There are so many things which can go wrong on a trip. Depressing, maybe morbid, pessimistic…but true. From your vacation being cancelled to an injury incurred while abroad, to your luggage being sent three thousand miles in the opposite direction, these things just happen. That’s why such insurance was created: to provide coverage away from your home country. So, let’s assume something has gone wrong. What steps do you take?
The first thing you need to do is gather documentation. No matter how nice the representative at your insurance company’s call center may be, it is a business and a claim is a legal document. In order to fulfill the claim, you must include such items as receipts and bills.
Next, submit a claim form. These forms tend to be fairly standard. You will be asked questions based on your circumstances. For example, if you had to cancel your flight, you will be asked for the reason of the cancellation. Additionally, you will be asked to provide unused travel tickets and itineraries, the cost of tickets, and the amount refunded by the airline. If you were injured and had to hand over all of your money to the town’s witch doctor (just kidding…witch doctors do not qualify as a company-approved physician), you may need to provide a full description of the injury, a questionnaire about any possible pre-existing conditions and any other medical coverage you may have. If your luggage is stolen or misplaced, you will need to show the original police report. Unfortunately, you will also have to provide receipts, manuals, and guarantees for all of the missing items, as well as the place and date in which you acquired the item and a professional estimate for the cost to repair items (if applicable). You will want to include the make and model where you can. Finally, if you lose cash, you will want to secure bank statements and receipts in order to prove how much money you had on you at the time.
The final step is to make a copy of all correspondence, including all of the documentation you sent to the insurance company. If possible, send it via Certified or Registered Mail, preferably with a Return Receipt service included. This will help your case in the event that your claim goes missing.
In conclusion, here is a warning: do not lie or withhold information on your claim form. Regardless of how insignificant or miniscule the claim amount for which you are asking, you would be committing insurance fraud—a serious offense. In 2009, two 23-year-old backpackers in Brazil heard about a scam which was making its rounds among their fellow travelers. They hid their cameras and other valuables then tried to claim them as missing. While this seems like a convenient way to make some extra cash, don’t even think about it. Insurance companies are savvy to this kind of scheme and will investigate it further at the slightest hint of doubt.
