14th April 2005
Honesty is not always the most common policy when it comes to holiday insurance claims, with Britons lying about their holiday mishaps.Research by Direct Line Travel Insurance reveals that almost a fifth (19 per cent) of British holidaymakers who claimed on their travel insurance made false claims, with one in 10 (13 per cent) inflating the value of their claim and five per cent adding items to the list of stolen or lost goods.
Cameras (27 per cent) are the most likely item to be falsified in claims, followed by clothes and cash (both 13 per cent). The loss or damage of jewellery, designer sunglasses, iPods and MP3 players is also misrepresented by one in 10 holidaymakers.
Men are the worst culprits, representing a fifth (21 per cent) of those who had made up little white insurance lies, compared to 17 per cent of women. These little white lies soon add up though, as 24 per cent of holidaymakers who enhance a claim do so by more than £100, with eight per cent adding over £400.
More than one in 10 (15 per cent) justify their claim by saying they need the money, and nine per cent blame friends for persuading them to lie. Worryingly, public tolerance of bogus or exaggerated claims appears to be high, with more than one in five (22 per cent) believing they are owed the money because they haven't claimed before.
Chris Price, Direct Line Travel Insurance comments:
"As a major insurer we deal with thousands of travel claims on a yearly basis, the majority of which are authentic. However the results of our research are disturbing and it's worrying to see how many dishonest claims are made. We would urge people to think twice before carrying out insurance fraud though as it ultimately affects the price all policyholders pay for their travel insurance. At Direct Line we're clamping down on fraud and are determined to keep premiums at a minimum so honest customers aren't penalised."
The Top Dishonest Claim Items
1. Camera (27%)
2. Clothes (13%)
3. Cash (13%)
4. Jewellery (10%)
5. Ipod/MP3 (10%)
6. Designer sunglasses (10%)
7. Wallet/purse (7%)
8. Medical bill (6%)
-ends-
For further information please contact:
Carmel McCarthy
Direct Line Press Office
Tel: 0845 8782178
Email: Carmel.McCarthy@Directline.com
Notes to editor
Research was carried out online between 22 and 24 February 2005 by YouGov who interviewed a sample of 2,009 people, representative of the GB adult population.
Direct Line Insurance plc. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Calls may be recorded. Conditions apply.
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