Stupid Mistake: Missed Travel Insurance Deadline
Posted on January 14, 2008 by Her and tagged honeymoon, mistakes, vacation
I just discovered we made a stupid mistake. We missed the deadline to apply for travel insurance. WE are planning to spend a few days of our honeymoon in Turkey, a country that has seen a recent surge in terrorist threats and activity. We're keeping our fingers crossed that we won't be affected, but we had planned on purchasing an upgrade to our travel insurance policy that would allow us to cancel that part of our trip in case we feel that the terrorism has become too dangerous. We booked our honeymoon through a travel agent, and she dutifully sent us the paperwork for the travel insurance, along with a nice hand-written note reminding us to fill it out and promptly fax it back to her.
We didn't.
For a month, the paperwork sat untouched on the desk and we kept saying, "We really should send that in soon" but neither of us even bothered to read it. Finally, I decided to start this task. I researched travel insurance and found out that the one our agent had recommended is highly rated and considered the best policy for where we're going. You can even apply online. Hooray!
So I start the application, and one of the first questions is, "When did you first pay a deposit for any part of your vacation?" I answer it truthfully, and instantly many of the insurance upgrade options are grayed out. A tiny message informs me that these options are only available in the first 15 days after the first deposit is made on any part of our trip. Oh nos!
We can still purchase the basic coverage, but not the upgrade that would let us cancel due to terrorism. Now we just have to hope that everything settles down in time for our trip. We did learn a valuable lesson though: book your travel insurance as soon as you put down that first travel deposit!
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I did that once with my property taxes. I kept thinking they were due on Dec. 15th and they were due on the 10th. Went to make the payment on the 13th and couldn't, but was slapped with a big fine! Lots of fun. I try to go through paperwork right away or it'll remain untouched. It's a painful lesson. Safe trip to you both.
Oz | Jan 16, 2008
Do not worry about Turkey. I have lived there over 20 years. The places you would go as a tourist are very safe including Istanbul, Aegean and Mediterranean region.
I find it extremely funny that people are willing to fly & even to drive to Mexico and some other Latin American countries which are known for being dangerous for tourists. Yet, they will judge Turkey based on CNN or a movie like Midnight Express.
I suggest you get a standard level insurance and you should be fine. Enjoy Turkey and all it has to offer at a very affordable price. I strongly suggest visiting Southern Mediterranean region. You will be shocked to see the quality at resorts which you pay as much as a Marriott Courtyard in some cities in US.
Travel insurance is important, but I agree with Oz - Turkey is probably not a place that should lead you to an enormous level of concern. There are much "hotter" spots in the world, and as long as you are in the tourist areas I am sure that you will have a wonderful time! Enjoy the trip...
Jerry
www.leads4insurance.com
plonkee | Jan 14, 2008
Whereabouts are you going in Turkey? It's a pretty big place and the most *interesting* parts are in predominantly Kurdish east of the country (near Iraq). That's not exactly on the tourist trail.
The west coast is a very common destination and Istanbul are pretty common destinations for European tourists, and should probably be ok.
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