www.thebmc.co.uk TRAVEL & ACTIVITY INSURANCE GUIDE » 2011 WORKING FOR CLIMBERS, HILL WALKERS AND MOUNTAINEERS medical expenses » search & rescue » cancellation » personal belongings » personal accident » hospital benefit » access & conservation | clubs & huts | climbing walls | competitions | equipment advice | guide books | member discounts | safety & skills | insurance ON COMPLETION OF THE APPLICATION FORM PLEASE RETURN, FOR FREE, TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS: British Mountaineering Council FREEPOST NAT 11244 Manchester M20 7ZA Q1
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www.thebmc.co.uk
travel & activity insurance guide » 2011
working for climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers
medical expenses » search & rescue » cancellation » personal belongings » personal accident » hospital benefit »
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British mountaineering council
free pOst nat 11244
manchester m20 7Za
Q1
all policies come with a personalised emergency contact card
twice THE Benefitnot only do you benefit from a fully competitive insurance scheme, but all surplus generated is invested back into projects that benefit hill walkers, climbers and mountaineers…
…SOtheONLYOnetOprOfitISYOu!
COVERYOuCANtrustTheBmc is committedtotheinterestsofallhillwalkers,climbersandmountaineers,soitofferswiderangingcover,freefromunreasonablerestrictionsandexclusions
“ Bmc insurance… for me it’s the only choice.”SirChrisBonington
the British mountaineering council (Bmc) is delighted to offer you an exceptional range of travel and activity insurance for cover around the globe. whether you are a hill walker, adventure traveller, climber or mountaineer you can benefit from a specialist policy developed by one of our active experts.
The BMC is regulated and authorised by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), so providing you with greater reassurance of our service, finance and competence standards. You can find out more about our service standards on page 10.
Be aware that many low cost policies can threaten the security of the market with cheap premiums equalling low service levels, strict policy wording, high excesses and low understanding of medical and rescue cover in the outdoors.
By purchasing BMC travel insurance you will benefit twice. In addition to receiving excellent insurance cover any surpluses are reinvested to support the BMC’s vital access and conservation work and other important work programs including safety, training and technical investigation of equipment failure.
THEpOLICYOptiOnsthere are five policies to choose from, between them providing cover for a range of leisure, travel, hill walking, trekking, climbing, skiing and mountaineering activities. simply choose the policy that covers your activities and refer to the premium table for a choice of time periods and territorial coverage.
TerrITorIAl cOVerageuK: For travel within the United Kingdom (england, Northern Ireland, Scotland & Wales) only.europe: The United Kingdom, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Channel Islands, Croatia, Czech republic, Denmark, eire, estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Isle of Man, Italy, latvia, liechtenstein, lithuania, luxembourg, Macedonia, Madeira, Mediterranean Islands (including Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza; Corsica; Sardinia; Sicily; Malta, Gozo; Crete, rhodes & other Greek Islands; Northern & Southern Cyprus), Moldova, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, romania, russian Federation (West of Urals), Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, & the Ukraine. Albania, although in europe, is excluded from our definition. If you wish to visit Albania or are likely to travel outside the countries specified you will need one of our Worldwide covers.worldwide excluding usa, canada, caribbean and polar regionsworldwide: Includes USA, Canada, Caribbean & Polar regions.
summarY oF cOVerMedicalExpenses upto£10millionRescue/Recovery upto£100,000HospitalBenefit upto£1,000personalAccident upto£10,000personalLiability upto£2millionBaggage/personalpossessions(incl cameras/watches) upto£2,000Lossofpassport upto£250Money&Documents upto£500Cancellation/Curtailment upto£5,000DelayedDeparture upto£100MissedDeparture upto£500LegalExpenses&Advice upto£25,000alpine & skiandexpeditionpoliciesonly:AvalancheClosure upto£500pisteClosure upto£300Skipack upto£250for further information, see pages 7–9
prOfessiOnal Cover
extends the benefits under the policy to persons receiving remuneration for mountaineering activities (excluding liability arising from paid instruction).
additiOnal BAGGAGe cOVerextends the benefits of the policy to cover £3000 of baggage on payment of the premium specified on the table above.
