Visit Insure for Travel >> The website states that this is a 'newly established company' and yet is at the same time 'a leading UK online travel insurance provider'. These apparently conflicting claims rather seem to undermine a prediction that the company will insure over 250,000 travellers a year throughout the world. Either this is down to a failure to keep the website updated properly or there's maybe another logical explanation for these apparent conflicts.
The policies on offer cover the usual range of most travel insurers - single trip, annual multi-trip, backpacker and extended stay cover for varying lengths, areas and make up of the party, with Silver, Gold and Platinum cover. There's also European vehicle breakdown cover plus insurance for scheduled airline failure.
Insurance is for UK residents starting and ending their trip in the UK. There are the regular claims of quality cover, good prices and a simple process, so it all fits in rather well with the rest. When deciding whether to buy a policy, it's the usual principle of checking the cover, looking at the cost and choosing the one that suits your needs best.
The company's policies are issued by Optimum Underwriting Ltd, a travel insurance underwriter that was founded in 2000 and is based in Dorking, Surrey. It acts as an underwriting agent for Groupama Insurance Company Ltd, which is France's leading mutual insurer and operates in several European countries. Assistance when on holiday is provided by Global Response Assistance Services and claims go through Preferential Administration Services of Southend-on-Sea.
There is no indication that Insure for Travel is anything other than an independent company. However, it provides scheduled airline failure insurance through a separate website (www.jetsafe.co.uk), with Jetsafe being a separate trading name and also offering travel insurance. There's also Elect Travel Insurance, which is another trading name with a very similar website and has its travel insurance arranged by Lloyd's broker Crispin Speers and Partners Ltd. The policies are handled by White Horse Insurance Ireland Ltd, which has its registered office in Dublin but a contact address for claims in Bradford. Clicking the Obtain Quote button for the latter company displays a message from Discovery Insurance Services Ltd (with 'Airtours' in the screen header), stating that it is no longer providing policies for White Rose and redirecting to the www.oinc.com site for travel insurance.
Another piece in the jigsaw is www.014travelinsurance.com, which provides similar travel insurance through the same companies (Optimum and Groupama). This operation was established in 2006 in Camberley and is actually a trading name of SW Technologies Ltd, which just happens to be the company that develops the Insure for Travel website.
When on holiday in a foreign country this web of inter-related companies may seem daunting. However, as long as the phone number you're given works and there is someone on the end of that number that can actually help you, rather than just refer you on to someone else, then things should be no different than having your cover with a company that underwrites it's own policies from a fixed location within the UK. This does make it difficult for us to review the company, though, as whose service do we review?
We're unsure of the branding choice. As you'll have seen elsewhere on this site, there is already an insurefor.com and an insure.co.uk/travel listed. Add to that insureandgo.com's travel insurance and you've got a crowded branding arena. None of which are related companies. †
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Insure for Travel Insurance
