WARNING Budget Direct Annual Policy

[cutz]

My condolences too Ansett on your loss. On a slightly different note, i had my mother in law have to cancel a South African Safari trip due to a severe back problem. She had some history of minor ailments, but a couple of months out from the trip whilst gardening had a really painful back injury. She was getting treatment up until near the trip date in the hope of coming good, but it was too painful to travel, so she had to cancel. She had Travel insurance through RAC (in WA) and made a claim. They contacted her doctors and looked at the medical records and rejected the claim saying it was a pre-existing injury. we complained and threatened to go to FSO and they said go ahead and wouldnt even consider making an offer. On that basis i would suggest avoiding RAC (WA) for travel insurance, or any insurance for that matter. But the moral here is that cheap isnt always best with something as important as travel insurance.

 

[FirstClass]

Having been a business traveller for almost 40 years, my view has always been "if you need travel insurance, you can't afford to travel".
The outcome of this case would seem to confirm the veracity of that belief.
For clarity, I should confess to not knowing what 'travel insurance' is actually for.
I see enigmatic commercials on the box all the time for what might be travel insurance, but the ads never explain what the 'product' actually does.
I inferred it must be aimed at gullible aviophobics possessed of a misapprehension that the 'product' might afford some protection against their conveyance arriving at a smoking hole in the ground...

 

[coco50]

"Coverage for costs relating to the passing of a relative does vary by policy. Many insurance providers, including Travel Insurance Direct, Covermore and American Express, would have provided coverage in this case. However, many providers will only cover costs incurred due to the death of relatives up to a certain age. Some providers also require pre-existing medical conditions of relatives to be declared."

It would be virtually impossible to select a policy that covered any eventuality that might apply to you. And even if you did, there is always something out of left field that will come and bite you on the posterior. All you can do is to make sure that you have valid travel insurance and proceed with diligent caution.

 

[aussie.gene]

I had a similar situation. School friend and I were about to set sail on a 7 day cruise when her mother died suddenly on the morning we were to sail and we had to cancel at the last minute.
Woolworths Travel Insurance rejected our claim because the person involved was over 85 years of age. She wasn't sailing we were! At age 94 she was in good health and her death was sudden.
Plus my friend is an employee of Woolworths however it made not difference.

We pleaded our case to Carnival Cruises in the USA, their initial reply was to extend their condolences, this was something Woolworths never did!

They gave us a full credit towards another cruise to be taken within 12 months. I have been singing their praises ever since (and enjoyed a wonderful cruise to NZ) ... whereas I tell everyone to keep away from Woolworths Travel.

Travel terms and conditions are really a case of personal interpretation - they know what they mean but we don't.

 

[JohnK]

I have no faith in any insurance company. You don't realise how bad they are until you see the measures they take not to pay out on claims.

Evil doesn't begin to describe it.

 

[RB]

Travel terms and conditions are really a case of personal interpretation - they know what they mean but we don't.

It is good that you have been positive in your praise of Carnival Cruises. It appears that the section of the Woolworths Travel Insurance you are questioning/calling interpretation is worded as follows
"or is in any way related to the death or Hospitalisation of any person aged 85 years and over, regardless of the country in which they live".
It is page 65 of the PDS wording, point 35 under general exclusions. That seems pretty clear?

 

[vic51]

The travel sections are full of this sort of complaint, in my research I have noticed many insurance companies do not cover overseas relatives or even travel companions. the if you've a relative over 80, they're deemed to have a pre-existing condition (old age)...then if the relative has had a major health problem in the last few years...good luck.
You need to read the small print and you'll find all sorts of 'outs' so they won't have to pay.
eg: If you were skiing and entered a Nastar race and got hurt, you've voided your travel insurance!

 

[clipped_wings]

So sorry to hear about your Mum's passing Ansett. I hope that, by the time you read these last few posts, you are reading them from the UK and that you are surrounded by family and friends.

When you return to Oz, come back to this forum, as you'll still be surrounded by FF family and friends xx

 

[Ansett]

So sorry to hear about your Mum's passing Ansett. I hope that, by the time you read these last few posts, you are reading them from the UK and that you are surrounded by family and friends.

When you return to Oz, come back to this forum, as you'll still be surrounded by FF family and friends xx

Thank you I am now back from the UK and have finalised and said my good byes and paid final respects.

And thank you all for your condolences.

 

[Pushka]

Having been a business traveller for almost 40 years, my view has always been "if you need travel insurance, you can't afford to travel".
The outcome of this case would seem to confirm the veracity of that belief.
For clarity, I should confess to not knowing what 'travel insurance' is actually for.
I see enigmatic commercials on the box all the time for what might be travel insurance, but the ads never explain what the 'product' actually does.
I inferred it must be aimed at gullible aviophobics possessed of a misapprehension that the 'product' might afford some protection against their conveyance arriving at a smoking hole in the ground...