snOwBOardingDue to our claims experience additional snowboarding cover is subject to a loading of 100% on Alpine & Ski rates.
familY rateFor 2.5× any selected policy premium the benefits of that that policy will be extended to cover two adults, under 65, and two of their children (up to 17 years inclusive). Children under 2 years of age can be included on this policy free of charge.
children (Bmc memBers)
Premiums for children aged up to 17 years (inclusive) at time of travelling with an insured adult can be covered for the following premium rates:
cOuples rateFor 1.8× any selected policy premium the benefits of that policy can be extended to cover two adults, under 65, living at the same address, who are married or living together as married.
annual multi trip PolICIeSAnnualmultitrippoliciesrepresentverygoodvalueformoneyandcancoveryou,notonlyforyouroverseasactivities,butalsoyourregularactivitiesintheUK.
BMC policies offer you a wide range of cover free from unreasonable restrictions or exclusions. What’s more, our experience and reputation mean that when things go wrong, you can have confidence in an insurance you can trust.
“ trust, peace of mind and great service are what i associate with Bmc insurance.”GlendaHuxter
All types of skiing plus climbing most peaks of up to 6,500m.
what’s covered: All types of skiing including on-piste, off-piste, cross-country, touring, downhill, telemark, nordic, heli-skiing and ski-mountaineering. Snowboarding can be covered on payment of additional premium. Scottish Winter climbing, ice climbing, alpine climbing. All climbing in europe and most peaks worldwide up to 6,500m.
examples: Technical Winter climbing in Scotland. Mont Blanc and all the european Alps, Climbers’ Haute route Chamonix-Zermatt. Kilimanjaro (Western Breach route), Mt Kenya (Batian & Nelion routes). Southern Alps (New Zealand & Australia). Denali (Western Buttress only), Mt Foraker, Mt Hunter & Mooses Tooth. Chugach, Bugaboos, Cascade ranges, Wind rivers & Canadian rockies. Amphu labsta & Gondogoro passes, Tent Peak (Tharpa Chuli), Parchamo, lobuje east, Spantik. Sajama, Antisana, Cayambe, Illiniza, ojos Salados, Huascaran, Illimani, Muztag Ata.
what’s not covered: Climbing in remote or inaccessible regions. exploratory expeditions and new routes on unclimbed peaks in very remote areas. High-altitude technical climbing over 6,500m, especially in the Greater ranges (Himalaya, Tien Shan, Karakoram, Andes etc).
Other sports covered: All ‘Travel’, ‘Trek’, and ‘rock’ activities are covered plus: Cycle racing, rafting, Scuba Diving (limited to 30m depth), Winter Sports including Ice Skating and Dog Sledging. Trekking above 6,500m (excluding remote and inaccessible areas).
For all mountaineering and climbing activities including climbs and expeditions to very inaccessible regions and difficult or extreme high-altitude peaks anywhere in the world.
what’s covered:expeditions attempting new routes or exploratory mountaineering in the high mountains of Asia, South America, the Arctic and Antarctic.
examples: everest, Cho oyu, Ama Dablam, K2, Denali, Aconcagua (Polish Glacier routes etc), Shishapangma, Mt vinson.
Other sports covered:Covers all activities under other policies.
greater rangesThe high mountains of Asia and South America and the mountains of the Arctic and Antarctic.
Cover for individuals or family BMC members who are not participating in any sports but require basic short-term medical, travel and baggage cover. This travel policy provides the benefits of medical, travel, and baggage insurance without the additional premium loading of a sports policy. The Travel only policy is restricted to single trip cover. Annual cover is available with the Trek, rock, Alpine & Ski and expedition policies.
For rock climbing and bouldering – indoors and outside up to 6,500m.what’s covered: Bouldering, sport climbing, trad climbing, abseiling, multi-pitch climbing, big walling, soloing, deep-water soloing (including the use of leader-placed gear & all forms of fixed equipment). Indoor climbing walls.
examples: Fontainbleau, el Chorro, Kalymnos, Colorado, Wadi rum, Troll Wall, Yosemite, crags in alpine valleys with no glacial approaches, val di Mello, Dolomites, Marathon des Sables.
what’s not covered:rock climbs with crevassed approaches or descents. Any snow or ice climbing.
