The 21-year-old had her claim for theft denied - because the insurer required her to have removed her front wheel and saddle while locking it in a public place.
A student has won her battle against her insurer, after it refused to pay out when her bike was stolen.
Rehana Khanam, an engineering student currently studying at Cambridge University, was told by Endsleigh after the theft that her claim would not be successful. Despite her securing the £350 cycle with a strong lock outside the lecture hall where it was stolen, she was informed by the insurer that only those bikes which had had their front wheels and saddles removed could be claimed for.
The 21-year-old then found that this requirement was in her initial insurance contract within the small print, the Guardian reports. However, after redoubling her efforts to claim the money back on the grounds that she had been denied by an "absurd technicality", Ms Khanam has subsequently gained the £350 back.
"The whole thing has been ridiculous, and has made me think twice about ever using Endsleigh again," she told the newspaper. "The bike was a 21st birthday present and as such was priceless to me."
In a statement, Endsleigh said that it had updated its policies this year - and that Ms Khanam only initially missed out on winning her claim due to her taking out a policy prior to these changes being made. "Customers do not now need to remove the front wheel, saddle or any other part of the bicycle in order to be covered from theft; we recognised that this was often impractical for policyholders and so have updated our cover in order to make things easier for our customers," the firm said in a statement.
"Although Ms Khanam's older policy clearly stated that they should be removed in order for it to be covered, we have decided to retrospectively pay her claim in light of the updated policies and as a goodwill gesture to a valued customer."
