Though GoReady stands by the advice not to file, it has now offered you a choice between a partial refund of $220 or a credit for the full value of your insurance policy ($559).
Mr. Schreier noted that it isn’t in his company’s interest when claims are denied. GoReady, like many of its competitors, primarily sell the plans and provides customer service, while third parties evaluate claims, and underwriters — think Nationwide or Assurant — cover the payouts. “We’re motivated to have our clients’ claims paid,” Mr. Schreier said, “as we know that’s the most likely factor to influence repeat business.”
Still, your case is frustrating. We all understand why policies might exclude injuries suffered while, say, mountain climbing. But it is exasperating that just because a situation is not explicitly spelled out, it is excluded. That is one reason some people purchase more expensive Cancel For Any Reason, or CFAR plans, but even then, read the fine print.
For example, CFAR only kicks in before your vacation starts. It wouldn’t have helped Mark from Los Angeles, who insured his Sierra Club Antarctic cruise through a company called World Nomads. About halfway into the 18-day voyage — and before reaching Antarctica — a fellow passenger fell and died. Following protocol, the ship turned around and sailed to the Falkland Islands, and eventually to Ushuaia, Argentina, for the group’s return flight.
In a letter meant for insurance providers, the Sierra Club estimated the value lost because of the trip interruption at $7,308 per person. But TripMate, which administers claims for World Nomads, rejected Mark’s claim and that of his travel companion.
The problem: Their trip was not technically “interrupted,” since they spent all 18 nights aboard. Several times in my conversations with insurance executives I heard the phrase “You’re not covered for loss of enjoyment,” but I imagined this applying to a week of rain at a Caribbean resort, not an Antarctic cruise that never makes it to Antarctica.
I also heard from a reader named Alan, of Vaughan, Ontario, about a nightmarish return from Vancouver to Toronto during last Christmas season’s storms. After three WestJet flights were canceled and another delayed, all because of the weather, the next flight they were booked on was canceled because of a crew shortage, and he and his wife were stuck in Calgary overnight. Alan had paid for his trip with an HSBC credit card that offers travel…
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