Other sports covered:All ‘Travel’ and ‘Trek’ activities are covered, plus: Mountain Biking, orienteering, Yachting (inland and coastal waters only). Mountain and cross country running.
Bmc insurance is designed to meet the needs of travellers, hill walkers, trekkers, climbers, skiers and mountaineers, so whatever your activities you should find a policy to meet your needs. in addition to single trip cover, the Bmc also offers a range of annual multi trip policies.
For hill walking, trekking, backpacking and scrambling up to 6,500m.
what’s covered:Mountain walking in Britain – including the use of crampons and ice-axes. All mountain-walking trips including adventurous treks in the Alps and Himalaya. via ferrata. recognised trekking routes with simple glacier crossings and scrambles. Non-technical ascents of easy trekking routes on peaks that do not require the use of technical climbing equipment.
examples: Tour du Mont Blanc, Walkers’ Haute route Chamonix -Zermatt, vie ferrate in the Pyrenees and Dolomites, Mt Toubkal. Kilimanjaro (except Umbwe/Western Breach, Mt Kenya (except Batian & Nelion). Baltoro Glacier-Concordia and K2 Base Camp trek, Annapurna Circuit, Gokyo lake & Cho la Pass, everest Base Camp. Normal trekking routes on: Kala Patar, Naya Kanga, Pisang, ramdung, Stok Kangri, Mera Peak and Island Peak (Imja Tse) but if combined via Amphu labsta is ‘Alpine & Ski’. Inca Trail, Machu Picchu. Normal trekking routes on: Cotopaxi, Chimborazo.
what’s not covered:Ascents of graded climbs. The crossing of high-altitude passes with snow covered crevasses. examples: Biafo-Hispar route, Amphu labsta (Mera Peak-Island Peak), Gondogoro la, Tent Peak (Tharpa Chuli), Paldor, Parchamo, Pokalde, lobuje east.
Other sports covered:Canoeing and Kayaking (inland and coastal waters only), Cycle Touring, riding (excluding jumps), rowing, Snorkelling, Swimming, Surfing.
traVelBasic short-term medical, travel and baggage cover.�Notavailabletothoseaged70andabove.
treKincludes all the activities in traVel plus:�
high altitude & remOte areaincludes all the activities in traVel, treK, rOcK and alpine & sKi plus:�
rOcKincludes all the activities in traVel and treK plus:�
alpine & sKiincludes all the activities in traVel, treK and rOcK plus:�
medical & emergencY exPeNSeS ABroAD £10,000,000For emergency medical, surgical and hospital treatment (including rescue services to take you to hospital).
emergency dental treatment for the immediate relief of pain.
Costs of burial or cremation in the country abroad where your death occurred plus the cost of conveying your ashes to your home address.
Costs of transporting your body to your home address.
reasonable additional charges for accommodation if it is necessary for you to stay beyond the expected return date.
Travel expenses that you have to pay to get back to your home address if you cannot use your return ticket.
expenses incurred in the repatriation of the insured to their home address if it is medically necessary following accidental bodily injury or illness during the period of insurance.
persOnal accident UP To £10,000The following benefits are paid in the event of bodily injury suffered by you during the period of insurance caused by accident, resulting solely and independently of other causes in death or disablement.� � up�to�15� age�16�–�64� age�65� � years�inc.� years�inc.� and�over
eUroPeAN HeAlTH INSUrANCe CArD (ehic)The eHIC entitles the holder to reduced cost or free medical treatment in reciprocating countries. You should bear in mind that the medical cover available will be on the same terms as residents of the country in question.
Apply online at: www.ehic.org.uk
Apply by phone on: 08456062030
Alternatively, pick up a form at your local post office.
The Department of Health’s booklet Health Advice For Travellers advises that even in countries with reciprocal health agreements, some insurance will be necessary as the arrangements may not cover all necessary expenses and would not include the cost of bringing an injured party back to the UK in the event of illness or death.
Where reciprocal arrangements exist, insurance companies will expect you to take reasonable steps to utilise them.
