Pritesh Mehta could have been in dire
straits after he lost his baggage in London. Instead, he called his travel
insurer and sorted the issue calmly.
There’s nothing worse than losing your
baggage in a foreign land. But Pritesh Mehta* (36) found that losing one’s
belongings abroad is not the end of the world. “I was in London three months
ago to visit my friends. Then there was a wedding in my uncle’s family, so I
stayed back for the reception. I was in London for two weeks – and though I was
alone, I had the time of my life!” he says.
In his second week in London, Pritesh, a
Sherlock Holmes fan, wanted to visit Baker Street. “It was my biggest wish to
see the street of my favourite literary hero,” he explains. “I was so excited
about seeing Baker Street that I was a little careless. I had a shoulder bag
and a large wallet with my travel documents in it. When I alighted from the
taxi, I forgot my bag behind,” he explains.
He had not noted the taxi’s number and he
didn’t realise the loss till the taxi had disappeared from view. The irony of
the situation was not lost on him – it was a situation that called for the
services of Sherlock Holmes! “That bag contained some food, my travellers’
cheques, some cash and my camera. But after rushing up and down the street in
panic, I suddenly remembered something important. And I calmed down at once,”
Pritesh says. He had remembered that he had a very good travel insurance policy
– and the policy could pay to replace his lost belongings.
Thanking his stars that he had had the
foresight to buy the best abroad
travel insurance, Pritesh proceeded to call up his insurer. “The customer
care executive guided me on the procedure to file for insurance, telling me
that I would first need to file a police report. I was to attach a copy of the
police report with the claims application form, which the company emailed me at
once. Though I would probably never see my bag again, at least my insurance was
about to pay for my lost belongings,” he reasons. “I proceeded to the police
station and filed a complaint. Meanwhile, the claims application form had come
through. I just followed the instructions the insurer gave me.”
