a rant- re my online purchasing experience.

[carole]

I just had to share my fustration at my latest online purchase of Travel insurance for the kids when they go to Aussie in July.

When i purchased the airline tickets you had the option of purchasing Travel insurance, so i thought this was nice and easy, hassle free, so i ticked the box, how wrong was I.

When the policy came back to me via email,my printer was not working, so i did not get it printed out for about two weeks,by which time of course you cannot cancel the policy, i was not worried as i thought i had this very good policy ,but to my shock found i had only purchased baggage and ticket insurance.

I found the website very misleading, when you purchase it say's comprehensive,and even on the certificate they sent me, but when you read the policy it only say's ticket and baggage.GRR..

So i see online you can upgrade, too late to cancel, proceed to do that and it won't recognise the policy,so i have to ring Australia, lucky it is a free line,one girl tells me i cannot do it, my son has to as he is the policy holder,and he does not even know about it, only that i am purchasing it,then i decide to ring again, this girl tell's me i cannot even upgrade, i decide to re-check the website and see it is offered in NZ dollars as a policy so i then know the info she gave me is incorrect,

I finally get a guy who seems to know what he is doing, he offers me a new policy and cancels the old one, all done over the phone,then sends me a new travel certificate, with the birthdates incorrect, so i email him to amend it, he does it and still gets my son's wrong,then i notice he has put the destination as pacific not australia,then on top of that my son checks his bank statement, he has charged us alright but has not made a refund.
The guy proceeds to tell me the birthdates don't really matter, but hey i am not taking any chances, insurance companies look for any loop hole they can,when paying out in claims to get out of it, so i want this fixed.

I am beginning to wish i had never taken this policy out, i could have purchased a cheaper one within NZ, now i wish i had,so today i have to ring Aussie again and sort this out,anyone else experienced such online hassles with purchases you have my empathy,please feel free to share,

[moosmom]

Carole,

To tell you the truth, I've NEVER purchased flight insurance. The last time I saw anyone apply for flight insurance, my brother was like 8 years old. My Dad took a picture of it. Adorable picture but a looooooong time ago.!!

My opinion is, if it's your time, it's your time. No ifs, ands or buts about it.

[Freedom]

I haven't bought something like that on line.

I did buy insurance when Dad and I went to Sicily 7 years back. If something happened to Dad I didn't want to be out the ticket price AND our tour tickets about $3000 if I remember (for both of us).

I think it is a good thing in some cases if there is a risk of not being able to travel.

[carole]

Donna the insurance is not just if you die,(i think we are talking about two different things here) it is to cover a numerous amount of things, for instance if you get sick and cannot go, i will get the airline ticket refunded,for renting a car, the excess is covered, it is also if your baggage gets delayed or goes missing,covers credit card,loss or stolen, and the biggy medical insurance, if you get sick or need an operation, it covers those type of things and much more,in my opinion i would never travel without it to an overseas destination,(it even will pay my airfare over there and accom, if one of my kids got sick over there and was hospitalised,something i would not have the extra for,) i have chosen an extensive policy as i want to make sure my kids are ok, you know what it is like, probably get less for myself, but when it comes to your kids, they get only the best lol.

We may have a reciprocal health scheme with aussie, but i am not sure, even so it does not cover everything,just because you are there for a short time and are young does not guarantee your well being, anyone can slip and fall and break a leg eh?

I think nearly everyone i know buys travel insurance these days,it is just too risky.

[moosmom]

Well DUH!!!!!! I never thought of that. Great idea. This way in case you get sick and have to cancel, you'll get a refund.

[carole]

Yup and also about 15 other things as well listed on the policy, so it is a good idea,well worth the money, but not the hassle i am having, still having problems, they changed the destination on the certificate to pacific, it should read Australia, and they are not mean't to do that, so no idea what the heck is going on, i keep getting different information and different people, the original guy who did is away sick of course, grr, i am getting more fustrated by the minute.