Insurance Scam - Beware!

[Lisette49]

Do NOT get insurance if you see the name Jerry Watson involved with the company. Prime Travel Protection (currently out of Colorado - but has been moving around the country) is a scam agency. A rather large cruise internet company out of Florida uses this "insurance" company as it's preferred company - This cruise company offers it as free insurance. I purchased this "insurance" from this large Florida based internet Travel agency on their recommendation for a Mediterranean cruise and my mother passed away a few days before we were to leave - Prime Travel Protection is saying she died of a pre-existing condition. She was 91 years old and died of old age. This is absolute fraud! I am working all avenues to get back my money, but don't want anyone else to be cheated. Not only should Jerry Watson be ashamed, but the travel agency in Florida should be ashamed for recommending this insurance product that is not really insurance at all.

[mamasue]

Lisette.... sorry to hear about your great loss.

It's strange.... nobody gets to "die of old age" any more...... my mother was also 91 when she died..... she died of 'emphysema' ... not "old age".

But.... I take on board what you're saying about the insurance company.

[Jade13]

Do NOT get insurance if you see the name Jerry Watson involved with the company. Prime Travel Protection (currently out of Colorado - but has been moving around the country) is a scam agency. A rather large cruise internet company out of Florida uses this "insurance" company as it's preferred company - This cruise company offers it as free insurance. I purchased this "insurance" from this large Florida based internet Travel agency on their recommendation for a Mediterranean cruise and my mother passed away a few days before we were to leave - Prime Travel Protection is saying she died of a pre-existing condition. She was 91 years old and died of old age. This is absolute fraud! I am working all avenues to get back my money, but don't want anyone else to be cheated. Not only should Jerry Watson be ashamed, but the travel agency in Florida should be ashamed for recommending this insurance product that is not really insurance at all.

 

Was the policy purchased with your initial deposit? Most policies have to be purchased at deposit or with 7-14 days to cover pre-existing conditions. Only HTH and CSA Luxe currently can be bought at final payment and cover pre-existing conditions.

 

Sorry you are going through this. This is a reminder to everyone to check the policies prior to purchase and that any conditions also apply to those not traveling with you. If you can provide a link to the policy, I am sure others can review and comment.

 

Another option is to purchase "Cancel for Any Reason" Insurance and then you do not have to give any reason.

[Lisette49]

I bought the "insurance" when I made final payment. My travel agent knew my mother was elderly and assured me that any change in her condition would warrant a legitimate cancellation. I have spoken to other travel agents and they are all aghast. This Florida cruise company is as much at fault as Prime Travel Protection. they must know the product they offer is of no value. If anyone wants the name of the travel agency (I don't think I am allowed to name it on this board) give me your email address and I will let you know. They are out of Port St. Lucie, Florida and they list "hot deals"

I have asked to speak to a supervisor at this travel agency and no one has even called me back. I have reported them to the Better Business Bureau.

[Sandytoes]

Good Luck!

 

My heart is with you.

 

When my TA offers "free insurance" I always state - No!

I buy my own!!!

Now, I know why.

 

Thanks for warning us.

It's sad that you have to endure this enormous pressure and mental anguish.

Don't despair, somebody out there will help you.

Hopefully, they will catch this creep.

[msmayor]

I bought the "insurance" when I made final payment. My travel agent knew my mother was elderly and assured me that any change in her condition would warrant a legitimate cancellation. I have spoken to other travel agents and they are all aghast. This Florida cruise company is as much at fault as Prime Travel Protection. they must know the product they offer is of no value. If anyone wants the name of the travel agency (I don't think I am allowed to name it on this board) give me your email address and I will let you know. They are out of Port St. Lucie, Florida and they list "hot deals"

I have asked to speak to a supervisor at this travel agency and no one has even called me back. I have reported them to the Better Business Bureau.

 

First, let me say I am sorry for your loss and that you have to go through all of this now.

