Hundreds drop ‘bogus’ holiday food bug claims
... but only after foreign police threaten to take tourists to court
Spanish court probes UK tourists over ‘fake stomach bug’ payouts From Saturday’s Mail ‘Expose this kind of fraud’
British holidaymakers are dropping bogus food poisoning compensation claims following a major crackdown by tour operators, hotels and the police.
Travel company TUI, which owns Thomson, told the Mail it had already seen one law firm ditch more than 1,800 cases against it.
Fraudulent sickness claims made by British tourists after staying in all-inclusive hotels have become common and tens of thousands of claims have been made in the past year alone, according to industry trade body ABTA. Some hoteliers in countries such as Spain and Portugal have threatened to ban British travellers or to prosecute them for fraud.
holiday firms blame claims management companies for encouraging holidaymakers to submit false complaints. These claims firms take a cut of any compensation awarded.
Some hotels have reported that ambulance chasers are parking vans outside their premises, touting for business. Firms are also cold-calling people, urging them to claim on a no win, no fee basis, and sending messages to tourists via social media.
Experts say the surge in this type of claim has resulted from a crackdown on the amount firms can charge to make personal injury or whiplash claims in the UK – as there is no cap on legal fees for injuries sustained abroad.
The Foreign Office’s travel advice website warns that making false claims risks prosecution, and you could face a fine or even jail.
As part of its travel advice for Spain, the FO says: ‘There have been reports of an increase in holidaymakers being encouraged to submit a claim for personal injury if they have experienced gastric illness during their stay.
‘If you make a false or fraudulent claim, you may face legal proceedings in the UK or Spain.’
Similar advice is offered for Bulgaria, Greece, Portugal and Turkey. TUI told the Mail that Spanish police are poised to launch criminal proceedings against hundreds of Britons suspected of making false claims after staying at hotels on Majorca.
Customers who have submitted false claims should expect legal action to be taken, the firm warned. Fake claims are said to cost the travel industry tens of millions of pounds, pushing up the price of packaged holidays.
Thomson said it has seen a 1,400 per cent increase in claims in the past two years alone, which does not correspond with actual reports of sickness at hotels.
Nick Longman, managing director of TUI UK & Ireland, said: ‘We have had a very positive meeting with the Spanish police to discuss the unprecedented levels of illness claims. We fully support the steps they are taking to expose this kind of fraud and to investigate false or exaggerated cases.
‘We’ve already seen one law firm drop more than 1,800 cases against us. We remain committed to doing all that we can to put a stop to this activity and protect honest holidaymakers.’