Travel Insurance Nightmare Costs Consumers Thousands

[geocruiser]

Hi,

Saw this on the news last night. I thought that you might want to read it.

 

http://www.wftv.com/action9/18750714/detail.html

[jhannah]

What a shame. A terrible shame. People who try to play by the rules get screwed. That seems to be the way more and more things are going. I hope they can get some satisfaction.

[TCF]

I am becoming more convinced that travel insurance is an international racket and there is little we can do about it.

We paid RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) Insurance just over $1000CDN for insurance coverage for health and trip cancellation on our five week cruise last fall. We have been trying since November to get paid for a prescrition I had to buy in Tampa that cost $268 USD! RBC has done absolutely everything to avoid paying the claim....their recent ploy is to demand proof that we actually took the trip. They didn't seem to find it necessary for us to provide such proof with the original claim documents!!!???

We instructed our TA not to insure us through RBC again...but just found out she did it for our April cruise and it is now too late to switch to another company! Now we have to find a new TA as well as a new insurance company!!!!

Wouldn't it be nice to find companies that really want to do an honest business for a fair price?

BTW...for our Canadian cruise friends....even though RBC is one of the largest travel insurance companies in Canada I would suggest that you look for another company if you expect to get a fair price and a response to any claims you may have to make!

[world~citizen]

I am becoming more convinced that travel insurance is an international racket and there is little we can do about it.

We paid RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) Insurance just over $1000CDN for insurance coverage for health and trip cancellation on our five week cruise last fall. We have been trying since November to get paid for a prescrition I had to buy in Tampa that cost $268 USD! RBC has done absolutely everything to avoid paying the claim....their recent ploy is to demand proof that we actually took the trip. They didn't seem to find it necessary for us to provide such proof with the original claim documents!!!???

We instructed our TA not to insure us through RBC again...but just found out she did it for our April cruise and it is now too late to switch to another company! Now we have to find a new TA as well as a new insurance company!!!!

Wouldn't it be nice to find companies that really want to do an honest business for a fair price?

BTW...for our Canadian cruise friends....even though RBC is one of the largest travel insurance companies in Canada I would suggest that you look for another company if you expect to get a fair price and a response to any claims you may have to make!

 

I don't know the details of your claim and really its none of my business. That said, if all they want now is proof that you took the cruise, I would think it would be a very easy thing to confirm.

 

I would prefer to have an insurance company that makes me jump through a few hoops before they pay, rather than not pay at all. That is a far more tragic story.

 

Smooth sailing to you.

[mamaofami]

We recently had to cancel The Good Nuts Cruise because of illness. Our insurance was through Travel Guard which is part of AIG. There were loads of forms to fill out, forms for the doctors to fill out, verification needed from our wonderful TA for the amount we spent, and verification needed from HAL that we didn't take the cruise. I just called and was told the claim was approved and I should have my refund in about a week.

[world~citizen]

We recently had to cancel The Good Nuts Cruise because of illness. Our insurance was through Travel Guard which is part of AIG. There were loads of forms to fill out, forms for the doctors to fill out, verification needed from our wonderful TA for the amount we spent, and verification needed from HAL that we didn't take the cruise. I just called and was told the claim was approved and I should have my refund in about a week.

 

That is great!

 

I hope folks are feeling better.

 

Smooth sailing to you...

[TCF]

I don't have a problem with filling out the forms required to make a claim...that is just common sense....what we are going through is a different demand for different information every time we send in yet another form....and this has been going on since November!

Insurance is a must when cruising...for both cancellation and health....I just wish we could find a Canadian company that gives fair service for a fair price!

[YYC F/A]

I don't have a problem with filling out the forms required to make a claim...that is just common sense....what we are going through is a different demand for different information every time we send in yet another form....and this has been going on since November!

Insurance is a must when cruising...for both cancellation and health....I just wish we could find a Canadian company that gives fair service for a fair price!

 

I'm sorry to hear of your experience. It's not good when people don't get co-operation and have hassle, this is not what making a claim is about.

 

If your TA is part of a network, the chances are they will have some significant clout with RBC internally through their internal channels. Have you tried this?

 

RBC has a lot of positive success stories, sounds like they have dropped the ball here with you and I hope your TA can get involved at this point and help get a quick resolution.

 

I don't work for RBC, but I can say that this is not the 'norm' and I hope that things get worked out soon for you. Good luck, and do try giving your TA a call to see if they can help with some prodding.

[Jade13]

We recently had to cancel The Good Nuts Cruise because of illness. Our insurance was through Travel Guard which is part of AIG. There were loads of forms to fill out, forms for the doctors to fill out, verification needed from our wonderful TA for the amount we spent, and verification needed from HAL that we didn't take the cruise. I just called and was told the claim was approved and I should have my refund in about a week.

 

Great. But I agree that the poster who had a bill for a prescription filled in Tampa seems to have more hoops to jump through for a claim that is under $300.00 US. It sounds like they just need to prove that it was filled during the cruise which was what was insured.

[iancal]

For Canadians, I had a first rate experience with Manulife. Bought it on the web. Filed a claim with the company that handles thier travel claims. Never heard a peep until five weeks later when the payment arrived. It wa a small claim, under $1000. It was the first time we had purchased travel insurance. So chalk up one good experience with a travel insurance company.