Yet still, even for me – the lady that used to live and breathe legal paper work – filling in a travel insurance claim is painful.
If the thought of reading the legal document terrifies you, I suggest these alternatives:
There’s going to be some of those easy questions (name, date of birth, etc). Get them filled in first because soon enough you’re going to hit the meaty bit. The bit that requires the words ‘supporting documentation’ * shudder *. Don’t worry. Grab a coffee. A handful of biscuits. I’m here for you…
First, try to find your policy. Here are a few places it might be:
Note: this relates to filling in your paperwork when you get home. There might be things you need to do while you’re away like get a police report for stolen items or doctor’s reports for medical claims. I’ve written a couple of other posts about insurance here:
Therefore, it’s worth having a quick look at the relevant section of your policy.
Let’s begin…
I had about 15 emails and various screenshots (showing my cancelled flights) for my recent coronavirus claim. I had more for my dengue fever claim because I had myriad doctor reports and blood test results to show as well. This is the most painful part for me, gathering all these documents together. Here are a few tips.
How to make a travel insurance claim
10 Times You’ll Realise the Importance of Travel Insurance
I’ve currently got £3,000 worth of costs sat with my insurance company (across the two claims). At a time when my income has crashed to almost nothing (has anyone actually told that virus it’s an arsehole?), I could do with that money in my bank. But I’m not holding out any great hope for a quick payment. Past insurance claims have typically taken 3-4 months before money comes through.
I’ve currently got £3,000 worth of costs sat with my insurance company (across the two claims). At a time when my income has crashed to almost nothing (has anyone actually told that virus it’s an arsehole?), I could do with that money in my bank. But I’m not holding out any great hope for a quick payment. Past insurance claims have typically taken 3-4 months before money comes through.
I therefore went online to start the claim. However, when I selected the reason for the curtailment as ‘coronavirus’ I was given an auto response that my claim wasn’t valid. I tried 3 times more, including putting ‘other’ as the reason for my curtailment. Still, the same auto-response: not covered.
If it’s just a one-off event like a stolen camera, you’ll only have one claim date. If you got sick it will be from when you got sick to when you were better and picked up the rest of your trip (or went home).
Making a travel insurance claim is a long-assed process so you need to be realistic about filling in your claim. This isn’t a quick 5-minute job while you’re getting the kids ready for school. This is a proper piece of work. Set aside at least an hour, sometimes more, depending what you’re claiming for, and, crucially, make sure you’re in the mood.
However, with this latest flurry of paperwork, it seemed like a good opportunity for me to talk you through what I do to make a successful travel insurance claim. The devil is in the detail, but making a successful insurance claim is usually just a case of taking your time when you fill in your form.
The next thing you need to do is get your insurance papers together. I’m assuming you have access to the internet and email -you’re reading this online, so it seems a fair assumption.
It probably helps that I used to be a lawyer. A consumer protection lawyer, to be exact. So, reading fine print and knowing my rights is kind of my bag.
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