Kiwi family hit travel insurance trouble after San Francisco car robbery

Tom (left), Matilda, Henry and Nicole Mayson in Yosemite National Park after their luggage was stolen. Photo / Tom Mayson

An Auckland family is warning fellow travellers to push back against rejected insurance claims after a claim for $16,000 was mistakenly rejected.

Tom Mayson, his wife Nicola and two children Matilda, 11, and Henry, 10, had been in the US for one day when all of their luggage was stolen from the boot of their rental car. Tower Insurance initially stated the incident was not coverable in a letter to Mayson who challenged the decision. The company later told the Herald there had been an error and the claim was valid.

“It was a bit of a once-in-a-lifetime family holiday,” Mayson said of the six-week trip around US national parks and Mexico. The direct flight to San Francisco on July 9 went smoothly, as did collecting the Ford Explorer. Things took a turn the next day when they went to a restaurant for lunch and returned to their SUV to find the tinted windows smashed and all six suitcases gone.

Windows of the rented Ford Explorer were smashed in San Francisco. Photo / Tom Mayson

Passports were untouched but more than $16,000 worth of belongings were stolen, including laptops, smartphones, North Face rain jackets and tramping boots. Instead of Yosemite, the family headed to the police station to make a report and learn how common this situation was.

“Everyone was like, ‘Oh, yeah, this is what happens. This is why we leave our boots open’,” said Mayson. It didn’t matter if valuables were visible, police told them; seasoned thieves knew common rental car models and targeted them. “They break in then look for stuff, not the other way around,” the 44-year-old was told.

The family had paid $1094 for an “International Comprehensive” travel insurance plan with Tower (underwritten by Allianz), so they spent a further US$800 ($1300) on essentials and made it to Yosemite that night, eight hours late but determined to enjoy themselves.

“I’m really proud of how we kind of took it in stride,” Mayson said, adding they felt a little more vulnerable than usual but didn’t let it ruin the trip. On July 27, they found time while abroad to file an insurance claim with Tower and felt certain it would be approved.

“I mean, it doesn’t get any more bread and butter than this,” he said of the robbery.

Windows of the rented Ford Explorer were smashed in San Francisco. Photo / Tom Mayson

Family shocked by denied claim

On September 16, Mayson received a letter from an Allianz claims consultant. The claim was denied as the circumstance fell within the policy exclusions and “cover will not extend to items which are stolen where reasonable care has not been taken”.

The specific exclusion states items stolen from a car are covered if they were in a locked luggage compartment. If the car has no lockable compartment, items must be hidden from outside view.

Mayson was shocked by the result but his brother, who works in commercial insurance in Australia, was “livid”. He replied the next day as he was confused by the letter’s wording.

The letter first states: “We are unable to offer you settlement as your claim arises from theft of personal baggage left in view of a locked vehicle,” stated the letter, viewed by the Herald.

The next line, however, states the bags were located in the boot and not a locked luggage compartment, so are excluded from cover.

“There was no lockable luggage compartment in the motor vehicle that could accommodate our luggage, therefore: ‘the items must be unable to be seen from outside the locked vehicle’,” Mayson replied, quoting the policy.

Yet, the letter appears to acknowledge the bags were hidden, Mayson said.

“We understand that your luggage may have been out of sight under your wife’s shawl and the windows of the rental vehicle were tinted”, the letter states but claims this is not considered adequate security.

“There’s really nothing else we reasonably could have done,” he told the Herald.

Mayson encourages travellers to battle for claims

On Monday, Herald Travel contacted Allianz and Tower about Mayson’s rejected claim. Today, a new claims consultant contacted Mayson to say the event was coverable and they could claim insurance.

However, Mayson remains frustrated about what he feels are tactics to get customers to accept rejected.

“It’s not what’s fair or what’s right,” he said, adding that their family would have let it go if the amount had not been so significant.

Allianz New Zealand managing director Kevin Blyth said the opposite is true.

“We’re committed to fair and transparent outcomes for all our customers,” he said, adding that the company helps 200,000 Kiwis each year with claims.

Blyth said the company was also reviewing it’s processes to improve service and the claims experience.

Despite the prospect of claiming back money, Mayson said he was most invested with seeing change within the industry.

“Of course, you know, we’re hoping that the insurance company will see reason and pay us, but the dream outcome is much bigger.”