 

Its unfortunate that it seems you got bad information from your agent regarding the policy you purchased. For something this important, its always best to know for sure yourself what is covered and what isn't and not rely just on what an agent says. A careful reading of the policy provisions before purchasing might have helped you realize that this product might not be right for you.

 

I just went to the Prime Travel Protection website and started reading their basic policy provisions. The pre-existing waiver is only granted when the policy is purchased within 14 days of deposit, and even then ONLY applies to you and your traveling companion. It is NOT extended to any non-traveling person...so by my estimation having the waiver wouldn't have mattered at all.

 

They do seem to offer "cancel for any reason" coverage which probably would have covered you, but only if you had paid extra for that option.

[AllieInMD]

That company isn't even listed on insuremytrip.com - that is a major warning flag to me.

 

To the OP - sorry for your loss, and to have it compounded by the insurance not covering it.

[Lisette49]

In the "policy" it states an unforeseen injury or sickness of a family member is valid reason for cancellation (even if you didn't buy the policy at the same time of initial deposit) The problem with all this is this "insurance" company is disguised as a legitimate company and IS NOT! They are disputing all the medical records and twisting the doctor's words. My mother DID NOT HAVE A PRE-EXISTING CONDITION! If I had found this insurance company on my own than I would have felt it was my problem, but since this "BEST" (fill in the word) CRUISE COMPANY suggested this insurance agency I feel they are in collusion with Jerry Watson.

I had also taken out insurance with another company (through Hotwire) for this same trip for the hotel portion that we were going to do for 3 nights prior to the cruise. This was a legitimate company and of course we got paid within 2 weeks of submitting the claim.

Again, do not use PRIME TRAVEL PROTECTION and do not use

BEST (fill in the word) CRUISES out of Port St. Lucie, Florida.

[Moeve]

If you have the finacial means and the nerves to go throught with it this might be something for a lawyer to have a look at. If the fine print really seems like you are to be taken for a fast one and lends itself to a fraud charge then why not.

 

However do bear in mind it could be a looong and very expensive road.

[Jade13]

I bought the "insurance" when I made final payment. My travel agent knew my mother was elderly and assured me that any change in her condition would warrant a legitimate cancellation. I have spoken to other travel agents and they are all aghast. This Florida cruise company is as much at fault as Prime Travel Protection. they must know the product they offer is of no value. If anyone wants the name of the travel agency (I don't think I am allowed to name it on this board) give me your email address and I will let you know. They are out of Port St. Lucie, Florida and they list "hot deals"

I have asked to speak to a supervisor at this travel agency and no one has even called me back. I have reported them to the Better Business Bureau.

 

That is interesting as if the agency starts with a "B" and are in St Lucie, someone just highly recommended them as an alternative because of the big mess with Cruise Value Center closing down (note the moderators have made an exception to post the CVC name as 2-3 million in cruise are affected).

 

I still contend that I have searched and searched, as well as others on CC, and I only can find two policies that can be purchased at final and cover pre-existing conditions. Where is the link to the policy? Even if someone recommends it, unfortunately we all need to do due diligence and read the terms. The ones that cover Cancel for Any Reason and pre-existing conditions are typically much more expensive than others. With the exception of cruise line "Cancel for Any Reason" (which works sometimes for us as we we have medical we can use overseas), we will buy our own, but NEVER from any agent.

 

Was this a very expensive vacation?

 

I am really sorry for your loss.

[Jade13]

 

I just went to the Prime Travel Protection website and started reading their basic policy provisions. The pre-existing waiver is only granted when the policy is purchased within 14 days of deposit, and even then ONLY applies to you and your traveling companion. It is NOT extended to any non-traveling person...so by my estimation having the waiver wouldn't have mattered at all.

 

They do seem to offer "cancel for any reason" coverage which probably would have covered you, but only if you had paid extra for that option.

 

Thanks for the research that this policy would not have extended to non-traveling family members. However, that does not appear to be the reason for the denial.

