Cancelled/postponed trips due to COVID - please share your outcomes

[auto]

I was not questioning your post, just surprised. If travel becomes unavailable, perhaps the policy will change.

Best of luck

Being reported by several divers on the Facebook Group Scuba DIvers Uncensored. People are hot.

 

[scubadada]

Being reported by several divers on the Facebook Group Scuba DIvers Uncensored. People are hot.

If you can still fly to Cabo, it's more difficult to fight

 

[Scuba_Si]

Hi Guys,

A comment from the other side of the fence I've quoted the post below, but it applies to a lot of the anger in this thread.

If an operator replies to you email saying that there is no refund but can reschedule, then there is 0% chance of your insurance paying out - as they will see that option in the email chain and refuse to payout.

You've got insurance, which is great! Maybe this is the moment to use it and make a claim and get some money back for all the years you've been paying the premiums? It will possibly save the operator and allow them to pay their staff a bit longer throughout the inevitable hard times that are to follow. Not attempting to claim is only helping some executive board member at the insurance agency get a fatter bonus at year end. It will take you a few emails and a bit of stress. But it will put food on the table for between 45 and 150 Indonesian staff and their direct families over the next months. It will also keep their health insurance active.

Once you've made your claim and gone through everything, contact the operator again and explain the situation. They might be able to make up the shortfall that the insurance didn't reimburse you in a future booking. However the operator cannot elude to this in any emails right now as it might invalidate your claim. If your insurance wont pay out due to some small print about "acts of god" then surely you should be more annoyed at the insurance than the operator? Will you also name and shame the insurance provider and do you damndest to make sure everyone knows they sneak out of paying up?

Making these posts of naming operators that are flexible (ie giving kudos to operators that were helpful and accomodating) might even invalidate (or make the insurance agent drag their feet on paying out) someone else's claim further down the line. If the agent happens to search the internet and find this thread it may show precedence of flexibility in the bookings policy.

I've got no intention of getting in a public argument so I probably wont reply further on this thread. Hope you can all find successful resolutions to the problems you face. Some operators are just doing weird stuff and for that I have no idea

Alright, I just got final word, so I am ready to name and shame.

Dive Damai in Indonesia has just cancelled our April 19-30th Raja (Damai II) itinerary due to the travel restrictions and the fact that no customers would be physically able to get to the boat. They will not offer any refunds, nor will they reschedule affected passengers. They will keep our 100% paid-for trip (the Damai is a high end boat, we are talking ~6-7000$ per person) as a cancellation fee and have kindly send us a cancellation confirmation (via our travel agent), to file a claim.

For us this means at least a 20% loss of our money - IF the claim is successful, which probably is a big IF.

Our travel agent says in case the claim is not successful or people have no travel insurance, Damai may provide a partial refund - size of which is to be negotiated.

We had a wonderful time on the Damai II in 2018, but with this, we obviously will never be customers of theirs again and I will do my damndest to share my experience in every channel I can including when this is over. I will certainly do my research carefully once traveling is back on the cards and only choose LOB companies who have shown flexibility in this time.

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

Hi Guys,
If the agent happens to search the internet and find this thread it may show precedence of flexibility in the bookings policy.

probably won’t look to kindly on your post suggesting defraud of the insurance industry either..

 

[outofofficebrb]

Alright, I just got final word, so I am ready to name and shame.

Dive Damai in Indonesia has just cancelled our April 19-30th Raja (Damai II) itinerary due to the travel restrictions and the fact that no customers would be physically able to get to the boat. They will not offer any refunds, nor will they reschedule affected passengers. They will keep our 100% paid-for trip (the Damai is a high end boat, we are talking ~6-7000$ per person) as a cancellation fee and have kindly send us a cancellation confirmation (via our travel agent), to file a claim.

For us this means at least a 20% loss of our money - IF the claim is successful, which probably is a big IF.

Our travel agent says in case the claim is not successful or people have no travel insurance, Damai may provide a partial refund - size of which is to be negotiated.

We had a wonderful time on the Damai II in 2018, but with this, we obviously will never be customers of theirs again and I will do my damndest to share my experience in every channel I can including when this is over. I will certainly do my research carefully once traveling is back on the cards and only choose LOB companies who have shown flexibility in this time.

