OPINION: I 've just spent an hour trying to imagine the worst holiday from hell a traveller could suffer.
No, I'm not a sadist, though I admit there was a grim fascination to the exercise.
The reason for my cruel flight of fancy was to illustrate some of the things travel insurance does not cover you for.
Sensible folk heading overseas, even as close as Australia, need travel insurance to cover catastrophic risks, and for travel insurance that is medical treatment and medical evacuation, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
But it seems there are more awful incidents not covered by travel insurance than ones that are.
And there is something positively parsimonious about that.
Policies contain more than a pinch of "thou shalt not", and many of the exclusions would please the most hardline of pulpit moralisers.
So here's the holiday from hell I dreamt up.
Your job is to tell me what claims the poor holidaymaker was successful with under a policy from one leading travel insurance provider.
Things go wrong from the very start for our hapless holidaymaker.
The taxi crashes en route to the airport. Though unhurt, the holidaymaker is made to give a statement by police.
That meant he missed his flights and is forced to book on the next available one to his destination.
Will his insurance pay for the new flight?
The beachside Caribbean paradise hotel he booked is lovely.
Locking his things in his room, he goes for an ocean swim. When he gets back, his expensive watch has been stolen, along with his cash. Thankfully his credit cards were untouched.
Are the stolen items covered?
A few restoratory drinks in the hotel bar and things no longer seem so bad, but on the way back to his room, he trips and falls, breaking his wrist. This led to an expensive trip to the local hospital.
Is he covered for the ambulance and medical bills?
Next day one of his teeth starts to ache. The day after it's throbbing. He's in agony by day three, and is forced to visit a local dentist. Will insurance cover the trip to the dentist?
Tooth agonisingly root-canaled, our holidaymaker returns to his hotel and gets his last shock. The phone rings. His old Dad's had a massive heart attack.
It's not the first time, but this one has proven fatal. Our man dashes to the airport to fly back early for the funeral.
Will the ticket be paid for by insurance?
As you may have guessed, the answers to the questions were: No, no, no, no and no.
Failure to check in is not covered. Nor are thefts of cash, cards and jewellery from a hotel room if a hotel safe is available.
Nor is any claim connected with the "influence of alcohol". Nor is treatment for tooth decay. Nor are claims connected to pre-existing conditions.
There are literally dozens of exclusions in travel policies, and holidaymakers must be aware of them.
Tragically, many are connected with fun, but kinda-risky stuff.
Get lucky and invite that cute Cuban back to your room. Beware general exclusion 10 prohibiting claims related to people you invited in.
Dumped by girlfriend for getting caught with cute Cuban. General exclusion 6. No claims related to relationship breakups.
Pickpocketed at the casino. General exclusion 12. Participating in gambling.
And though I'm sure I don't need to mention it. General exclusion 11. No claims related to prostitution. A policy is a contract - you are bound by every word.
Take the minimum with you.
Expensive jewellery stays home.
Get a good hidden, waterproof cash and card pocket.
Rob Stock is a journalist with the Fairfax Business Bureau and money editor of Sunday Star-Times.
- ? Fairfax NZ News
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Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/8526317/Travel-insurance-Saviour-or-passport-to-hell
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