Having been a business and leisure traveller for 40 years I'd say so that said travel insurance covers you for stated pre existing conditions? Accidents happen to everyone? Things get lost? Plans go awry? People steal things?

I have had successful claims. Multiple times. For a varied number of reasons. Health. Missed connections. Lost items. Accident. Theft. I wouldn't be without it. Surely that's the best testimony than someone who has never needed to claim.

We've always understood that elderly parents would never be covered. It's irrelevant whether they are travelling or not - they prevent the traveler from travelling.

 

[straitman]

Having been a business traveller for almost 40 years, my view has always been "if you need travel insurance, you can't afford to travel".
The outcome of this case would seem to confirm the veracity of that belief.
For clarity, I should confess to not knowing what 'travel insurance' is actually for.
I see enigmatic commercials on the box all the time for what might be travel insurance, but the ads never explain what the 'product' actually does.
I inferred it must be aimed at gullible aviophobics possessed of a misapprehension that the 'product' might afford some protection against their conveyance arriving at a smoking hole in the ground...

Not meeting to sound rude here but could you please rewrite the later part of your post in ordinary english?

 

[JohnK]

Not meeting to sound rude here but could you please rewrite the later part of your post in ordinary english?

The last sounds quite clear to me.

 

[Caversham04]

The travel sections are full of this sort of complaint, in my research I have noticed many insurance companies do not cover overseas relatives or even travel companions. the if you've a relative over 80, they're deemed to have a pre-existing condition (old age)...then if the relative has had a major health problem in the last few years...good luck.
You need to read the small print and you'll find all sorts of 'outs' so they won't have to pay.
eg: If you were skiing and entered a Nastar race and got hurt, you've voided your travel insurance!

Condolences from me too

On a lighter side, and as noted by Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy): "Time travel? I believe there are people regularly travelling back from the future and interfering with our lives on a daily basis. The evidence is all around us. I’m talking about how every time we make an insurance claim we discover that somehow mysteriously the exact thing we’re claiming for is now precisely excluded from our policy.”...........

 

[Ansett]

A Final note on this subject.

Received a call yesterday from Budget Direct to discuss my refused claim and to cut a long story short it transpires that Budget Direct Policy never ever covered Domestic trips. This was not clear at the time as the wording was COVERED ALL TRIPS.

Anyway after discussing with them they have seen that I should have been advised at the time of the claim that the reason was because the policy does not cover Domestic Trips.

A second call back today and Budget Direct have offered a full refund of the policy.

I now need a replacement policy. What is best at the moment?

Also Please double check your policies to see what is or not covered when it comes to Domestic Trips.....

 

[eastwest101]

A Final note on this subject.

Received a call yesterday from Budget Direct to discuss my refused claim and to cut a long story short it transpires that Budget Direct Policy never ever covered Domestic trips. This was not clear at the time as the wording was COVERED ALL TRIPS.

Also Please double check your policies to see what is or not covered when it comes to Domestic Trips.....

I would be going to the ACCC about that one, depending on the actual policy product that you brought, they can't advertise ALL trips and then exclude domestic flying.

Its like saying I will pay all my insurance premium but put in fine print exclusion that says "# Premium amounts in AUD currency are not payable by the customer."

 

[Ansett]

I am happy to get my money back and for others to eb aware of the restriction.

In a ddition the Insurance Certificate also advises the below.

If you are in one of the countries listed below, simply dial the FREE call number shown for
that country
Australia 1800 444 424
Canada 1844 6393 702
France 08 0090 2768
Indonesia 00 1803 0612 038
Malaysia 1800 817 527
New Zealand 080 0453 589
UK 0808 234 7210
China South 1080 0361 0225
China North 1080 0611 0195
Germany 080 0181 9595
Thailand 00 1800 6129 082
USA 1844 774 5157
For all other countries
dial
+61 7 3360 7735

 

[oz_mark]

I would be going to the ACCC about that one, depending on the actual policy product that you brought, they can't advertise ALL trips and then exclude domestic flying.

Its like saying I will pay all my insurance premium but put in fine print exclusion that says "# Premium amounts in AUD currency are not payable by the customer."

I think the starting point is the FOS, for complaints against insurers.

 

[eastwest101]

I think the starting point is the FOS, for complaints against insurers.

Correct - it would be the FOS.

 

[trooper]

If straitman ever needs hospitalisation and major medical treatment in the US he'll very quickly find out what travel insurance is for.....

 

[straitman]

If straitman ever needs hospitalisation and major medical treatment in the US he'll very quickly find out what travel insurance is for.....

I know and understand TI and have claimed against it but I just didn't fully understand that post.