Bmc insurance comes with a 24-hour medical assistance lineIt is reassuring to know that all BMC overseas travel policies are backed by a 24 hour medical assistance line to put you in touch with expert assistance when you need it most. experienced assistance co-ordinators will deal with your call and co-ordinate local support in the country you have visited. Yourpersonalisedemergency contact cardcontainsalltheimportantcontactdetailsforAceAssistance.
TERRITORIAL cOVerage
EMERGENCIESaBrOadit is always wise to carry with you photocopies of important documents such as passport, insurance certificate, travel documents and your ehic, including an emergency home contact address and telephone number.
TRAVELadVicethe Bmc stresses the need for personal responsibility and self-reliance in all mountaineering activities. it makes sense to prepare contingency plans in the event of an emergency, to carry first aid and emergency equipment and to invest in some good first aid training.
The BMC has been actively involved in a number of initiatives aimed at reducing accident statistics still further. These include Good Practice Seminars for university clubs; Alpine Essentials, Winter Essentials, Off Piste Essentials and Hill Walking Essentials DvDs; the provision of subsidised Winter and Alpine training courses; annual winter lectures and a range of publications and booklets on safety. If you would like any more information on the range of publications and fact sheets that we offer please call or visit our online shop at www.bmcshop.co.uk
remember to check any government advice and recommendations provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth office (www.fco.gov.uk) as theremayberestrictionsonthecountryyouintendtovisit.
uK: For travel within the United Kingdom (england, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) only.
europe: The United Kingdom, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Channel Islands, Croatia, Czech republic, Denmark, eire, estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Isle of Man, Italy, latvia, liechtenstein, lithuania, luxembourg, Macedonia, Madeira, Mediterranean Islands (including Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza; Corsica; Sardinia; Sicily; Malta, Gozo; Crete, rhodes and other Greek Islands; Northern and Southern Cyprus), Moldova, Monaco,
Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, romania, russian Federation (West of Urals), Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, and the Ukraine. Albania, although in europe, is excluded from our definition. If you wish to visit Albania or are likely to travel outside the countries specified you will need one of our Worldwide covers.
worldwide excluding usa, canada, caribbean and polar regions
worldwide: Includes USA, Canada, Caribbean and Polar regions.
“ i know i can trust Bmc insurance.”LucyCreamer
“ Bmc insurance… my wife won’t let me go climbing without it.”BenBransby
rescue/recOVerY £100,000The necessary expense of an operation to rescue an Insured Person, whether injured or not, or to recover the body of the insured person who dies.
limit of amount payable
The total amount payable in respect of each insured is £100,000 and the
maximum limit for recovery of a body is £5,000.
legal eXpenses & adVice £25,000The legal costs which you or your personal representative incur to negotiate for your legal rights following an insured incident.
persOnal lIABIlITY £2,000,000All sums which you become personally legally liable to pay if you accidentally injure someone or damage someone else’s property. (excludes USA and Canada, please see policy document for full details.)
Baggage (INClUDING CAMerAS/WATCHeS) £2,000loss or damage during the period of insurance to personal effects (worn or carried as baggage) or to personal baggage in your custody and control.
If baggage is temporarily lost in transit on the outward journey and not restored to you within 12 hours the policy will pay for the emergency purchase of essential replacement items up to £300 per insured in any one period of insurance.
limits of amounts payable.
1. £350 in respect of any single article, pair/set of articles.
2. £350 overall in respect of valuables.
increased baggage cover is available up to £3,000 on payment of the appropriate premium.
lOss oF passpOrt £250reasonable additional travel and accommodation expenses necessarily incurred abroad in obtaining a replacement passport.
cancellatiOn UP To £5,000Covers refund of deposits which are not recoverable and any other amount which you are legally obliged to pay in respect of unused travel and accommodation costs and other pre-paid charges (purchased prior to the date of departure from the United Kingdom and prior to any occurrence giving rise to a claim).
increased cancellation cover is available. please contact the Bmc for rates.
