Perennial problem with annual policies

We planned to take a holiday from 23 November, so, on 8 November, I bought Marks & Spencer's annual travel insurance. On 17 November, my brother-in-law died suddenly. We cancelled the trip but our claim was turned down by Axa, the underwriter, because the policy did not start until the 23rd. The internet question form did not ask us to put down a start date, only the date of our first intended holiday.

Axa said that, if the policy had been for a one-off trip, there would not have been a problem.
MM
Holt

A single-trip policy covers the exact dates you are away but, if you need to cancel before that start date, the policy will pay up. Annual policies run for 12 months from a set date and will not pay out if you have to cancel before then. Axa says you chose to start the policy on the day you were going away but you are adamant that, last November, the website asked only for the date of your first holiday. Axa is going to make the wording clearer and, because of the confusion, Axa and Marks & Spencer have agreed to pay your claim minus £50 excess per person. You will get an ex gratia payment of £478.

The pain in Spain of fund losses


In 2000, a financial adviser in Spain, Henry Woods, advised me to invest £30,000 in Premier Low Risk Fund with capital 100 per cent secure. Last year I received no income and was not given a satisfactory explanation.

I decided to cash in the fund directly with the manager and received £19,000 after suffering a 28 per cent market value adjustment (MVA). I feel I was badly advised as I was quite specific that I wanted low risk with income.
JR
Alicante

Advisers operating in Spain are not covered by UK investor legislation but even here you cannot complain because an investment has lost value - only when sold the wrong product.

The website for Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV), the Spanish equivalent of the Financial Services Authority, shows that Henry Woods Associates is not authorised to offer investment services in Spain.

Henry Woods' managing director, Donald Nott, says the CNMV does not govern giving advice and, he says, the company has certificates to prove it operates within Spanish law. 'If CNMV feels that a complaint is justifiable they can issue a denuncia [formal charge or accusation] against us, which has happened.'

Contact CNMV in Madrid or by e-mail to investors@cnmv.es

Going nowhere on mobile home


Our static mobile holiday home sits on its own land rather than in a mobile- home park. Churchill will not renew our insurance.
CO
Devizes

You have uncovered a serious problem for mobile-home owners who do not keep their caravans on registered sites: no one will insure them now.

I thought it couldn't be that difficult to find a specialist insurer, but all said they will not insure mobile homes on private land because there have been too many claims, with a suspiciously high number for burnt-out caravans. Churchill, which bought Prudential's general business, says it took a commercial decision to quit this market.

Absorbing the cause of fraud


I made an online transaction to buy natural sponges from an American company, paying by Barclaycard. I was asked for extra postage which could be paid only through a PayPal account. Two hours later, I got a call at home from Barclays' security and fraud department asking about unusual transactions on my account. They would not tell me why.
NL
London

As this was the first time you had used PayPal, it credited £1.01 and immediately debited the same amount to test that your account was working, followed by the genuine charge. Because there were three transactions in a short time, Barclays' anti-fraud software alerted staff that a fraud could be taking place. It wasn't.

iCommonsense in the end


Last October, I bought an Apple iBook for my son and was told that, if I bought an iPod at the same time, I would receive £130 cashback - and I met the 9 December deadline set out on the application form to claim it.

Apple turned down my claim because, in the small print, it also said that forms must be sent in within 30 days of the purchase with the labels off the product boxes. The goods were delivered 29 days after the purchase date and left with a neighbour without any note to me. I chased Apple, which took 31 days to tell me where the goods were. Apple is sticking to the 30 day rule.
CB
Henley-in-Arden

Apple has taken a more commonsense attitude to cashback cut-off dates than certain electrical retailers and has now sent you £130 with apologies for the confusion.

· Email Margaret Dibben at money.writes@observer.co.uk or write to Margaret Dibben, Money Writes, The Observer, 3-7 Herbal Hill, London EC1R 5EJ and include a telephone number. Do not enclose SAEs or original documents. Letters are selected for publication and we cannot give personal replies. The newspaper accepts no legal responsibility for advice.