Peter Hoagland always checks to see if his travel insurance is refundable. That's because anything can happen between the time you book your vacation and when you leave — and because travel insurance isn't always refundable.
During the pandemic, he discovered that the hard way. He had to cancel a trip and asked for his money back from the insurance company. It refused.
"Since then, I always read the fine print on the policy," he says.
The refundability of travel insurance has always been an open question. Some countries and U.S. states regulate refundability. Travel insurance companies put refundability details in the fine print of the policy. And, as Hoagland found out, there are always exceptions.
Like the pandemic, when refund policies were all over the map. Some insurance companies adhered to their published policies. Others offered a credit that could be reused within a year, which was minimally useful because the pandemic was still happening a year later. Others quietly gave their customers a refund.
Hoagland says he fought for his money. Eventually, he contacted a manager at his travel insurance company.
"That produced a quick result," he says. "I got my money back."
But let's face it: Getting a refund for travel insurance can be difficult. There are times when insurance is always refundable because it's required by law. There are times when it's sometimes refundable. And there are times when it's almost never refundable. But even then, there may be a way to recover some — or all — of the value of your policy.
If you have a travel insurance policy and would like to get a refund, it might be easier said than done, say experts.
"While travel insurance is regulated like auto and home insurance, it’s often less standardized," says Stuart Winchester, CEO of Marble, a digital wallet for your insurance. "So first off, it’s important to check the fine print of your specific policy. Don’t assume it’s like the last one you got."
Even when you have something in writing, a refund can require some serious negotiating skills.
"Getting a refund for travel insurance can be complicated and frustrating," says Peter Hamdy, the managing director of a tour operator in Auckland, New Zealand. He's asked for a refund on policies numerous times and says that despite what travel insurance companies may tell you, there are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to getting a refund on your policy.
"Some situations can warrant a refund," he says. "It depends on your policy."
What does a typical refundability clause look like? For example, the World Explorer Guardian from Insured Nomads notes that it's refundable only during the 10-day review period from the date of delivery or 15 days from the date of delivery if mailed,
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