delaYed DePArTUre £100In the event of the delay in departure of a ship or aircraft in which you are booked to travel the policy will
» Pay the sum of £20 for the first full 12 hours of delay and £10 for each subsequent full 12 hours of delay subject to a maximum payment of £100 in all per insured if you are delayed in departing from the UK on your outward journey or if delay occurs at the point of departure on the initial leg of your return journey to the UK.
or» refund non-recoverable deposits and other pre-paid
holiday charges up to a maximum of £5,000 if after 12 hours delayed departure of the outward journey from the UK you choose to cancel the holiday.
missed DePArTUre £500Additional accommodation and travel expenses necessarily incurred in reaching your overseas destination or returning to the UK should you fail to arrive in time to board the vessel or aircraft in which you are booked to travel on the initial international leg of the journey or trip as a result of failure of your public transport or the vehicle in which you are travelling being the subject of an accident or breakdown.
hOspital INCoNveNIeNCe eXpenses £1,000Up to £20 for every complete 24 hour period you are hospitalised.
curtailment oF JOurneY or trip £5,000Proportionate refund of unused travel and accommodation costs or charges in the event of unavoidable abandonment of the journey/trip as a result of any of the following occurring after the commencement of the journey/trip:
» Accidental bodily injury, illness or death of yourself, or your travelling companion, or of any other person with whom you have arranged to stay.
» Accidental bodily injury, serious illness or death of any close relative residing in the UK or of any immediate relative residing elsewhere in the world, of your fiancé(e) or of any close business associate in the UK of any insured under this policy.
catastrOphe Cover £500Up to £500 for extra accommodation and transport costs you need to pay to move to other accommodation of a similar standard to that you originally booked if, as a result of fire, flood, earthquake or storm during your journey you cannot use your accommodation.
hiJacK £1,000Payment of £50 for each period of 24 hours the insured is prevented from reaching the scheduled destination through hijack of the aircraft on which the insured is travelling.
persOnal MoNeY £500loss or theft of cash, traveller’s cheques or travel tickets held for private, not business, purposes.
limits of amounts payable £250 for cash or banknotes, £125 if the insured is under 16 years of age.
tempOrarY lOss oF PerSoNAl BelOngings UP To £300If your personal belongings are temporarily lost on your outward journey, you can claim up to £300 for replacements you need to buy.
annual MUlTI-TrIP pOliciesThe policy is only in force for risks where the period of travel does not exceed 45 days for any single round trip, or 90 days in total per year.
prOfessiOnal Cover OptiOnextends the benefits under the policy to persons receiving remuneration for mountaineering activities (excluding liability arising from paid instruction).
alpine&sKi and high altitude&remOte area policies only:aValanche CloSUre £500Additional travel and accommodation costs necessarily incurred after delay to the insured, either in arriving or not departing from the booked resort due to avalanche, landslide or landslip.
sKi PACK £250Proportional return of the irrecoverable pre-booked cost of the ski pack following injury or illness of the insured occurring during the period of the holiday. This will cover ski school, ski hire and lift pass costs.
piste CloSUre £300This cover is only available for holidays:
a) To the Northern Hemisphere between the months of october and April
b) To the Southern Hemisphere between the months of June and october
If the weather prevents you from skiing at the resort you are booked into, you will be covered for reasonable transport costs to take you to a different resort and for the cost of a lift pass there. If it is not possible to arrange transport to a different resort, you will receive £30 for each whole day’s skiing lost.
can YOu taKe Out Bmc traVel insurance?In order to be eligible for BMC travel insurance you must:
• Have a permanent home address in the UK, and not be living or working abroad.
• Have not yet departed from the UK (unless you are renewing a BMC policy).
• Not be travelling to a country against the advice of the Foreign Office.
• Be a current BMC/MCofS/MI member (or member of an affiliated club) or planning to become a member as part of your travel insurance application.
• Have read and can confirm the statements in the Medical�Declaration:
Bmc travel insurance policies contain health restrictions. it’s very important that you check if you can take out Bmc travel insurance, and what pre-existing medical conditions are covered under our policies.
In order to take out BMC Travel Insurance, you must be able to confirm the following statements:
a All persons to be insured live in the UK, are registered with a GP, and are fit to participate in the sports and activities they wish to cover.
