In Reply to: advice needed - cancelled trip -health posted by i dream of bali on Tuesday, 11. October 2011 at 11:20 Bali Time:
Here is what I found off HIF's site:
"We will cover any amount you have paid in advance for travel arrangements that are unused and you are unable to recover.
We will also cover your travel agents cancellation fee up to $1000.
We will only cover these costs if you cancel your travel because of unforeseen or unforeseeable circumstances that we agree to cover, including
-you, your relative etc dies or becomes injured or ill.
etc etc etc.........
If you have the Cancellation Plan, we will only cover you for:
- fares you are unable to recover
- reasonable accommodation costs
- at our option, a fare upgrade up to our limit of cover."
This is from their Travel Insurance Product Disclosure Statement and Policy. (page 17)
Hope this helps, but your friends should have a copy of this or at least access to it with their insurance.
If you have no joy with HIF, contact the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) as mentioned here already, to see what they can do. 1300 78 08 08 9am-5pm
The way I see it, HIF should be covering this cost!!! The Villa is within its rights, I know, I too have lost money on a Sydney hotel recently, no refund, no date change allowed, was in the fine print you never read. Hotel Receptionist said if I had insurance I would get it all back but who gets insurance domestically, really, not me.
It would be interesting to see how this pans out, for others in the future. May cross them off my list of they don't come to the party on this one.
Good Luck.