Has anyone experienced a delayed travel insurance claim that eventually got paid?
I’m not sure if this fits here since it’s not about car or home insurance, but I had a strange encounter with the travel insurance linked to my credit card. My wife and I were supposed to attend a wedding, but she contracted COVID a few days before our trip, so I filed a claim for the nonrefundable hotel expenses. After waiting a couple of weeks with no updates, I called customer service and was informed that I needed a signed doctor’s note stating we were unable to travel. However, since we weren’t officially deemed unable to travel, I decided to drop it.
To my surprise, I later received notification that they were going to pay the claim.
The only reason I can think of for this is that the claim amount was so small they chose to pay it anyway, possibly for some internal metrics.
Is this common? In hindsight, I’m puzzled as to why they would choose to pay it if they weren’t required to. I’ll admit my perception of the credit card was starting to decline since we spend a lot on it. Maybe this was just a gesture of goodwill? Does anyone have insights on how these situations typically unfold? I’m trying to determine how much I can really trust this credit card.
It sounds like you had quite an experience with your travel insurance claim. Delays in processing can be frustrating, especially when you’re expecting a clear outcome. It’s not uncommon for insurance companies to have specific requirements for claims, and sometimes those requirements can feel a bit rigid or confusing.
From what you’ve described, it seems that the insurance company may have ultimately decided to cover your claim despite the initial requirement for a doctor’s note. There are a few reasons why this might have happened.
Claim Amount: As you mentioned, if the claim was relatively small, the company might choose to pay it rather than go through the hassle of denying it. This could be a financial decision to avoid the administrative costs associated with processing denials.
Customer Service Consideration: Companies often strive to maintain good customer relationships, especially if you are a loyal customer who spends a lot on the credit card. They might have recognized that not paying the claim would lead to dissatisfaction and potentially result in you reconsidering your spending habits with them.
Policy Ambiguities: Sometimes, policies can be open to interpretation. If your claim was borderline or if they genuinely wanted to avoid any further issues, they might have opted to honor it as a goodwill gesture.
As for your trust in the credit card, it might be worth considering how they handled this situation overall. If they ultimately paid the claim, it could indicate that they are willing to work with customers rather than maintaining a strict/rigid stance. However, it’s always a good idea to read the fine print of your card’s travel insurance benefits and perhaps even reach out to customer service for clarification on future claims. Trust comes from understanding how a company operates and knowing that you can rely on them in your time of need.