They say experience is hard-won, but worth it. Here is my latest!
We are not new to motorhoming [6+ years] nor to continental travel, but we have never travelled outside Europe and when the chance to join the escorted C & CC Moroccan Tour [October 2012] came up, we signed up straight away. I figured there would be some costs beyond the basic tour price, for example, outbound and return ferry crossings, and probably extensions to our existing vehicle insurance, breakdown cover, and personal health cover, but assumed that as we are insured through the C & CC's own Club Care for both vehicle and breakdown at home and in Europe, it would be straightforward....................hmmmm.......
I should stress that what follows is no criticism of the staff at either Carefree or Club Care - they were all courteous and patient, but at the end of the day, I still feel miffed, or perhaps poorly informed upfront.
Although the Tour itself is from 1st to 24th October, we planned to allow 2-3 weeks extra on the outward journey and 2 weeks on the return. My first surprise was that whilst Club Care would cover the driving and vehicle insurance in Morocco [though only 3rd party and for a hefty £85 additional premium] they do not provide breakdown cover for Morocco. I'm not happy to take a £40K van on 3rd party cover only, but more of that later.
I then rang Carefree and got my second surprise. They do provide Moroccan breakdown cover, but it has to be purchased in multiples of one month [and the cost starts at £120 for one month, with some discounts for additional months], and they insist on linking the cover period to the dates of leaving and returning to home! So my assumption that as we were already covered by Club Care Breakdown for Europe, I would only need Moroccan breakdown cover for the duration of that part of the trip proved to be off-beam too.
Surprise number three was that Carefree would not even quote for that cover until I had a confirmed, booked, return crossing date. This was not what we intended; we had of course already booked the outbound crossing, but had planned on taking our time on the way back and maybe extending our stay either in Spain or France. So I duly booked a return crossing [on the understanding that I could ring in and amend it to a later crossing..........on payment of an admin "change" charge of course!].
So in the end, I have a 2-month breakdown cover when in fact I only need 24 days, and have paid for that privilege, and it had to be handled by two separate arms of what seems to me to be one entity [C & C Club].
I have to wonder why the C & CC cannot arrange their insurance and breakdown cover so that it automatically meets the needs of their own customers.
But I have learned several valuable lessons, and will not make the same mistake again.
I said I would return to the 3rd party cover issue. Club Care helpfully said that they do in fact use two underwriters and that the other [not the one I'm with!] does offer fully comp cover for Morocco and that as my policy is due for renewal before we go, they will quote both on my renewal invitation. Which is good, but no doubt that will be dearer too!
I hope this helps someone else,
best regards from a wiser, though poorer, Gary.:Angry :Sad:
We are not new to motorhoming [6+ years] nor to continental travel, but we have never travelled outside Europe and when the chance to join the escorted C & CC Moroccan Tour [October 2012] came up, we signed up straight away. I figured there would be some costs beyond the basic tour price, for example, outbound and return ferry crossings, and probably extensions to our existing vehicle insurance, breakdown cover, and personal health cover, but assumed that as we are insured through the C & CC's own Club Care for both vehicle and breakdown at home and in Europe, it would be straightforward....................hmmmm.......
I should stress that what follows is no criticism of the staff at either Carefree or Club Care - they were all courteous and patient, but at the end of the day, I still feel miffed, or perhaps poorly informed upfront.
Although the Tour itself is from 1st to 24th October, we planned to allow 2-3 weeks extra on the outward journey and 2 weeks on the return. My first surprise was that whilst Club Care would cover the driving and vehicle insurance in Morocco [though only 3rd party and for a hefty £85 additional premium] they do not provide breakdown cover for Morocco. I'm not happy to take a £40K van on 3rd party cover only, but more of that later.
I then rang Carefree and got my second surprise. They do provide Moroccan breakdown cover, but it has to be purchased in multiples of one month [and the cost starts at £120 for one month, with some discounts for additional months], and they insist on linking the cover period to the dates of leaving and returning to home! So my assumption that as we were already covered by Club Care Breakdown for Europe, I would only need Moroccan breakdown cover for the duration of that part of the trip proved to be off-beam too.
Surprise number three was that Carefree would not even quote for that cover until I had a confirmed, booked, return crossing date. This was not what we intended; we had of course already booked the outbound crossing, but had planned on taking our time on the way back and maybe extending our stay either in Spain or France. So I duly booked a return crossing [on the understanding that I could ring in and amend it to a later crossing..........on payment of an admin "change" charge of course!].
So in the end, I have a 2-month breakdown cover when in fact I only need 24 days, and have paid for that privilege, and it had to be handled by two separate arms of what seems to me to be one entity [C & C Club].
I have to wonder why the C & CC cannot arrange their insurance and breakdown cover so that it automatically meets the needs of their own customers.
But I have learned several valuable lessons, and will not make the same mistake again.
I said I would return to the 3rd party cover issue. Club Care helpfully said that they do in fact use two underwriters and that the other [not the one I'm with!] does offer fully comp cover for Morocco and that as my policy is due for renewal before we go, they will quote both on my renewal invitation. Which is good, but no doubt that will be dearer too!
I hope this helps someone else,
best regards from a wiser, though poorer, Gary.:Angry :Sad:
