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Travel insurance can be void if you put the wrong departure date

Travel insurance can be void if you put the wrong departure date

Source: Straits Times
Article Date: 30 Dec 2024
Author: Tan Ooi Boon

For the policy to be effective, customers must indicate and pay the full price for the coverage, which must include the date of departure from Singapore to the date of return.

The devil is in the details as a young holiday-maker in Singapore discovered when a simple error on an insurance form left him high and dry when his flights were cancelled.

The excited traveller, preparing for his first trip to Europe, slipped up when filling in his insurance form.

Instead of entering the departure date, he entered the date of arrival at his destination, which was the following day after an overnight flight.

So when he later encountered mishaps – some connecting flights were cancelled and delayed due to bad weather, leading to extra travel and hotel charges – he thought he was insured as his coverage would have begun from his first day in Europe.

But to his dismay, the insurer rejected his claim for these expenses, stating that his policy was invalid because he failed to state the correct departure date from Singapore.

When the traveller’s appeal to the insurer was thrown out, he turned to the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (Fidrec).

The insurer explained during mediation that for the travel plan to be valid, customers here must provide the correct dates that cover an entire trip, with Singapore as the start and end points.

It also pointed out that the online application form clearly asked customers to fill in their departure dates from Singapore and the subsequent return dates.

The traveller admitted that he had made a mistake with the date, as it was his first solo trip and also the first time he was buying travel insurance. But he also felt that the insurer should honour his claim because the incidents happened during the period indicated.

But the insurer maintained that the policy was void from the word go as the customer had provided the wrong information. However, as a goodwill gesture, it offered some shopping vouchers to the customer. But the man rejected the offer and referred his case for adjudication.

The adjudicator reviewed all the evidence and dismissed the claim because the policy was void.

While the adjudicator expressed sympathy for the first-time traveller, he found that the wording of the travel insurance plan was unambiguous. For the policy to be effective, customers must indicate and pay the full price for the coverage, which must include the date of departure from Singapore to the date of return.

The case makes a compelling cautionary tale for all of us to take extra care when filling in online forms because there is no one to help you correct any mistakes.

Once you click on the “submit” button, the given information is taken as the final version and it is hard to blame others if the mistake turns out to be a critical one.

What you should note

1. Single-trip travel insurance policies usually require you to include the entire trip from the date of departure from Singapore to the date of arrival. You cannot choose to cover only a portion of your trip.

2. If you are travelling with your family, it is cheaper to opt for family coverage but make sure you fill in everyone’s details correctly.

3. Fill in forms carefully. Double check that the details of your trip are correctly stated in the travel insurance application form. If you have made a mistake, contact the insurer immediately.

4. Always read the policy terms to ensure that the cover is adequate and appropriate for the trip.

5. Ensure you save important hotline numbers of your insurer on your phone so that you don’t have to search for them in an emergency.

6. E-register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Singaporeans heading overseas should take advantage of this service because the information you provide will allow officials to check that you are safe and, if need be, assist you in an emergency. 

Of course, no one looks forward to claiming travel insurance but since you are paying for it, make sure you don’t end up with one that doesn’t cover your trip.

Source: Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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