A travel agency failed to book insurance for its clients, and then objected to paying them £750 which was stolen on holiday.
The agency had told the robbery victims that had they been covered, their insurance would not have paid out the full amount.
Mrs Dorothy Marin-Pache of Orpen Rise, Stillorgan Grove, Blackrock, was suing United Travel Ltd of Stillorgan for £5,000 at Swords District Court.
She said she had booked three flight-only tickets to Spain in September 1998 with United Travel. She paid for the tickets and took the insurance it recommended.
While on holiday, a man pretending to be a repairman stole £300 from her bedroom and £450 from her friend's room. When she got home, a United Travel employee filled out the insurance forms for her and posted them.
She spent five months chasing up the claim and being told the man dealing with it was sick. Eventually someone in Aer Lingus told her she had not been insured.
Mr Tom Hogan, for United Travel, said the insurance would have been with Aer Lingus insurance, which has a maximum pay-out of £225 per person.
Mrs Marin-Pache said she took the insurance recommended by United, which it assured her covered her for everything.
Judge Timothy Crowley awarded damages of £750 plus costs. However, Mr Hogan said United Travel had lodged £761 in court, which reduced the amount of costs due.