Easter is over, spring has sprung and yet we just can’t shake the snow, wind and rain. Scottish weather: the gift that keeps on giving!
It’s little surprise most of us spend the daily commute daydreaming of summer holidays.
And when that day comes we’ll double check the passports are present and correct and teabags packed . . . just in case.
Oh, and we do have the all-important insurance?
Yikes! Often overlooked by eager adventurers, travel insurance should be up there with the Factor 50 as a travel essential. No-one wants to get burned on holiday twice.
And if you’re building your career in insurance as an adviser or claims handler you must be prepared to expect the unexpected from holidaymakers.
So let’s take a look at some of the weird and wonderful claims lodged by gallus galavanters.
Reality bites
While on an ocean cruise, a seasick pensioner was gobsmacked to discover his false teeth suddenly absent – presumably lost overboard and at the bottom of the briny. His claim to insurers? Lost baggage!
Think ahead
Picture the scene: warm breeze, palm trees and a good book. What could go wrong? A coconut to the head, that’s what. While holidaying in Sri Lanka, a female tourist was ‘nutted’. Thankfully, her insurance agent had thought of everything and her robust policy paid all medical expenses.
Animal instincts
Intrepid adventurers in Malaysia got more than they bargained for when they returned to their cabin from a jungle jaunt to discover their suitcases empty and clothes scattered throughout the rainforest. The culprits? A band of mischievous macaques. Thankfully, the insurance agent whose job is to investigate suspicious claims recognised there had been real monkey business.
Looking ahead
A young British holidaymaker in Athens suffered his own Greek tragedy when, distracted by a group of bikini-clad women, ran bang into a bus stop. Aside from injured pride, the young Eros suffered a broken nose. His insurers paid out thanks to trauma care in his policy.
Snap decision
Holidaying with the offspring always presents challenges. Take the couple who took their little darlings to the beach in Cornwall. The security-conscious tykes helpfully buried their parents’ camera in the sand to save it from potential theft . . . then forgot where they’d hidden it. The sympathetic insurance company covered their loss – making for a real Kodak moment.
If you think you have what it takes to deal with the world’s weirdest claims – and keep a straight face – take a look at the Insurance vacancies on s1jobs.