Are your lost or stolen belongings covered?
Travel bags and personal use items are often one of the major claims in the travel insurance industry.
Even so, this causes skepticism to the insurer, which leads to misunderstandings between the traveler and travel insurer.
Thus, before registering for travel insurance, ensure you address all your queries and settle for a dependable company.
When you’re covered
The majority of specific travel insurance laws cover baggage, personal items lost through robbery, and damage, among other related situations.
Some of these circumstances are:
- When your luggage and personal belongings get destroyed or stolen during your trip. Most travel insurance firms compensate for your loss, depending on the premium plan you signed up for.
- Suppose your money got stolen during your trip, travel insurance companies will give you a reimbursement with a specific limit.
- In most instances, when traveling for long-distance trips, you are likely to encounter luggage delays. It can happen for a day or more. A comprehensive travel insurance policy gives you a specified amount of money to cater for items like toiletries and clothes.
- In case you lose any of your travel documents like your visa or passport, most travel insurance firms will cater to this and help you replace them.
- Additionally, if you leave your items in a vehicle’s glove compartment or boot, insurers will offer compensation.
When you’re not covered
- In some instances, travel insurance companies do not cover for your luggage. Some of these incidences include:
- If you leave your items or bags in your hotel upon checkout or airport.
- Suppose you leave costly personal items in the airport, hotel, or any other place during your trip, travel insurers are not likely to cover them. Examples of these belongings include laptops, cameras, binoculars, smartphones, and expensive jewelry. But, upon registering for the travel insurance, note all the items excluded from compensation.
- In case the respective airline or transport carrier gives you remuneration for your lost goods, there will be no need for your insurer to compensate you again. But if the amount was not paid in full, your insurer is likely to top up the compensation up to a limited amount.
- Most travel insurance companies do not cater for destroyed electronic devices caused by water.
- Additionally, note that insurers don’t compensate for all commodities excluded from the insurance plan.
How to make a luggage claim
The process of claiming your baggage and personal items is quite simple.
Like other insurance companies, travel insurers follow the same procedure.
But it all depends on the contract, so before presenting any claims, ensure you carefully read and understand all the guidelines and requirements.
But in general, insurers will need you to support your claim by giving evidence.
Therefore, they will need:
- Proof that you possess the claimed luggage and you spent your money to pay for them.
- Make sure you present evidence of the lost baggage.
- You have to prove that you traveled by presenting your itinerary to your insurance company.
- Also, you need to prove that you are the person registered for the insurance plan. This allows them to be sure they are providing compensation to the right person.
Things to do when claiming luggage from your insurer
- Check your policy documents:
Before presenting a luggage claim, refer to your policy documents to know what to claim and the deadline for filing the claim.
These aspects determine the success or failure of a claim.
- Report the theft or loss:
If your luggage got lost through robbery, ensure you obtain a police report before 24 hours.
Also, in such a case, ensure you report the incidence to your tour operator, hotel, or airline.
They could help you get your goods back or get an evidence report to present to your insurance company.
- Check the liability:
Before contacting your insurance company, inquire whether you qualify for compensation from your hotel among other providers if your goods got stolen.
Several provide a certain amount of compensation.
Obtain proper evidence in document form of any of the providers that took receipt of liability and present it to your travel insurer.
- Get a repair quote in the event of damage:
Note that in case your items got damaged, the travel insurer will need a quote from a dependable company that explains the cause of loss.
It is advisable to get this from a repair company that states the extent of damage and expenses incurred.
- Get your documents together:
Find and organize all the documents needed to show ownership of goods and how they got lost or damaged.
Gather all your documents together to obtain a successful claim.
All this depends on your insurance company.
Different companies need different documents during the claim procedure.
Prepare all required documents just to be safe.
- Submit your claim:
With the evolution of technology, you can present your claim from the comfort of your home.
You can visit your insurer’s website and file your claim.
Answer all the questions and present as much information as possible to support your claim.
iPhones and smartphone claims
Most travel insurance excludes iPhones and smartphones claims from the insurance plan.
These items are delicate and expensive.
Besides, some insured customers can try upgrading their devices by claiming their iPhones got stolen during their trip.
So, ensure you take good care of these items while traveling.
Also, confirm whether your insurer caters to water-damaged goods before taking up an insurance plan.
In case your smartphone or iPhone gets stolen during your trip, note that some insurers will refund up to a specific limit.
This is because they consider it depreciated.
But if you want a full refund, you can list your items as high-value items.
Laptops and camera claims
Like smartphones, most travel insurance companies exclude laptops and camera claims from their plans.
Moreover, they don’t cater to these items when they get damaged by water.
But in case these items are in your insurance plans, the insurer only reimburses a specific amount minus the depreciation of the item.
But you can include your laptop ad camera in the high-value items list if you wish for a full refund.
Jewelry claims
When traveling, it is good to carry expensive jewelry with you or instead leave them at home.
The majority of insurers do not cover jewelry, especially when they are in your travel bags and stored with other plane cargo.
They also set a specific limit you can claim for jewelry.
Thus, you can leave expensive jewelry behind, if possible.