You are (unfortunately) leading the way in terms of the most painful log I have had to read and add to the Google Sheet. Please continue to keep us posted on your insurance claim and what ends up happening. I am so sorry this is happening. Feel free to PM me to rant. I am here for anyone.

 

[outofofficebrb]

@Scuba_Si

Almost every insurance company I have ever made a claim with in regards to trip cancel/interruption requires an official cancellation policy to be shared with the adjuster AND a statement from the travel supplier/common carrier that they will not and have not done a refund, reschedule, or issue a voucher/credit before the insurance company will even consider looking at processing a claim. Meaning, effort needs to be made with the operator (liveaboard, resort, dive shop, etc.) first. This is very standard.

At this point...I'd rather have a refund than a reschedule because there is so much uncertainty so I am definitely motivated to try to file with my insurance first. But, there are processes and standard operating procedures to adhere to.

My guess is that many people even with insurance will not be able to file successfully. Those with cancel for any reason or have a policy that DOES cover health/pandemic/epidemic (which mine does) are few and far between. For the latter, like me, I have coverage with the company I purchased through, but I purchased a few days too late so I am SOL on the travel insurance side of things. That is on me and something I had control over. With that said, I have Dive Assure. They know I am rescheduling my trip and they said they will apply the amount I paid for the original trip to a future trip or will transfer the dates to some time in the future accordingly. I am trying to go through my credit card company on a quarantine technicality but that is not an option for everyone and some credit card companies exclude health situations, etc. I'll know results in a bit.

 

[Scuba_Si]

probably won’t look to kindly on your post suggesting defraud of the insurance industry either..

I'm not suggesting to defraud, just because a company gave one person a rescheduling/refund doesn't mean they would be able to do it for everyone. But the insurance agent might use that as a reason not to pay out. Defrauding would be to receive a refund and then still make a claim. Sticking to a cancellation policy has nothing to do with fraud. I'm suggesting that maybe middleground can be found once insurance companies have refused a claim.

 

[outofofficebrb]

I'm not suggesting to defraud, just because a company gave one person a rescheduling/refund doesn't mean they would be able to do it for everyone. But the insurance agent might use that as a reason not to pay out. Defrauding would be to receive a refund and then still make a claim. Sticking to a cancellation policy has nothing to do with fraud. I'm suggesting that maybe middleground can be found once insurance companies have refused a claim.

Insurance agents for trip cancel/interruption don't look at what one person got and what another person might get. They are paperwork driven. State your loss, show me proof of the loss/charges (credit card statement in the case of credit card coverage), state why you qualify for coverage (under what included terms does coverage apply), state the cancellation and refund policy with the supplier you experienced the loss with, show proof that you got no refund/voucher/reschedule with a written statement from the supplier.

Unfortunately, what you mentioned about getting a refund/voucher/reschedule and then people still making a claim with insurance is a real thing that happens. That is why there is an order of operations and the process in place for that.

I see what you are saying and I appreciate the effort and sentiment behind it to protect our operators, etc.

 

[Scuba_Si]

This is what most operators want to happen, if you make a successful claim then perfect.

If you don't manage to make a claim, maybe contact the operator after this has all died down and who knows what they might be able to do for you on a future booking. I'm not suggesting linking any future act of 'kindness' to the booking you lost, i'm just saying that if we keep cool and go through the motions and standard channels such as insurance then maybe at the point we all get over this virus we might all still be friends

@Scuba_Si

Almost every insurance company I have ever made a claim with in regards to trip cancel/interruption requires an official cancellation policy to be shared with the adjuster AND a statement from the travel supplier/common carrier that they will not and have not done a refund, reschedule, or issue a voucher/credit before the insurance company will even consider looking at processing a claim. Meaning, effort needs to be made with the operator (liveaboard, resort, dive shop, etc.) first. This is very standard.

At this point...I'd rather have a refund than a reschedule because there is so much uncertainty so I am definitely motivated to try to file with my insurance first. But, there are processes and standard operating procedures to adhere to.

 

[Scuba_Si]

You wouldn't believe how many people ask us to write fake letters saying they lost their camera on a trip. It amazes me every time.

Unfortunately, what you mentioned about getting a refund/voucher/reschedule and then people still making a claim with insurance is a real thing that happens. That is why there is an order of operations and the process in place for that.