Five most common claims-filing blunders
There is no one reason why people travel. We all do it; some of us do it for fun so we may see the world and try different foods; others do it on the regular for work. No of the motivation, no one plans for or expects to deal with a travel hassle. Travel plans are frequently interrupted by things like bad weather, breakdowns in public transit, and lost bags.
It’s for this reason that so many vacationers are signing up for travel insurance.
Nevertheless, many travelers learn the hard way that travel insurance is not a silver bullet for all travel-related issues when they file a claim.
Travelers should research what is and is not covered by their policy before counting on it to get them out of a jam. See Squaremouth’s list of the top five mistakes made by travelers when filing a claim in the slideshow up top.
Not remembering your travel days
In the excitement of arranging your trip details, it’s easy to lose sight of how long your travel insurance will cover you. Most vacationers opt for coverage that kicks in on their arrival day. But, there is always the risk that anything would go wrong during your trip to the country.
You should factor in the journey time to your final location when shopping for travel health insurance. If you’re going halfway across the world and spending a lot of time in airports or the air, this is crucial. Make sure that the effective date of your coverage coincides with the date you go on your trip.
The inclination to exaggerate losses
Should something go wrong on your vacation, you might find it expedient to overstate the extent of your financial losses. Though we sympathize with the desire to do so, we regretfully must inform you that any fabrication of facts (even to a trivial extent) constitutes travel insurance fraud and will result in the denial of your claim. Get away from that! An insurance company representative will be sent to your home to look into the claim you’ve filed, and they’ll want verification of your damages. If it turns out that your claimed losses are inflated, your claim will be dismissed. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that you never exaggerate your losses in any way.
Not Carefully Reading Your Policy
You should read your travel insurance coverage thoroughly before filing a claim. This is something you should have taken care of before buying the coverage. You should read the relevant portions and look up the definitions that apply to your claim. While filing a claim, it helps to have a firm grasp on the policy’s specifics including terms, restrictions, and exclusions.
Inability to provide complete documentation of incurred losses
You must show proof of all your damages when making a claim. Your claim could be rejected if you fail to provide the required paperwork. The following forms of identification may be requested:
·Receipts and invoices for your expenses.
·Proof that you were entitled to a refund or allowance from your tour company, travel agency, common carrier, hotel, vacation rental agency, or other service provider.
·Copy of resort invoice/vacation rental contract or confirmation
·Any paperwork that provides a legitimate justification for why you have to cut short or cancel your trip.
·Any bills, receipts, and other evidence of payment, including a diagnosis explanation.
·Please bring any relevant paperwork (including unused tickets, invoices, and receipts) to verify the cost and/or occurrence of the trip cancellation/interruption.
·Proof that you have received a refund from your airline or other travel provider.
·A replica of the vendor’s literature detailing fees.
·Documentation from the tour company or the travel agency outlining the specific sums of money that are non-refundable for the trip.
Avoiding the Most Frequent Errors When Filing a Travel Insurance Claim
A claim for travel insurance is most commonly filed via the internet. Documents such as medical records, receipts, and reports will be scanned and uploaded as part of this process.
When making a claim on their travel insurance, travelers most often do the following:
1.Failure to complete the form correctly
2.Failure to provide correct contact information
3.Not including the necessary documentation to support their claim.
4.Requesting reimbursement for events that are not covered by the insurance policy.
