Revisit from a May 2024 Question for Steve

[klfrodo]

For educational purposes only

With your vast 20+ years of experience, could you share the top 2 or 3 mistakes people with travel insurance make that either cause you to SMH or cause the biggest problems with their claims. Also, share what they could have done differently to have made the claim process easier.

 

Or, maybe you've covered this in a blog that you could provide a link to.

 

Thanks

[iamtrustworthy]

On 6/18/2024 at 12:38 PM, klfrodo said:

For educational purposes only

With your vast 20+ years of experience, could you share the top 2 or 3 mistakes people with travel insurance make that either cause you to SMH or cause the biggest problems with their claims. Also, share what they could have done differently to have made the claim process easier.

 

Or, maybe you've covered this in a blog that you could provide a link to.

 

Thanks

Hi klfrodo,

 

What does "SMH" mean?

 

Steve

[klfrodo]

8 hours ago, iamtrustworthy said:

Hi klfrodo,

 

What does "SMH" mean?

 

Steve

Shake

My

Head

 

 

Sorry Steve 😂.    No teen kids or grandkids?

[iamtrustworthy]

On 6/18/2024 at 12:38 PM, klfrodo said:

For educational purposes only

With your vast 20+ years of experience, could you share the top 2 or 3 mistakes people with travel insurance make that either cause you to SMH or cause the biggest problems with their claims. Also, share what they could have done differently to have made the claim process easier.

 

Or, maybe you've covered this in a blog that you could provide a link to.

 

Thanks

Hi klfrodo,

 

I didn't forget about you. I'm working on coming up with the top 2 or 3 because there are more.

 

I'll write something by Saturday afternoon.

 

Steve Dasseos

[klfrodo]

More would be better 😂 I just didn't want to burden you with too much. I'm sure you've got plenty to do.

[iamtrustworthy]

On 6/28/2024 at 7:57 AM, klfrodo said:

More would be better 😂 I just didn't want to burden you with too much. I'm sure you've got plenty to do.

It didn't work for today. You got me thinking and I'm gathering them by Sunday.

[iamtrustworthy]

On 6/18/2024 at 12:38 PM, klfrodo said:

For educational purposes only

With your vast 20+ years of experience, could you share the top 2 or 3 mistakes people with travel insurance make that either cause you to SMH or cause the biggest problems with their claims. Also, share what they could have done differently to have made the claim process easier.

 

Or, maybe you've covered this in a blog that you could provide a link to.

 

Thanks

Hi klfrodo,

 

Here are the top three mistakes:

 

1) You get ill or injured but you don't go to a doctor. Surprisingly, we talk with many people who do this and then they wonder why their claim isn't being paid. I wrote this on November 3, 2023 about someone on a trip to Australia:

https://tripinsurancestore.com/blog/you-need-to-see-a-doctor-if-you-get-ill-or-injured/

 

And, this past Wednesday, someone called me after returning home from a Mediterranean cruise. He had a bad fall 6 days before the cruise ended so he and his wife got off the cruise 4 days early because his foot pain was so bad. They flew home on an expensive one-way flight, too.

 

I asked "Did you see a doctor on the ship or anywhere else before you came home?". He said he didn't want to waste his time getting a diagnosis for an obvious injury, but he did see his doctor the day after getting home. His doctor confirmed that he made the right choice to come home early and his doctor is happy to write a letter explaining what happened.

 

SMH! I said "As a policyholder you have every right to file a claim. I cannot predetermine your claim, but it's not likely it will get paid because you never sought the advice of a licensed physician while you were on your trip."

 

2) They wait to buy insurance until it's too late. The vast majority of people that contact us are honest, so if it's too late to get the coverage they need, they graciously accept what we tell them and say "I'll remember that next time I plan a trip."

 

That said, I received a call on August 25, 2011 just as Hurricane Irene was reaching the US Mainland:

https://tripinsurancestore.com/blog/do-callers-think-we-were-born-yesterday/

 

3) They don't insure their correct per person trip costs so their claim isn't paid in full. When we ask people what their per person trip cost is, almost everyone divides the total cost by the number of travelers. Sometimes this is the right way to do it, but not always.

 

I wrote "How To Correctly Quote a Travel Insurance Plan" on February 27, 2008:

https://tripinsurancestore.com/blog/how-to-correctly-quote-a-travel-insurance-plan/

 

For the last 2 weeks I was writing and re-writing another version. Thanks to @klfrodo's prompting, here's a more timely explanation: "Get Your Trip Cancellation Claim Paid in Full":

https://tripinsurancestore.com/blog/get-your-trip-cancellation-claim-paid-in-full/

 

I hope this all makes sense.

 

Steve Dasseos

Edited 21 hours ago by iamtrustworthy
typo

[klfrodo]

Great reminders Steve.

Especially #2 with the current storms barreling down on us.

[iamtrustworthy]

2 hours ago, klfrodo said:

Great reminders Steve.

Especially #2 with the current storms barreling down on us.

Thanks for the idea klfrodo.

 

And, I just found out that Cruise Critic is extending this Q&A through the Summer.

[GeezerCouple]

13 minutes ago, iamtrustworthy said:

Thanks for the idea klfrodo.

 

And, I just found out that Cruise Critic is extending this Q&A through the Summer.

 

That's great!

We'll all benefit, even those who don't ask the questions.  We often learn by reading the Q&A with others.

So... thanks for all of it!

 

GC