Nov 30, 2009
Stranded without luggage, but insurer cites fine print to reject claim
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THINKING of buying travel insurance for your holiday? I recently found to my consternation that some travel policies are useless in an emergency. The sticky web of fine print fails to give customers protection even in common emergencies.
Consider my experience with AIG Assist Global Travel insurance.
On June 4, I was stranded in a big city in a foreign land during a business trip, with only the clothes on my back. All my baggage, including my laptop computer with crucial business data inside, had been stolen in Beijing by a taxi driver.
Being a regular customer of AIG Assist, I had bought a Classic policy. I made a police report and the Beijing police began to track the cabby down. I immediately informed AIG's emergency hotline of the theft. I even renewed my policy for three more days, as I had to delay my departure to search for the luggage.
My hotel graciously extended its service to help me scour security cameras for footage of the taxi. I had to stay in the hotel, buy basic toiletries and clothes and travel to the police station. I had to make roaming mobile phone calls and send text messages to liaise with the police and taxi companies. I even placed a radio advertisement offering a reward for the luggage.
Fortunately, the police located the taxi driver and my luggage was recovered. After three days of stressful and desperate search, I had incurred heavy expenses.
On my return to Singapore, I made a claim for the costs of being stranded without luggage.� Immediately AIG sent my e-mail message directly to its claims adjuster, Crawford. Crawford's reply was simply that it was not covered. Its purpose appears to be to enforce the fine print without care for consumers. After repeated e-mail messages over two months, Crawford replied that under section 26 of its contract, only if luggage is stolen after airport check-in, or if a passport is stolen, is it required to reimburse a single cent.
Where is the recourse for consumers whose luggage is stolen? Does travel insurance really protect one during travel?
I urge readers to learn from my experience and be careful when choosing travel insurance policies.
Leong Zuan Yi (Ms)
Stranded without luggage, but insurer cites fine print to reject claim
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<!-- end left side bar --><!-- story content : start -->
THINKING of buying travel insurance for your holiday? I recently found to my consternation that some travel policies are useless in an emergency. The sticky web of fine print fails to give customers protection even in common emergencies.
Consider my experience with AIG Assist Global Travel insurance.
On June 4, I was stranded in a big city in a foreign land during a business trip, with only the clothes on my back. All my baggage, including my laptop computer with crucial business data inside, had been stolen in Beijing by a taxi driver.
Being a regular customer of AIG Assist, I had bought a Classic policy. I made a police report and the Beijing police began to track the cabby down. I immediately informed AIG's emergency hotline of the theft. I even renewed my policy for three more days, as I had to delay my departure to search for the luggage.
My hotel graciously extended its service to help me scour security cameras for footage of the taxi. I had to stay in the hotel, buy basic toiletries and clothes and travel to the police station. I had to make roaming mobile phone calls and send text messages to liaise with the police and taxi companies. I even placed a radio advertisement offering a reward for the luggage.
Fortunately, the police located the taxi driver and my luggage was recovered. After three days of stressful and desperate search, I had incurred heavy expenses.
On my return to Singapore, I made a claim for the costs of being stranded without luggage.� Immediately AIG sent my e-mail message directly to its claims adjuster, Crawford. Crawford's reply was simply that it was not covered. Its purpose appears to be to enforce the fine print without care for consumers. After repeated e-mail messages over two months, Crawford replied that under section 26 of its contract, only if luggage is stolen after airport check-in, or if a passport is stolen, is it required to reimburse a single cent.
Where is the recourse for consumers whose luggage is stolen? Does travel insurance really protect one during travel?
I urge readers to learn from my experience and be careful when choosing travel insurance policies.
Leong Zuan Yi (Ms)
