buying insurance through Costco

[nana541]

Just got a call from a rep at Travelguard. Evidently, because of the complaints to Costco about the change in policies Travelguard has put the current 4 offerings up, one of which is the cruise coverage...but you have to buy the policy by May 10th. After that time the cruise policy will no longer be available and new policy(Travel Insurance Plan Deluxe) that was on the website Saturday will be the only option..That policy requires you to buy it within 21 days of booking to get the preexisting condition waiver and is more expensive.

 

 

 

I went ahead and ordered the insurance for our 2 upcoming cruises.

 

 

And if I wasn't reading this on CC how the hell would I know this!!! #%!?! Unbelievable....

 

Sorry thank you so much for the update! I will go online in the morning and get our coverage....wonder when Costco is planning on letting their booked customers know about this huge change vs the coverage we thought we could buy?

 

 

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Edited May 5, 2014 by nana541

[dickinson]

So if I understand this correctly one has to buy the cruise insurance policy by the 10th or else it won't be available and one would have to buy the more expensive policy. Oy. I haven't booked my cruise yet and hate to feel pressured but it would save us about $100!

[hmtsai]

hobo1937, thank you so much for reporting back.

 

It seems like I can choose either Costco Cruise or Travel Insurance Plan Deluxe for my upcoming cruise. Costco Cruise is the old plan most people on this thread talking about. Deluxe is the new plan that will be the only policy after May 10.

 

How come when all the cruisers complain Deluxe Plan is more expensive but I got a quote which is actually cheaper for my family? :confused:

Edited May 6, 2014 by hmtsai

[nana541]

So if I understand this correctly one has to buy the cruise insurance policy by the 10th or else it won't be available and one would have to buy the more expensive policy. Oy. I haven't booked my cruise yet and hate to feel pressured but it would save us about $100!

 

 

I just paid my insurance and based on the "new" rates that I saw on Saturday I have saved almost $250 and now have pre-existing medical which I would have been unable to get as I was way past their new 21 day requirement. Not happy about the stress this caused but at least it is fixed.

 

Yes in order to get the old coverage you need to purchase by the 10th....but don't believe me, you need to talk to someone at Costco and at Travel Guard. Maybe this extra time was only for people already booked..... Just don't know!

 

Have heard nothing about this whole issue from Costco, I spite of them promising to get back to me? Wonder when they are planning on noticing already booked customers who think they are getting a policy under the old terms?

 

 

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Edited May 6, 2014 by nana541

[nana541]

hobo1937, thank you so much for reporting back.

 

It seems like I can choose either Costco Cruise or Travel Insurance Plan Deluxe for my upcoming cruise. Costco Cruise is the old plan most people on this thread talking about. Deluxe is the new plan that will be the only policy after May 10.

 

How come when all the cruisers complain Deluxe Plan is more expensive but I got a quote which is actually cheaper for my family? :confused:

 

 

This new coverage is based on the age of the travelers and price of the trip.....when I enter our ages for the new coverage and based on the price of the trip I get much higher premiums. Also it used to be you got Pre-existing Medical coverage as long as you pay for your insurance within 24 hrs of final pmt. That needs to happen now within 21 days of initial deposit, which is fine as long as you know the rules have changed, for us we made that deposit in January so we are long past the ability to do that.

 

I would have needed to cancel my cruise and rebook, while my cruise had no penalty and the fare was the same it would have been a pain and the premium was about $250 more under the new plan. It's possible the new plan you see is not the premiums that will be in effect on or after May 10....

 

 

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Edited May 6, 2014 by nana541

[dickinson]

For us the new policy is $253 More and covers less except medical evacuation which has higher limits. I don't understand how they can have such an expensive policy for their members. I can do better elsewhere.

 

I also don't understand this purchasing it by May 10. If they are allowing the old policy that policy states it covers pre existing conditions if purchased w/in 24 hrs of final payment. It sounds like they are allowing people to purchase the higher coverages and the lower cost of the old policy more than anything and not the being able to purchase it within 24 hrs of final payment.

[nana541]

For us the new policy is $253 More and covers less except medical evacuation which has higher limits. I don't understand how they can have such an expensive policy for their members. I can do better elsewhere.

 

 

 

I also don't understand this purchasing it by May 10. If they are allowing the old policy that policy states it covers pre existing conditions if purchased w/in 24 hrs of final payment. It sounds like they are allowing people to purchase the higher coverages and the lower cost of the old policy more than anything and not the being able to purchase it within 24 hrs of final payment.

