Any Advantage In Purchasing Travel Insurance From Broker Or Direct?

[florida lover]

Is there any advantage in purchasing trip insurance from insuremytrip.com or tripinsurancestore.com versus going direct to the insurance company of choice, the prices are the same? Perhaps buying from one of the brokers websites is better, might give an extra layer of service/help/assistance in the event of a problem? If that is the case which one of the two might be preferred?

 

Is there anything wrong with estimating total trip cost on the high side if air has not been purchased yet but cruise has?

 

Thank you!

[Happy2cruise]

We always purchase our travel insurance thru a broker, Tripinsurancestore. Using them, we feel confident they help us to get the coverage needed for our situations and they are there to answer any questions or concerns. If a claim is needed to be made, they are there for you and will go to bat for you if necessary.

[GeezerCouple]

We also started using TripInsuranceStore.

 

Your question about estimating on the 'high side' is precisely where they can help you. Some policies allow you to add insurance incrementally, as you add costs. No point in paying insurance for costs you might not ever incur in case of an earlier change of plans, before those other costs are due. Other policies don't allow that.

 

THEY are the ones to ask, and discuss you specific concerns/needs, and they'll help you with the best policy. It won't cost you more than buying through the insurer directly, but that insurer certainly will not "help you compare other policies", especially any that might be better for your purposes.

 

GeezerCouple

[cruiseco]

Perhaps buying from one of the brokers websites is better, might give an extra layer of service/help/assistance in the event of a problem?

 

Back in my travel agent days (fairly big agency) occasionally there would be a claim that could go either way -- it fell into one of those gray areas. After being denied, a call from us to our insurance company sales rep would often get the claim decision reversed. We would send them a ton of business so when perhaps they have no interest in bending over backward to please the client, they were often willing to bend over backward to please US. I imagine the same is true of the large online comparison sites.

 

Just be aware that even the big guys don't list every available option. By going to the insurer's web site you may find other plan options that aren't on the comparison sites that may be a better deal for you.

Edited November 13, 2013 by cruiseco

[RJ2002]

We have used one of the sites you mentioned, insuremytrip, many times. I have gone to the insurers websites to compare their direct pricing, and it has been the same in the situations I have encountered.

 

We have been pleased with the service from insuremytrip. I have called them a few times with questions, and they were very helpful.

[cruiseco]

We have used one of the sites you mentioned, insuremytrip, many times. I have gone to the insurers websites to compare their direct pricing, and it has been the same in the situations I have encountered.

 

 

For the same plan, yes. But take for instance CSA. If you go to CSA's own web site you are presented with the Custom plans only. But go to tripinsurancestore and you find CSA's Freestyle plans only which for many travelers is a better deal, but not always. Unless you check both you are not seeing all of your options.

 

So those that do not check both places can't be assured of getting the best value.

[RJ2002]

For the same plan, yes. But take for instance CSA. If you go to CSA's own web site you are presented with the Custom plans only. But go to tripinsurancestore and you find CSA's Freestyle plans only which for many travelers is a better deal, but not always. Unless you check both you are not seeing all of your options.

 

So those that do not check both places can't be assured of getting the best value.

 

Thank you for this information, which is new to me. To clarify, you are saying that the comparison sites offer MORE choice than the insurer's own sites? And on an apples to apples basis, are the premiums the same or different? Finally, is it only tripinsurancestore where the multiple plan levels by carrier are listed? I could have sworn seeing the same at insuremytrip the last time I shopped there.