TRAVEL INSURANCE - HAD A CRAZY THOUGHT !

[badgerbill]

For lot's of us, due to pre-existings, we are unable to purchase an annual travel insurance policy so have to buy them single trip.... with the state of travel in the present climate wouldn't it be a nice gesture of goodwill🙄  if the travel insurance co's allowed us to cancel our policy, conditional of course on provider cancelling their service to us first, and then crediting us with a voucher, like the airlines and cruise co's have been offering, for use on our next trip.  Wouldn't expect to be refunded for the medical excess just the base premium price, somethings better than nothing.

 

Nice thought......... but............................in the world of travel insurance it ain't ever going to happen...  

 

Have a lovely rest of the day and stay safe everyone........

[peter1956]

I have our travel insurance with RACV they said that I can simple keep moving the travel dates until I work out when I am travelling. 

So it is almost the same thing. 

As we want to go to Canada and go on a Alaskan cruise one day I will keep delaying it. 

[The_Big_M]

As above. 

 

Further if you no longer have specific plans, IAG group has already made the announcement that all their brands will allow you to cancel for a refund - or even in the case of travel already interrupted and finish early, have given partial proportional refunds. Unheard of! So very generous.

[kaseyoz]

We are with one cover and sent an email asking if we can cancel our policy.

it is an annual worldwide policy. Have had this for several years.

no reply yet.

[cruisine21]

10 minutes ago, kaseyoz said:

We are with one cover and sent an email asking if we can cancel our policy.

it is an annual worldwide policy. Have had this for several years.

no reply yet.

l’ve heard that one cover won’t refund.

[nnps]

Yes, all one year policies are looking like a waste of money at the moment. Impossible to get a trip and even if one could, it probably wouldn't be covered anyway. 

[Gwendy]

Worldcare insurance very accomodating with my yearly policy.  Very impressed.

[Balsam12]

SCTI allowed me to change the dates to our new cruise booked for December. The new dates came out slighlty more expensive as it's a longer cruise, but they waived the extra charge.

Can't really ask for more than that.

[Zac#1]

Hi all you Cruisers,

Has anyone received a Full Refund from Insureandgo.

Carnival cancelled our cruise due to COVID-19 we did not cancel.

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, Zac#1 said:

Hi all you Cruisers,

Has anyone received a Full Refund from Insureandgo.

Carnival cancelled our cruise due to COVID-19 we did not cancel.

The cancellation was because of a pandemic. Will your travel insurance cover you? I think you might have more chance getting a refund from Carnival.

[Zac#1]

6 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

The cancellation was because of a pandemic. Will your travel insurance cover you? I think you might have more chance getting a refund from Carnival.

Good to hear from you,

Carnival and my T/A both offered a full refund which we accepted.

Don’t no if Insureandgo will give a full refund or credit on another cruise, still waiting for a response from them. The policy was purchased months before COVID-19 was around.

Edited April 9, 2020 by Zac#1
More info

[Aus Traveller]

46 minutes ago, Zac#1 said:

Good to hear from you,

Carnival and my T/A both offered a full refund which we accepted.

Don’t no if Insureandgo will give a full refund or credit on another cruise, still waiting for a response from them. The policy was purchased months before COVID-19 was around.

If you are choosing to cancel a cruise, I don't think travel insurance will cover you unless you have a medical reason for not travelling. This does not include a fear or concern that you might get sick. If your cruise line cancels or allows you to cancel, you will have more chance of getting a refund from them.

[Ondine]

4 hours ago, Zac#1 said:

Hi all you Cruisers,

Has anyone received a Full Refund from Insureandgo.

Carnival cancelled our cruise due to COVID-19 we did not cancel.

My son and I had separate policies for a Princess cruise to commence 23 March which of course was cancelled.

 

His was taken out last June and covered COVID19 but because Princess have offered to either refund the fare or give him credits Insure & Go were only willing to offer a refund of the premium.  I am still waiting for it as everyone is working from home at the moment!!!

 

Because I am over 75 and cannot take out insurance prior to 120 days of sailing my policy was dated 2 Feb and did not cover COVID19.  However they were willing to give me a credit of the premium toward a future cruise if actioned within 6 months.  Said they may extend the time limit when it comes.

 

Better than nothing and still waiting to hear about credits/refund from Princess.

[bazzaw]

Paid $1800 to INSUREANDGO for a cruise in May ( which is now cancelled) - they have twice now refused to make any consideration for me. They say that the Travel Insurance date is fixed. I have told them that I will remember them and tell all the friends on Social media that I can. Consider yourselves told!! 🙂 

[Aus Traveller]

6 minutes ago, bazzaw said:

Paid $1800 to INSUREANDGO for a cruise in May ( which is now cancelled) - they have twice now refused to make any consideration for me. They say that the Travel Insurance date is fixed. I have told them that I will remember them and tell all the friends on Social media that I can. Consider yourselves told!! 🙂 

That's lousy. If they won't give you a refund, I feel they should give you a 'credit' and allow you to use it for a cruise some time in the future.

