Why I never bother with travel insurance

Pollycat

duchy wrote: »

The thing is most posters on here OP frankly don't give a toss if your uninsured house burns down, your kids get stranded or you have to sell aforementioned house to pay off your "statisically unlikely" medical bills.

What does concern us that the inexperienced holiday maker doesn't read your twaddle and think "It's OK not to take out insurance as that bloke on the internet says it is" People can make informed decisions based on the experience of others with the balance of info on here.

I too find it incredible how many people don't think insurance is important....Until something happens. I've booked people holidays-offered them insurance and got told "We already have it" A month later they come in again and say "My op has come through-can I take out that insurance now as I need to cancel" DOH. I've repatriated people whose parents have had heart attacks at home , victims of hit and run RTAs, heart attack victims (the incidence of heart attacks on holiday is scary-heat and booze is a bad mix) on a very regular basis. Less commonly-the elderly mother of a holidaymaker was mugged back home and died , another had their roof blow off in high winds, housefires. Many of these you CAN'T take steps to negate the risk apart from purchasing a lucky rabbit's foot !

Duchy
I think enough people on here have said how flawed both Yoghurt's (the OP) and Nobjocki's views on taking out insurance are so that anyone who stumbles across this thread would think twice before following in those 2 posters' footsteps.

And of course, all the things that you mention might happen just cannot be applied to Nobjocki - because he's always so careful. :cool:

Nobjocki

Pollycat wrote: »

Nobjocki seems to operate in the belief that if he (and presumably his family) are careful, there is no need for any insurance at all.

Of course, when Nobjocki is driving along the road there will never be a driver who is late and fatefully decides to jump a red light or is texting on his mobile or falls asleep in an articulated lorry on the motorway - because he's careful.

Of course, when Nobjocki is on holiday (maybe back-packing around the world with his uninsured family), nobody will break into his house, steal his valuables and trash his 200 year old house - because he's careful.
And he will never have a leaky pipe that will damage his carpets - because he's careful.

Of couse, as Nobjocki is enjoying his holiday, ensuring that he doesn't expose himslef and family to risk by white-water rafting or getting drunk or riding a motorbike without a helmet or eating seafood in a dodgy-looking restaurant or crossing the road without looking both ways, nothing can happen to him - because he's careful.

Although Nobjocki makes the point that whilst he's engaging in these activities abroad, he's under no more risk than he would be walking down a street at home (a statement that I can actually can see some sense in), he doesn't seem to understand that if something happened to him whilst walking down a street at home, somebody would just call 999.

However, if something happens whilst he's abroad, the kerching of cash registers would start to ring as soon as he admits he has no insurance.

Although I agree with Nobjocki that the E111 is invaluable in a European country - what it won't do is repatriate him and his family - if he's unfortunate to encounter someone who isn't as careful as he is.
And of course, an E111 card is not a lot of good if you're driving across America, holidaying in Thailand or back-packing round the world.

What Nobjocki doesn't seem to understand about those people who DO buy travel (and other types of) insurance is that, far from being "cocooned in a false security blanket" and "can't actually think objectively for themselves" is that they ARE thinking for themselves and making a decision that just might save them a lot of money, stress and worry if the worst happens.
And if the worst doesn't happen, then we've spent a few pounds and have peace of mind.

You're gullible.
And as long as there are other gullible people like you insurance companies will continue to make fat profits.
And that is what selling insurance is all about - making a fat profit.

june.elizabeth

Arrived home from USA on Wednesday. Husband tripped and fractured his ankle in three places, luckily at the end of our vacation, within 3 hours of being informed our insurance company had arranged transport to airport, flight with extra seats to keep leg elevated for first flight. Second flight, Business class seats back to UK, Transport Home, wheelchair assistance at each airport. On top of all this the hospital bills which will be high. Probably total cost in the region of £20,00.00. Insurance cost £200.00. Cannot recommend the insurance company to anyone unless you are serving or retired BA Staff.

Hubby now in local hospital having surgery.

If I had no insurance I would probably be bankrupt!

ALWAYS TAKE INSURANCE AT THE SAME TIME YOU BOOK YOUR TRIP.

Pollycat

Nobjocki wrote: »

You're gullible.
And as long as there are other gullible people like you insurance companies will continue to make fat profits.
And that is what selling insurance is all about - making a fat profit.

Hey, Nobjocki
I guess you think june.elizabeth is gullible too. :rotfl::rotfl:
There's only 2 gullible people posting on this thread - and that will be those 2 who think buying insurance is not worth it and that if you do, you're gullible.

june.elizabeth wrote: »

Arrived home from USA on Wednesday. Husband tripped and fractured his ankle in three places, luckily at the end of our vacation, within 3 hours of being informed our insurance company had arranged transport to airport, flight with extra seats to keep leg elevated for first flight. Second flight, Business class seats back to UK, Transport Home, wheelchair assistance at each airport. On top of all this the hospital bills which will be high. Probably total cost in the region of £20,00.00. Insurance cost £200.00. Cannot recommend the insurance company to anyone unless you are serving or retired BA Staff.
Hubby now in local hospital having surgery.
If I had no insurance I would probably be bankrupt!

