday plans for most. Business levels have been running at below 5% of normal and we can only hope that this year will see some lifting of restrictions to allow us to rebuild and move forward we hope to some sense of normality next season.


Hi Dougie,

Many thanks for your email and your sentiments are understood.

By way of explanation, whilst it is true to say that travel for everyone this year has been severely disrupted, there have been several months where travel was possible and many policy holders managed to get away at various times last summer and into the autumn as well as a very short winter season before the last lockdown.

Insurance is all about pooling risk and it is the premiums of the many that pay for the claims of a few and whilst we argued strongly with our underwriters to do something to acknowledge the restricted travel this past year, they have been dealing with and paying claims for the whole period and they have not been able to give us anything to offer our valued customers who perhaps feel they have not been able to use their policies as frequently as normal.

The travel insurance market has changed dramatically because of the pandemic and has shrunk by about 50%. This includes our insurers from last year who exited the travel market at the end of 2020. Having left the market, we have had to place the Snowcard scheme with new insurers for 2021 who whilst providing wider cover for Covid19, are not in a position to do anything about our previous insurers position.

Most single trip policies from the initial 2020 lockdown were refunded or reissued but annual policies that were outside of their cooling off period were not eligible for cancelation as at that stage there was every expectation that they would be used in the summer which as noted many were. The 2021 lockdown was not foreseen last summer and although we are completely sympathetic to our client’s frustrations and expectations, these decisions are not ours to be made and we feel as let down as you but also powerless to make any sort of amendments. Right now, with the total shut down of travel, our business year since the pandemic has been exceptionally difficult, as it has been for all in the travel sector and all we can do is hope that when recovery comes we can pick up and start again but we are unable to refund premiums paid to the insurers last year or our administrative fees which have been severely restricted because of the pandemic.

Thank you for your understanding and we hope that as recovery progresses that you will be able to resume travel again one day soon.

With best wishes

Snowcard Travel Insurance
https://www.snowcard.co.uk/content/coronavirus-covid-19-information


added by Dougies reply
On 21 Mar 2021, at 15:38, Dougie Millward

I accept nothing that you have said, other insurers have seen no problem in offering refunds on unused policies, so that others can see my sentiments and not fall into the trap of taking out extended policy’s with yourselves , I have left a review on trust pilot and will continue to leave reviews on other sites, needless to say I have verbally communicated your unfair term with all other trekkers. I will not take out my next policy with yourselves.


Dear Dougie,

That is extremely unfair. I haven't been offered refunds from my car insurer or home insurer and whilst some insurers have been able to make some token offers, the fact that our underwriters have not is not our fault and given the extreme financial impact the pandemic has had on our business, your comments are hurtful and show a total disregard for how hard it has been for businesses in the travel sector who have been hit harder than most. We are a small specialist operation in a niche market and we don’t have the financial clout you seem to think we might have.

You purchased your policy in April during the last lockdown so you would have been as aware of the risks of booking travel at that time as anyone and your policy was a non refundable contract which you went into with your eyes open. All travel policies operate in the same way and whilst I am happy that you will be purchasing your next policy elsewhere, you do yourself no favours in being so discourteous at a time when we are exceptionally limited in what we can offer because we are starved of income whilst travel is banned.


Best wishes for the future.