[valantine80]

You could always try the Insurance Ombudsman. Sometimes if you tell them you are referring it to them they will jump into action. Happened to us with a telco.

[MMDown Under]

8 hours ago, valantine80 said:

You could always try the Insurance Ombudsman. Sometimes if you tell them you are referring it to them they will jump into action. Happened to us with a telco.

I can endorse that for all products not to the standard expected. 

[MMDown Under]

16 hours ago, Ondine said:

My son and I had separate policies for a Princess cruise to commence 23 March which of course was cancelled.

 

His was taken out last June and covered COVID19 but because Princess have offered to either refund the fare or give him credits Insure & Go were only willing to offer a refund of the premium.  I am still waiting for it as everyone is working from home at the moment!!!

 

Because I am over 75 and cannot take out insurance prior to 120 days of sailing my policy was dated 2 Feb and did not cover COVID19.  However they were willing to give me a credit of the premium toward a future cruise if actioned within 6 months.  Said they may extend the time limit when it comes.

 

Better than nothing and still waiting to hear about credits/refund from Princess.

Re being over 75.  I was shocked when Insure and Go wouldn't give me coverage for a cruise out of Aust.this year.  When I enquired why, I was told insurance wasn't available prior to 4 months of cruise departure date.  I didn't proceed with booking and asked to be waitlisted for a possible vacancy within the 4 month period.  I have insured with Insure and Go for years and not claimed.  To say I was surprised is an understatement.  Had I known 75 was another insurance magic date, I could have bought an annual policy prior to 75, assuming it was available.  

[MMDown Under]

11 hours ago, bazzaw said:

Paid $1800 to INSUREANDGO for a cruise in May ( which is now cancelled) - they have twice now refused to make any consideration for me. They say that the Travel Insurance date is fixed. I have told them that I will remember them and tell all the friends on Social media that I can. Consider yourselves told!! 🙂 

Can you claim on an insurance policy prior to the date of the cruise, e.g. you had a genuine claim in say February for your May cruise?  If so, that is the coverage you are paying for, whether you claim or not.  If you can't claim until May, you should be entitled to a full refund

[Aus Traveller]

5 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

Re being over 75.  I was shocked when Insure and Go wouldn't give me coverage for a cruise out of Aust.this year.  When I enquired why, I was told insurance wasn't available prior to 4 months of cruise departure date.  I didn't proceed with booking and asked to be waitlisted for a possible vacancy within the 4 month period.  I have insured with Insure and Go for years and not claimed.  To say I was surprised is an understatement.  Had I known 75 was another insurance magic date, I could have bought an annual policy prior to 75, assuming it was available.  

The cut-off date for a Travel Insurance Direct annual policy is the person's 76th birthday - so no older than 75.

[MMDown Under]

1 minute ago, Aus Traveller said:

The cut-off date for a Travel Insurance Direct annual policy is the person's 76th birthday - so no older than 75.

Good to know.  I've passed a few significant dates along the way, e.g. no older than 70.  You need to have a hearty health esteem to be a senior. 

"Old age is not for sissies."

To think I used to hate looker younger.  Youth is wasted on the young!

[Ondine]

Insure & Go brought in the 120 day rule around 12 months ago.  I was puzzled why I could book my son's insurance online but it kept refusing to do mine so I called them.  Like you I was a long time customer and had never made a claim.

 

I complained bitterly over the phone and also wrote a letter to them accusing them of Age Discrimination because at that time Princess had a policy of no refund of deposit after 180 days prior yet I couldn't obtain insurance until 120 days prior to sailing.  Didn't get any answers though.

 

With regard to Bazzaw I understood that the insurance took effect from when the policy was taken out and finished when you returned home after the cruise.  Only thing I can think of here is that the policy was taken out after the Virus was declared a pandemic and different rules applied from different dates.  As I said in an earlier post I was offered a credit for my premium which was taken out 2 Feb.

[MMDown Under]

19 hours ago, bazzaw said:

Paid $1800 to INSUREANDGO for a cruise in May ( which is now cancelled) - they have twice now refused to make any consideration for me. They say that the Travel Insurance date is fixed. I have told them that I will remember them and tell all the friends on Social media that I can. Consider yourselves told!! 🙂 

How long was your cruise?  Premium sounds expensive. 

[cruisine21]

Insure and Go, Australia Post and 1Cover are all refusing refunds on policies. They always had good reviews in the past. It’s going to be difficult to choose a reliable insurance company now.

[plettza]

I went with NRMA Travel Insurance back in January for my Japan, US, Hawaii trip which inckuded cruising.  I was supposed to fly out today to Japan.  NRMA's website has some conditions for obtaining a refund.  I filled out the claim form for a refund but haven't had the money come in just yet.

 

https://www.nrma.com.au/coronavirus-information

 

Lucky I went with NRMA (underwritten by Covermore I think).

 

I had always used Insure and Go for cruises previously but reading these posts, I won't be using them again.  What a rip-off.  They know they'll have very few claims to pay yet will hold onto the premiums people paid who won't be in a position to make claims.  Insure and Go must be rubbing their hands together knowing they won't be refunding policies.

 

Edited April 11, 2020 by plettza