[Jade13]

In the "policy" it states an unforeseen injury or sickness of a family member is valid reason for cancellation (even if you didn't buy the policy at the same time of initial deposit) The problem with all this is this "insurance" company is disguised as a legitimate company and IS NOT! They are disputing all the medical records and twisting the doctor's words. My mother DID NOT HAVE A PRE-EXISTING CONDITION! If I had found this insurance company on my own than I would have felt it was my problem, but since this "BEST" (fill in the word) CRUISE COMPANY suggested this insurance agency I feel they are in collusion with Jerry Watson.

I had also taken out insurance with another company (through Hotwire) for this same trip for the hotel portion that we were going to do for 3 nights prior to the cruise. This was a legitimate company and of course we got paid within 2 weeks of submitting the claim.

Again, do not use PRIME TRAVEL PROTECTION and do not use

BEST (fill in the word) CRUISES out of Port St. Lucie, Florida.

 

They were just highly recommended in this post as a decent agency that charges your money directly to the cruise line.

 

It sounds like your issue may be with this specific agent if they misrepresented the policy.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=17030545&posted=1#post17030545

[HarryB1964]

With all due respect, most of this discussion is focusing on issues like "Pre-existing conditions". This is not an issue. Mr. Watson has already been barred from selling his product in Tennessee, and like Trip Assured, where he learned his "craft", other states will follow. The issue, reduced to simple terms, is that, as Lisette49 has stated, he's committing a fraud. He's calling his product "travel protection" rather than insurance, in order to try to escape detection by state regulators, and you can't do that. Other states like FL are already conducting investigations.

 

Lisette49: Please contact me offline at HarryB164@yahoo.com, and I'll try to give you some contacts, like the Investigators in FL who are pursuing this case.

[eandj]

It is certainly unfortunate re the timing of your MIL's death. If she was on any meds..blood pressure, heart rhythm, dementia, etc. her death can be related back to it. For example if my MIL who suffers from Alzheimers, died from choking on a piece of bread, the Alzheimers will be considered the cause. Not that she swallowed wrong. She is in "perfect" physical health, but insurance companies WILL try to trace a death back to something else. At age 91, my mother fell and broke her hip. Even tho it was an "accident", I KNOW insurance companies could blame her age or the fact that she was on heart pressure pills as the reason for the fall. It's the business.

 

It's important that travelers think of every imaginable thing that can go wrong and then decide what coverage they need to cover their costs. That's why it is often recommended here that individuals research and purchase thier own policies and not depend on the one size fits all policies offered by the TA's. Otherwise just self insure. Lisette has a sad story, and in the end will probably just spend money and tons of energy and stress to regain some of what she might have lost on the cruise costs. It becomes a fight on principal.

 

I do hope for everyone's sake that if the "gentleman" mentioned is unethical, he be stopped. And I certainly wouldn't use the agency that offered misinformation. Another lesson....get it in writing, read it with a fine tooth comb and KNOW what you are purchasing with all its exclusions. Why would anyone take the passing word of a travel agent in what an insurance company will cover? It's two different companies.

Good luck Lisette. Keep us up to date, as your story will help others.

[momofmeg]

Lisette.... sorry to hear about your great loss.

It's strange.... nobody gets to "die of old age" any more...... my mother was also 91 when she died..... she died of 'emphysema' ... not "old age".

But.... I take on board what you're saying about the insurance company.

 

But apparnetly this insurance company considers it "old age" AND a prexisting condition- her age being 91. It osund sto me if you have a parent/grandparent over 80 and they die suddenly causing you to miss your cruise-you are not insured if you use them.

 

To the OP, I am so sorry about your experiance, this company will NOT be getting any of my business- I have no idea what agency you used-as your hint brought nothing to my mind- but if I knew the agency, I would not use them either.

