Holiday Selfies May Void Your Insurance Claim
We are currently living in a time where everything is shared on Facebook, from whatever you ate for breakfast to where you're going on holiday or what you're doing over the weekend. People especially love posting holiday selfies and telling all their friends where they're going for their travels. However, holidaymakers are being told that these posts could invalidate their home insurance if their house gets broken into while they're away. Insurers are checking people's social media accounts after claims are made to see if they have flaunted their holiday via status updates or pictures. This can then be used as a reason for the insurer to not pay out.
This may seem very unfair, however, a majority of insurers will have a 'reasonable care' clause in their terms and conditions which allows them to avoid paying out if the policy holder wasn't careful enough with their possessions. An 'old school' example of this would be when a claim isn't paid out because doors or windows have been left open. More and more examples of these exceptions are just becoming more apparent with the evolution of society and technology.
The Police have issued warnings saying that potential criminals are likely to check social media before striking to see whether the owners have announced any holidays. A Financial Ombudsman Service spokesman said: "It's possible that your insurance cover could be affected if you explicitly announce your plans on social media. You wouldn't put a poster up on your front lawn saying that you're going on holiday."
James Savery, 28 April 2015