Travel insurance scam

[brucebrad]

I was making a quick booking, and skipped right past the bit at the top of the payment page about travel insurance being added. However, the total $ figure in the credit card payment section was correct (ie not including any insurance), so I went ahead and paid. I now find that travel insurance has been added to my trip.

I see on the travel insurance policy that I can cancel for a full refund. Will an email be sufficient?

Surely this is fraudulent behaviour by Virgin (unless they can use incompetence as an excuse). You can't show one total price on a credit card form but bill a higher price (even if the addition is described elsewhere on the page).

 

[straitman]

I was making a quick booking, and skipped right past the bit at the top of the payment page about travel insurance being added. However, the total $ figure in the credit card payment section was correct (ie not including any insurance), so I went ahead and paid. I now find that travel insurance has been added to my trip.

I see on the travel insurance policy that I can cancel for a full refund. Will an email be sufficient?

Surely this is fraudulent behaviour by Virgin (unless they can use incompetence as an excuse). You can't show one total price on a credit card form but bill a higher price (even if the addition is described elsewhere on the page).

Not disagreeing with what happened but wondering how it happened as the default position for TI when making a booking is 'No thanks, I do not need Travel Insurance' and when you add the TI it is included in the total cost. (I just ran a dummy booking to confirm as that's how I thought it worked)

 

[Captain Halliday]

You've said the total you authorised be deducted from your credit card was correct. Doesn't this mean you have been given free insurance?

If it has appeared as a separate transaction on your card later, then surely you can challenge it as an unauthorised transaction with your card provider and let them chase it from Virgin?

Whatever the case, it's probably a cheap lesson to pay full attention when clicking through all the (often unwanted) extras.

 

[Milefest]

This has happened to me before. You can cancel the travel insurance by replying to the email confirmation with a keyword which I've forgotten..

 

[Fiches Mouser]

This has happened to me before. You can cancel the travel insurance by replying to the email confirmation with a keyword which I've forgotten..

Yep, really easy to have it cancelled. I reckon there are quite a few people who don't intend to buy it and realise later. And there's probably just as many who don't realise.

If you wish to cancel your policy, please forward this email to [email protected] and change the subject-line to "COOLING OFF REFUND REQUIRED" within 14 days of purchase and before you commence your travel.

For information on your 14 day cooling off rights, please refer to your Product Disclosure Statement.

Please be aware that there is a 2 business day delay before your policy will be available for any amendments and cancellation requests.

 

[brucebrad]

re straightman: No, for me the default was to include travel insurance. Maybe it uses a different default if you've previously booked?
re Captain H: Not sure yet, but I think I got two separate cc charges. So yes, I could dispute one.
re mrsmart: I don't have this text in my policy email. Only text which says I could write to them or call them. I've sent an email. Will report back.

 

[drron]

Having just redeemed a QFF award last night the default was definitely with travel insurance added.Had to tick the No Thanks box.

 

[Mal]

When this was pre-ticked, I always refused to untick it, and then filed a request for a cooling off refund. I figured that the admin overhead of processing the refunds and hassle involved would help change the default behaviour.

 

[stickshaker]

I purchased a ticket 2 weeks ago for my daughter and realised after the fact that i didn't untick THAT BOX and thought it would be easy to cancel.... ( I've only booked a few tickets in my time) and then made the call. I was told that she has to ring to cancel it as it was in her name. I took the $14 or $15 on the chin as it would have been harder being the 3rd person in a conversion with a teenager and a call centre person.
Lesson Learnt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Denali]

Yesterday I make a booking that included the insurance and when I looked at the Cert of Insurance/Tax Invoice, I see it had both pax default birthdates as 01/01/1989.

Considering insurance companies are sticklers for the fine print, Im wondering what would be the outcome if there was a claim with incorrect passenger information.

 

[brucebrad]

I've sent an email. Will report back.

An email was sufficient. They are refunding the charge.

 

[Fiches Mouser]

re straightman: No, for me the default was to include travel insurance. Maybe it uses a different default if you've previously booked?
re Captain H: Not sure yet, but I think I got two separate cc charges. So yes, I could dispute one.
re mrsmart: I don't have this text in my policy email. Only text which says I could write to them or call them. I've sent an email. Will report back.

Funny they're not including the text anymore... but good to hear they're still being good about the cooling-off period. It doesn't excuse it, but at least it's not a headache. I didn't have to chase the refund last time either – showed up on the credit card within about a week, I think.

 

[JohnK]

Happened to me once. Now I make sure the box is unticked all the time.

I do recall if going back and forth a few times and travel insurance is unticked that it somehow manages to sneakily tick itself again.

 

[marki]

Happened to me once. Now I make sure the box is unticked all the time.

I do recall if going back and forth a few times and travel insurance is unticked that it somehow manages to sneakily tick itself again.

Thanks for the update, I must say nasty .... Sounds sneaky way of earning extra ...has this been picked up by the consumer watchdog?

 

[NZflygirl]

Happened to me once. Now I make sure the box is unticked all the time.

I do recall if going back and forth a few times and travel insurance is unticked that it somehow manages to sneakily tick itself again.

I have definitely un ticked it twice and it has just landed on my ticket AGAIN! I wonder if this is what happened to me. Most of my VA tickets are through Air NZ but these last two I have booked in Oz. might do a screen shot next time. Must be a stuff up with their VA website. Called VA to give me the number of cover more and they will cancel. Now to find some way of feeding back on the VA website.

 

[Mattg]

There seems to be a worryingly consistent trend.

I wonder how many other people have paid for travel insurance without realising?

 

[serfty]

I have definitely un ticked it twice and it has just landed on my ticket AGAIN! I wonder if this is what happened to me. Most of my VA tickets are through Air NZ but these last two I have booked in Oz. might do a screen shot next time. Must be a stuff up with their VA website. Called VA to give me the number of cover more and they will cancel. Now to find some way of feeding back on the VA website.

What you have to do is wait until the page where it appears is completely finished loading before deselecting.

Just about the very last thing that occurs is the option get switched to yes. You can unswitch it before then but it will revert if the page has not finished loading.

So patience is required.

With all that, still double check before continuing.

 

[NZflygirl]

What you have to do is wait until the page where it appears is completely finished loading before deselecting.

Just about the very last thing that occurs is the option get switched to yes. You can unswitch it before then but it will revert if the page has not finished loading.

So patience is required.

With all that, still double check before continuing.

will try that in future.

 

[get me outta here]

If all else fails, if there a '24 hour cooling off period' as with other TI policies?

 

[JohnK]

If all else fails, if there a '24 hour cooling off period' as with other TI policies?

I think there's a 3 week cooling off period.