[ab0si]

With all due respect, most of this discussion is focusing on issues like "Pre-existing conditions". This is not an issue. Mr. Watson has already been barred from selling his product in Tennessee, and like Trip Assured, where he learned his "craft", other states will follow. The issue, reduced to simple terms, is that, as Lisette49 has stated, he's committing a fraud. He's calling his product "travel protection" rather than insurance, in order to try to escape detection by state regulators, and you can't do that. Other states like FL are already conducting investigations.

 

Lisette49: Please contact me offline at HarryB164@yahoo.com, and I'll try to give you some contacts, like the Investigators in FL who are pursuing this case.

 

This is yet another example of the confusion rampant in the U.S. travel "insurance" market. It is a perfect breeding ground for fraud, sharp dealing and general skullduggery. I am NOT saying that all providers are evil, only that they nature of the product itself and the regulatory environment in which it lives makes it a dangerous place.

 

Reasons include:

 

1) No one -- not even the very best providers -- offer a pure insurance product. Consumer rights are MUCH better under insurance policies than under "warranties," "assistance programs," etc.

 

The mixed nature of the beast is extremely confusing to consumers.

 

2) Most, if not all, of the programs are administrated by a Managing General Agent who also serves as the Third Party Administrator or hires a TPA. Often the writing insurer is merely fronting for a reinsurer (who has ties directly to the MGA). In other words, the insurer quite likely has no idea what is going on.

 

I was in the MGA business for 20 years (not travel insurance), so I do know this business. The MGA gets paid on collected premium AND underwriting profit. Most states have passed something similar the Model MGA bill but enforcement is slack. For example, the model bill states that the insurer must audit and must provide rating, underwriting, etc. rules to the MGA. We (the MGA) on several occasions had to write "lawyer letters" to the insurers insisting that they audit us. Only one of our clients ever looked at the rates and underwriting manual.

 

3) Insurance in the U.S. is state regulated. However, if you don't like state X, it is fairly easy to make sure you avoid regulation by that state. Create a phony "group" or "association" in a friendly state, issue the policy to that entity and make all the "certificate holders" (the insureds in this case) members of the entity. This works in most states.

 

4) Some forms of individual insurance have very strict regulation (variable by state, of course). Use of standard form required or form (form here means policy) requires approval of the Insurance Department.

 

Perhaps some en can tell me what the situation is for travel insurance as I have never worked in this field (and that's on purpose<grin>).

 

5) The non-insurance portion of the "plan" is no more regulated than the hardware store down the street. Your avenues of redress is the same. f course, the "plan" is not down the street which makes this more difficult. If you live in Virginia and the plan's assets are in Colorado (states picked at random), good luck.

 

6) A travel agency gets a fee for selling you the "plan." Somehow I doubt that most TAs allow the individual agent to suggest the "best" one for the traveler. Somehow I doubt that many TAs even know which is best. The agencies are going to base their recommendations at least partially on which plan pays them the best. Nothing wrong with that; they are in business to make money. It does mean you should do some research on your own, though.

 

Travel Insurance can be a good or bad investment. Heck, even Travel Protection Plans can be a good investment. The deck is stacked against the consumer, though (imho - figured I had better add that), in determining which plans are good, bad, indifferent. How does the traveler know, for example, which plans do or do not adjudicate claims in a reasonable manner?

 

//rant off//

[Lisette49]

HarryB

I have tried to email you directly, but haven't heard from you yet - Not sure if I have your email correctly. If you want to speak directly, please let me have your email address again. I tried HarryB164@yahoo.com

 

 

Thanks

[Jade13]

With all due respect, most of this discussion is focusing on issues like "Pre-existing conditions". This is not an issue. Mr. Watson has already been barred from selling his product in Tennessee, and like Trip Assured, where he learned his "craft", other states will follow. The issue, reduced to simple terms, is that, as Lisette49 has stated, he's committing a fraud. He's calling his product "travel protection" rather than insurance, in order to try to escape detection by state regulators, and you can't do that. Other states like FL are already conducting investigations.

 

Lisette49: Please contact me offline at HarryB164@yahoo.com, and I'll try to give you some contacts, like the Investigators in FL who are pursuing this case.