B No person to be insured has been diagnosed with a terminal condition.
c I understand that if anyone travelling has a mental or nervous disorder (including anxiety, stress or depression) then I can buy a policy, but there is no cover for any claims linked to this condition.
If you can’t confirm statementsa, B, and c then you cannot buy BMC Travel Insurance.
medical cOnditiOnsFor full cover you must be able to confirm the following statements for you, and anyone else to be insured:
1 No person has ever had a heart condition or heart-related condition, high blood pressure or a stroke.
2 No person has had treatment for any form of cancer in the last five years.
3 No person has been prescribed any medication in the last 12 months for any long term or ongoing medical condition other than the allowed conditions (see below).
4 No person has any long term or ongoing medical conditions which require regular review, other than the allowed conditions (see below).
5 No person is waiting for medical investigation, referral, treatment or results.
If you cannot confirm these statements you will still be able to buy BMC Travel Insurance but your policy will only cover you for the allowed conditions (see below).
For any medical conditions that are not mentioned in the allowed conditions, there will be no cover for any costs incurred due to that condition. This means any costs, or increase in costs, that have to be paid because of the condition (whether these costs are directly related to the condition or not). For example, if you had an existing lung problem and got a chest infection on holiday, you might be more ill, and take longer to get better, than someone without an existing lung problem. If this happened, the most BMC Travel Insurance would pay would be for the reasonable costs of treatment that someone without a lung condition might have to pay.
please note: You need to be able to confirm the above statements before you book any holiday. if you can’t, or if there is a change in the “declared medical conditions” detailed below, you must contact us immediately.
allOwed cOnditiOns• Acne• ADHD• Allergic rhinitis• Arthritis (the affected person must be able to walk
independently at home without using mobility aids)• Asthma – the diagnosis must have been made when
the affected person was under the age of 50 years, and the asthma be controlled by no more than 2 inhalers
• Blindness or partial sightedness• Carpal tunnel syndrome• Cataracts• Chicken pox – if completely resolved• Common cold or flu• Cuts and abrasions that are not self-inflicted
and require no further treatment• Cystitis – provided there is no ongoing treatment• Deafness• Diabetes (which is controlled by diet or tablets only)• Diarrhoea and vomiting – if completely resolved• Eczema• Enlarged prostate – benign only
the serVice YOu can eXpect
The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) is a specialist provider of travel and activity insurance. ACe Travel Insurance underwrites the policy we created and as we are an intermediary acting on your behalf, we only provide information on the policy we created. We are responsible for the information we give you about our policy. We do not offer the products or services of any other insurers. We are responsible for issuing your policy and giving guidance on policy coverage and suitability for your needs. We are also able to assist with claims, policy amendments or queries throughout your policy period. When you become a customer, we will give you details of how you can make a claim and tell you what your responsibilities are. Along with these Terms of Business, we will provide you with our full policy terms and conditions. The Important Information and Summary of Cover and Applicant’s Declaration must be consulted prior to your completing your policy purchase. If you have any questions about the cover you are purchasing you must be sure these are answered to your satisfaction. If you have not received a copy of the full policy terms and conditions before you book your insurance and on receipt, you are not satisfied with the levels of cover or policy terms, you have a period of 14 days from receipt of your policy in which to cancel the insurance. This is subject to you not having travelled during this period.
hOw tO paYAll premiums are payable at the time of booking your insurance. You make payment by cheque (Payable to The BMC) or credit card (visa, Mastercard, Delta or Switch). There is a £5 charge for policy amendments and cancellations. emergency Assistance card re-prints are free. All premiums quoted include Insurance Premium Tax at the prevailing rate.