ALWAYS TAKE INSURANCE AT THE SAME TIME YOU BOOK YOUR TRIP.

june.elizabeth
I hope your hubby is soon home and recovering.

duchy

Nobjocki wrote: »

If you'd read the posts more carefully you would have noticed that I am not the original poster but merely adding my opinion in favour of his view.

Of course you're in favour of travel insurance - you sell it ! :rotfl:

And if YOU had read MINE you'd have seen I USED to work in the travel industry -so no longer sell it so your logic is somewhat FLAWED (again)

Have to admire your persistance though -every time you post you make yourself look even more foolish and less credible :rotfl::rotfl:

Soubrette

davidlizard wrote: »

I am partially with the original poster on this - many of the things covered by travel insurance are largely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things and would cause only minor financial loss.

For example, if the plane is hijacked claiming £200 from my travel insurance will be the least of my worries! If I lose my luggage then by the time I take excesses into account and given I take nothing of any value with me it will be hardly worth claiming. The chances of me losing my passport are minimal, and if I do I will simply stay a few extra days and get a later flight home - it will cost a few hundred pounds extra but again I can underwrite that myself. The same can be said for many such things.

Also the whole value of travel insurance is questionable when insurers try to wriggle out of claims, as shown with the attitudes of some for the volcanic ash chaos earlier this year.

However, certain aspects I cannot afford to (or are not prepared to) underwrite the risk myself - these are mostly the expensive things, typically medical/repatriation expenses, personal injury and personal liability. For this alone, basic travel insurance is essential.

Insurance by definition is risk transfer - passing the buck to someone else in exchange for a sum of money. Its the same for car insurance, home insurance and any other kind of insurance. There is always the risk of over-insuring - i.e. spending more money than necessary. There was an article (I think relating to home insurance) where Martin discussed "insuring against catastrophe" - i.e. keep the insurance costs low by not insuring the things you could cover yourself, but do insure against the big/expensive things.

This is the most sensible post I've read and why I personally take out travel insurance, I can cover the smaller stuff but not the hundreds of thousand of possible loss.

The only caveat to essential would be the very few people who have instance access to a few hundred thousand pounds and don't mind taking the small risk they might have to use it if something goes wrong.

For the rest of the people who don't bother - most of you will be quids in but a percentage of you will be left in very difficult positions, too much of a gamble for me personally to take the risk myself.

Nobjocki

It's interesting to note the number of people who react so angrily to a couple of posters who merely think that travel insurance is a waste of money.

As I have said repeatedly it's all a matter of choice but the hostile reaction from those who appear to seek validation of their own apprehension about travel speaks volumes.

There are some of us who actually enjoy using our own common-sense and initiative when travelling abroad, to explore unusual places without requiring all the insurance-covered, Tripadvisor, online pre-planning nervousness that many people seem to indulge in simply when travelling from one developed Western country to another.

It's also far more educational for children to learn how to adapt and survive in different environments without having an emotional safety blanket to fall back on if it all goes wrong.

Not everyone likes to be led by a ring through their nose when travelling.

alanrowell

Nobjocki wrote: »

I live in a 200-year-old house. Nothing has happened to it for two centuries.What's the point in buildings insurance ?

Because despite nothing having happened for 200 years there is no guarantee nothing will happen to it tomorrow.

Nobjocki wrote: »

If I go to any European country covered by the European Health Insurance Card what's the point of medical insurance - most of these countries have healthcare that is comparable to if not better than the NHS.

Because you are only covered to the same standard as those systems - they won't cover you for a special flight home (even as cargo) nor will they cover other expenses. As recent cases have shown not having insurance in an EU country can result in a very large bill

Nobjocki wrote: »

Provided I don't go white-water rafting or get drunk and ride a motorbike without a helmet or eat seafood in a dodgy-looking restaurant or cross the road without looking both ways I am under no more risk than I would be walking down a street at home.

You may not be, but the consequences of something going wrong are likely to be worse. If for example you tripped and banged your head in the US then you will end up with a bill in the thousands of dollars. If it causes bleeding in the brain then that goes up into tens of thousands. And that's just the cost of medical treatment itself. It does not include the incidental costs that you wouldn't incur if you were at home - for example your family members wouldn't need to stay in a hotel, wouldn't need to rebook fligth tickets, wouldn't need to hire a car...

Nobjocki wrote: »

In short I refuse to be a victim of the 'elf and safety culture that pervades every aspect of British life and which prevents people from actually thinking objectively for themselves.

Then you are a fool.

alanrowell

Nobjocki wrote: »

It's also far more educational for children to learn how to adapt and survive in different environments without having an emotional safety blanket to fall back on if it all goes wrong.

So if you took your child abroad and they fell over giving you a $20,000 bill then that is "adapting and surviving". Or do you have a means by which you stop your child falling over in the first place?

Nobjocki

alanrowell wrote: »

So if you took your child abroad and they fell over giving you a $20,000 bill then that is "adapting and surviving". Or do you have a means by which you stop your child falling over in the first place?

I simply don't share the same fear of the unknown as you do.
Neither do my kids.
They have the intelligence, wits and experience to survive in very difficult environments.
It comes from growing up without being wrapped up on cotton wool and met at the airport by a rep and a coach to take them to some dreary resort where everyone is terrified of falling over and banging their heads or being run down by a drink-crazed foreigner.
And all because some doom-monger like yourself warned them about danger round every corner.