Making a travel inurance claim isnt always the most well publicised procedure in the world, and when away from home with things going wrong it is very reassuring to know exactly what to do. Here is a brief look at how the process works.
It is reasonable to grasp that people will and do panic in emergency situations, but a little bit of calm and knowledge that you are insured for any crisis, should enable things to be sorted out pretty quickly. It’s easy to get caught up in worrying about what might happen. But there’s usually nothing to worry about. There are a few simple points you need to remember that will allow you to ensure things work out okay.
Multiple copies of your vital information, stored in differnt places, is always useful and sometimes a godsend. Keep one on you at all times if possible. Policy number and your insurers contact details are of greatest use to you in an emergency situation.
The sooner you contact your insurance company the better. In cases of medical emergency this is important. In non-life threatening cases, and where you don’t have full details of your policy with you, it might be best to contact the company to see if you’re covered before you opt for whatever insanely expensive treatment you may need.
Considering the medical implications, theft is not such a big deal but can ruin your holiday nonetheless. In extreme cases immediate action is necessary, such as getting replacement funds and documents. For smaller cases you can wait until you return home to contact the insurer. but make sure you get a police crime report to prove your claims.
Be aware, in developing countries with high numbers of foreign tourists, this is seen by many police as a waste of their time. You might have to give officials a small bribe to make progress. While this may seem alien to us, is some countries it is standard procedure
Another common claim is for baggage lost by airlines, hotels or transport companies. The thing to watch out for here is accountability. It’s important that, if possible, some sort of admission of culpability is obtained to forward to your insurer. It wouldn’t be unheard of for an airline to deny losing something even after their staff admitted to the fault at the time.
In the information age getting in touch with your insurer, even if you’ve lost your wallet with all the contact details in, isn’t usually going to be that difficult. Even if you don’t have a policy number to hand, the staff at the insurance office should recognise your name and be able to confirm your details through some sort of password system set up when you bought the policy.
etravelinsurance.co.uk offer great deals on student travel insurance including backpackers insurance which is especially designed to offer economical travel insurance cover for backpackers, gap year students and anyone taking an extended trip abroad.