YOur dutYIt is your responsibility to provide complete and accurate information to the BMC when you take out your insurance policy and through-out the life of your policy and when you renew your insurance. It is important that you ensure that all statements you make on applications forms, claims forms, internet forms or verbally over the telephone are full and accurate. If you fail to disclose any material information to your insurers, this could invalidate your insurance cover and mean that part or all of your claim may not be paid.
hOw we prOtect YOuThe BMC are members of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) who regulate sales, advisory and service standards to make sure that general insurance customers are treated fairly. As a FSA member, we belong to the FSA Dispute resolution Facility. The BMC complaints procedure is detailed below. A copy of the FSA code is available on request. The BMC have been authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) since the 15th January 2005, providing you with peace of mind and a formal complaints process.
a serVice YOu can trustAll information about you will be treated as private and will not be shared with other parties without your express agreement except with the insurer so that they can provide certain services under the policy, and any information which we may have to disclose to FSA as a condition of our membership. Under the Data Protection
Act 1998, you have the right to see personal information about you that we hold in our records. We will not make your details available to other parties for marketing purposes but we may contact you ourselves to keep you informed of our latest products and services for insurance and membership.
what tO dO if YOu haVe a cOmplaintWe are dedicated to providing a high quality service and want to maintain this at all times. If you are not satisfied with this service, please contact us immediately, quoting your policy details, so that your complaint can be dealt with as soon as possible.
If you have a complaint about the sale of your policy or the customer service you have received please contact:
British Mountaineering Council 177 – 179 Burton Road, West Didsbury, Manchester M20 2BB t: +44 (0)161 445 6111 E: [email protected]
If you have a complaint in relation to claims please contact:
The existence of this complaints procedures does not reduce your statutory. For further information about your statutory rights contact the office of Fair Trading or Citizens Advice Bureau.
FInAnCIAl oMBuDSMAn SERvICE We are a member of the Financial ombudsman Service (FoS), who may be approached for assistance, if you are not satisfied following receipt of our final response. A leaflet explaining its procedure is available on request.
Financial ombudsman Service South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, london E14 9SR t: 0845 080 1800 F: 0207 964 1001 www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk
FInAnCIAl SERvICES CoMPEnSAtIon SChEME In the unlikely event of our being unable to meet our liabilities, you may be entitled to compensation under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Their contact details are:
the British mountaineering council (frn313206) and ace european group limited (frn202803) are authorised and regulated by the financial services authority (fsa). full details of regulatory status can be found on the fsa’s register by visiting www.fsa.gov.uk/register or by contacting the fsa on 0300 500 5000.
please read this carefullY and rememBer the fOllOwing:
1 declaratiOn This insurance policy contains a declaration which is set out
overleaf. You must tell us about anything we have asked in the declaration which may affect this insurance policy.
2 limit Of cOVer each section of the personal insurance cover shows the most
you can claim, but other limits may apply. For example, under Baggage, the overall limit is £2,000 but there is a limit of £350 for any single item and a total limit of £350 for all valuables. We will work out how much we will pay you for baggage claims based on the value of the items at the time of the loss, not the cost of replacing them.
3 lOOKing after YOur BelOngings Many claims for loss or theft are caused by people being
careless with their belongings. If you do not take good care of your belongings, it can be upsetting and inconvenient for you and we may not pay your claim.
4 premium refund You can cancel this policy within 14 days from the date you
receive the policy wording and policy schedule by contacting the BMC. We will then refund your premium in full. No refund of premium is available after the 14 day period.
5 eXcesses We will take an excess off each claim you make under certain
sections of this insurance. The amount you will have to pay towards a claim is shown under each section. If we agree to a medical expenses claim which has been reduced by your using an european Health Insurance Card (eHIC) form or private health insurance, the section excess will not apply.
6 maKing a claim To help us deal with your claim quickly and efficiently, please
read the claims procedure. This explains what documents you will need to support a claim and when you will need this kind of proof. You must collect some of the proof you need, for example a police report, while you are on your trip. For all claims, claims queries and requests for claim forms please contact BMC travel Insurance Claims on +44 (0) 1293 726 434. The phone lines are open 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday.
7 preparing fOr YOur trip Before engaging in sports or leisure activities, you should
ensure that all reasonable local safety advice has been obtained and is followed. This includes obtaining details of all the local emergency rescue services such as mountain rescue and taking such details with you.
8 getting help Emergency Assistance
It is your responsibility to prepare and initiate communication with local emergency services, such as mountain rescue. As soon as this help has been arranged and if appropriate, you may then wish to notify ACe Assistance, so they can be ready to get involved once you have been taken to the nearest appropriate medical facility.
