A traveller who said his bag was swiped by thieves on a motorcycle has lost a claims dispute after failing to show he owned the items that were reported stolen.

The man lodged his claim after reporting that crooks approached him from behind while he was walking on a street overseas, grabbed his backpack and sped away.  

He said the bag contained several personal items, including an iPhone, luxury glasses and a laptop, worth more than $4000 combined, plus $250 in cash.  

Lloyd’s Australia agreed to cover the cash but denied a payout for the other items on the basis the man had not shown original receipts, proof of payments or confirmation that the iPhone’s IMEI unique identity number had been blocked, which would indicate it had been stolen.  

The complainant said he bought all three items with cash in Istanbul about a year before the incident. He said he had no physical receipts but his stolen phone may have contained photos of the receipts.  

He said he did not use the iPhone for regular communication and could not block it because he could not remember his login details.  

The claimant referred to a police report to show the theft occurred and argued that should be enough to have the claim covered.  

In its dispute decision, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority says the police report "is merely a factor to consider when ascertaining if a theft occurred", and does not show the man owned the items.  

It says the travel policy clearly stated it would not respond if claimants could not prove ownership of items. The policy also featured exclusions if a stolen phone’s IMEI number had not been blocked.  

AFCA’s ombudsman accepts that “the insurer’s request for sufficient evidence of ownership is reasonable and aligns with the terms and conditions of the policy. While I empathise with the complainant’s circumstances, the onus rested with him to provide sufficient evidence to support he owned the disputed items.”  

Click here for the ruling.

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