Sporting double indemnity

Douglas Duncan (Letters, September) is correct to suggest that he pays twice for his sporting licence insurance.

He probably does – in the same way he would if he took out specific travel insurance that would partially double up with his credit card cover.

However, leaving aside the fact the total of his premiums for personal accident and third-party liability would only be a fraction of his overall golfing costs, consideration must be given to the cover granted.

Mr Duncan is spot-on with the personal accident insurance aspect of cover that is granted for tiny amounts in the sporting licence insurances and not much more in personal policies. Mr Duncan demonstrates its relative lack of use.

The real problem, however, lies with the third-party aspect of his cover.

If he were to injure someone badly, the sums he might be liable for could be very high, and could exceed the combined limits of indemnity in his licence and personal insurances – not forgetting that his personal insurances might carry exclusions for undeclared activities or for sporting competitions. Or they might hide behind the notion that they would not pay if a more specific policy were in place.

In France, sporting authorities and clubs are anxious to protect their own liabilities and they do this by insisting that all members take out their own cover by way of the licence.

Mr Duncan highlights a belt-and-braces situation but that is the way things are done here and the end result is that members and third parties are all adequately covered for comparatively minor outlays in premiums.

Geoffrey Auckland, Loir et Cher