ACE Assistance 24/7 If you simply need medical treatment abroad or mountain rescue
have brought you down to a local hospital, getting the right medical care can present difficulties. BMC Travel policies have access to the 24/7 365 ACe Assistance service. Your case will be managed by a major assistance company who will have multi-lingual staff and medical expertise to coordinate your care and if necessary your repatriation.
More details on the assistance service are given on your rescue Card and ultimately in the “Medical Assistance and referral Services” section of the policy wording.
The contract will be subject to english law unless otherwise agreed. Please ensure you read your insurance policy carefully. Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the policy may result in cover being restricted. Specimen policies setting out in full all terms, conditions and exclusions may be obtained from the BMC.
impOrtantINfORMATIONINSURANCE YOu CAN trustBmc insurance is designed by experts to give you reassurance and peace of mind wherever you travel.
2 Bmc MEMBERSHIpAll insured must be current members of a mountaineering Council.IamcurrentlyamemberoftheBritishMountaineeringCouncil(BMC)/MountaineeringCouncilofScotland(MCofS)/MountaineeringIreland(MI)
Family membership (up to 2 adults & three children at the same address)†† £51.00
Individual member (Club)††† £15.20
pleaseadd£10totheaboveratesifyourequiremembershipdetailssentoverseas(Eire,EuropeorWorldwide).† Concessionary membership for under 18s, full time students and the unemployed (please supply proof of status).
†† Family membership includes up to 2 adults and 3 children (under 18) living at the same address. Please supply family names and dates of birth.
††† Fully paid up members of BMC affiliated clubs can gain access to the full range of Individual Membership benefits on payment of this additional premium.
I wish to add the following discounted annual magazine subscriptions:
Climb £33.00
Climber £32.00
Trail (13 editions) £34.00
Country Walking (13 editions) £34.00
3 periOd OfCOVER
For single trip insurance, date of departure from home address in the UK.
note: Insurance under a single trip policy must cover the full duration of a round trip, starting and finishing in the UK. For annual policies Cancellation Cover only takes effect from the start date, but for single trip policies it takes effect from the issue date.
4 tYpe OfCOVERNameofpolicy
Travel Trek Rock Alpine&SkiFor High Altitude and remote Area policies please contact the office.
TerritorialCoverage
UK Europe Worldwideexcl.* Worldwide*(excluding USA, Canada, Caribbean and Polar regions)
TypeofpolicyIndividual family Couple ChildPlease supply details of any other insured on a photocopy or on a separate sheet of paper. insert premium
Timeperiod(5 days, annual multi-trip, etc)
NumberofadditionalweeksMaximum 5 weeks
Snowboarding(applicable to Alpine & Ski only)
professionalCover
ExtendedBaggageCover
Totalpremium(For family rate x2.5 or Couples rate x1.8or Age related percentage)
total payment(including membership)
Start Date
First Name
Surname
Date of Birth
Daytime Telephone Number
Address
Postcode
5 paYment (£STERLING)If you are paying by credit card please insert your details below
please debit my mastercard/Visa/maestro card no:
Issue No. (If Shown) 3 Digit Security Code**
Card expiry Date valid from (If Applicable)
** The card security code is a unique three digit number printed at the top of the signature strip on the reverse of your debit/credit card. If there are more than three numbers the code will be the last 3 numbers in the sequence. Please supply address to which your card statement is sent IF it is different from that detailed above.
cheques or postal Orders should be made payable to: British mountaineering council and crossed a/c payee.
6 final DECLARATIONI have read and agree with the terms and conditions of the MedicalDeclaration (page 11). As with all insurance, this policy has benefits, exclusions, and conditions upon which we intend to rely. You should review the SummaryofCover,TermsofBusiness, andImportantInformation (pages 7–12) in full before you buy to ensure it meets your needs. If you have any questions, please give us a call on 0161 445 6111.
I confirm that I am not in arrears with my subscription to the BMC/Club/organisation.
If you have supporting documents to send to us you can do this Free using the following address.
British mountaineering council free pOst nat 11244 manchester m20 7Za.