 

A Travel "Protection Plan" if its "Cancel For Any Reason" can be a good idea for piece of mind. HAL officers this in their basic plan and it is clear that it is not insurance. You can cancel up until 24 hours and get 90% back from the cruise line. For an additional fee you can pay for the insurance portion and it has $50K Med Evac and $10K medical, trip interruption and more as an added benefit. I like HAL's plan as it covers cancellation for a family member that just decides they don't want to go or sick pet. But one with "iffy" cancellation terms that is not insurance, no way.

[crystal808]

HarryB

I have tried to email you directly, but haven't heard from you yet - Not sure if I have your email correctly. If you want to speak directly, please let me have your email address again. I tried HarryB164@yahoo.com

 

 

Thanks

 

Lisette:

 

Just guessing, but I think there's a typo: try HarryB1964...(it's the "9" that's probably missing, but is in his CC name...)

 

Sorry to hear of your struggles. Good luck!

 

Paul

[HarryB1964]

I believe that I'm a fair individual, so in order to give Mr. Watson and his company, Prime travel Protection the benefit of the doubt, I decided to peruse his website in more detail. One of the first things that I noticed was that he lists the Underwriter for his company as "Ciela Capital Insurance". I know that these postings are often read by folks who have extensive experience in the insurance industry, so I hope that they can help me locate this company. I've tried my best, and I can't locate the company. Is it possible that Mr. Watson misspelled their name? I really don't want to think that he just made this name up, so there must be a plausible explanation why they're not shown on Google.

[AllieInMD]

Prime Travel Protection

 

 

 

ID Number: 20071084388 Name: Prime Travel Protection, Inc. Registered Agent: Christine Watson Registered Agent Street Address: 2226 Island Point, Evergreen, CO 80439, United States Registered Agent Mailing Address:

Principal Street Address: 2226 Island Point, Evergreen, CO 80439, United States Principal Mailing Address:

Status: Good Standing Form: Corporation Jurisdiction: Colorado Formation Date: 02/19/2007 Term of Duration: Perpetual Annual Report Month: February

Articles of Incorporation:

http://www.sos.state.co.us/biz/ViewImage.do?masterFileId=20071084388&fileId=20071084388

 

 

 

 

 

I believe that I'm a fair individual, so in order to give Mr. Watson and his company, Prime travel Protection the benefit of the doubt, I decided to peruse his website in more detail. One of the first things that I noticed was that he lists the Underwriter for his company as "Ciela Capital Insurance". I know that these postings are often read by folks who have extensive experience in the insurance industry, so I hope that they can help me locate this company. I've tried my best, and I can't locate the company. Is it possible that Mr. Watson misspelled their name? I really don't want to think that he just made this name up, so there must be a plausible explanation why they're not shown on Google.

[AllieInMD]

Property record on Mr. Watson's house - it's in a trust - imagine that :eek:

 

FYI - this is ALL publicly available information

 

http://www.co.jefferson.co.us/ats/displaygeneral.do?sch=403456&offset=1

[AllieInMD]

quite the history - also look at the 'related articles' link and the visitor comments

 

http://www.elliott.org/blog/the-prime-travel-protection-services-mystery-is-solved/

[macaroni]

Help me out please, I had a cruise with Value, that is no longer, and had to rebook at a higher cost with another company. My concern is the insurance that I purchased thru Value with Prime. Are they still in business?, should I be disputing the payment with my charge company and finding other insurance? I have not been able to contact them. My cruise is for May 2009.

[Jade13]

Help me out please, I had a cruise with Value, that is no longer, and had to rebook at a higher cost with another company. My concern is the insurance that I purchased thru Value with Prime. Are they still in business?, should I be disputing the payment with my charge company and finding other insurance? I have not been able to contact them. My cruise is for May 2009.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=873535

 

 

More info here an from former employees.

 

Try HTH and CSA Luxe as they can be bought at final payment and cover pre-existing conditions.