Carole Nash - Not all they're cracked up to be.

[Les K]

What a palaver I've had with insurance companies with Green card cover fort Ukraine and Russia, made much worse by awful service from Carole Nash. OK, it may not have been the best timing when I changed my bike only 6 weeks before setting off for Mongolia/China. For some strange reason my existing insurers wouldn't cover my new bike, a '56' reg BMW 650 Dakar, so I went to Carole Nash. They have, after all, such a good reputation.

Writing up my new policy was quick and efficient, the guy was all too pleased to welcome the new custom, and didn't baulk at the planned trip I outlined. He certainly didn't indicate there would be any problems of insurance cover outside the EU, I used them because they advertised 90 days cover for foreign travel. And so, with just over three weeks before departure, I phoned up and arranged my Green card for Ukraine and Russia. No problems, the guy supposedly checked with the underwriters and the docs would be sent out direct. Except after ten days no paperwork came through.

Oh no, I was then informed, your insurers won't cover you at all for Russia and a fee of £90 must be paid for Ukraine. Which I found unacceptable and researched alternatives, successfully. Carole Nash agreed they'd misinformed me and offered to waive the fee for Ukraine, but still wouldn't provide cover for Russia, so I defected. Despite their mistake, their failure to inform me of the problem and inability to fully rectify the problem they then went and charged me a £76 cancellation fee.

I'm flabbergasted by this and think people should be aware that Carole Nash claim none of their insurers off much in the way of cover outside the EU, I only wonder why I was not told this when I initially took out the policy.