 

 

Yes if you want it apparently you have to get it now or you have to buy the more expensive policy with no Pre-existing cond. at least that's how it would work for me plus much high premium ..... I just went ahead and did it, one less thing to deal with later.

 

 

 

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[hmtsai]

It's strange that I got a quote slightly higher than yesterday for Deluxe plan. Cruise plan stays the same.

 

So I'm gonna buy my insurance soon. Do I just add my best guess airfare to total trip cost since I haven't booked flight yet?

[nana541]

It's strange that I got a quote slightly higher than yesterday for Deluxe plan. Cruise plan stays the same.

 

 

 

So I'm gonna buy my insurance soon. Do I just add my best guess airfare to total trip cost since I haven't booked flight yet?

 

 

I would call Travel Guard and discuss it with them ... They will be able to answer all your questions. Be sure and use the phone # thru the Costco site .

 

 

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[hmtsai]

Just checked, only Deluxe Plan available today. Thank you hobo1937 for notification ahead of time. ;)

[nana541]

Just checked, only Deluxe Plan available today. Thank you hobo1937 for notification ahead of time. ;)

 

 

So did you get your insurance before the deadline? Feeling good that I did!

 

 

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[Sundiego]

So did you get your insurance before the deadline? Feeling good that I did!

 

This has turned into a real mess for me :(

 

I have two NCL cruises booked. I was waiting until final pmt to purchase the insurance, just like I always do. Cruise #2 was booked directly through the cruise line and I was going to transfer the booking to Costco within the 60 day "transfer to travel agent" window, just so I could get the Costco insurance. Well, when I called Costco in April about the procedure, the rep informed me that Travelguard was changing the program and... well you know the rest.

 

Okay so now, without boring you with all my cruise specifics, I have 2 cruises where according to Travelguard we have no pre-existing condition coverage. Plus, inflated premiums (which is another story!)

 

Have been on the phone with Travelguard (blech) and then Costco (always excellent cust service) trying to straighten all this out. My two bookings have been referred to a Costco supervisor who has been blessed with this headache.

 

I just happened to stumble across the new rules when I went to transfer that 2nd booking to Costco. I pity the cruisers who booked a cruise thinking they had plenty of time to add insurance with pre-existing coverage. I am disappointed that costco didn't send out a mass email to their customers with bookings in the pipeline.

 

Okay, end of rant!! Happy for those who were successful in getting the great premium rates with pre-existings covered!!

[nana541]

While I was lucky to be alerted to this mess and buy my Travel insurance. I am also upset that Costco never bothered to warn ANY of their clients.

 

They got a 10 day extension to May 10 and still did not send out e-mails.

Very disappointing!

 

While I did beat the deadline and get my coverage .... The point is I did not intend to purchase this coverage until final pmt and had expected that coverage to be as promised.

 

Sorry you had been unable to secure the coverage you intended....

 

There are going to be a lot of very very unhappy customers at Costco.

 

Gotta wonder why Costco did not bother to negotiate "Grandfathering"

In of existing bookings??

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Edited May 12, 2014 by nana541

[Sundiego]

 

There are going to be a lot of very very unhappy customers at Costco.

 

Gotta wonder why Costco did not bother to negotiate "Grandfathering"

In of existing bookings??

 

Exactly. I am still unsure what to do about cruise #2. I haven't bought the insurance yet. Costco told me to go ahead and purchase it today and they would "fight" to get the pre-existing condition waiver applied and hopefully the lower "cruise" premium that was on the Travelguard website (supposedly until the 10th but it was removed on the 9th which messed me up). So my dilemma is, if I buy the insurance now and Costco is unable to modify the terms of the policy, I am stuck with the insurance very early in the game. My final pmt is not until Oct 19. That's five months where I thought I could cancel without cost to me. But now, if I have to book insurance early like this, if I cancel I would have to eat the insurance cost because Travelguard refuses to help me and Costco only says "maybe" they can help.

 

I have wasted so much time on this. Unbelievable that two big travel players couldn't have been better prepared in the rollout of this "improved product" (lol... that's what the Travelguard rep called it!!)

[nana541]

Exactly. I am still unsure what to do about cruise #2. I haven't bought the insurance yet. Costco told me to go ahead and purchase it today and they would "fight" to get the pre-existing condition waiver applied and hopefully the lower "cruise" premium that was on the Travelguard website (supposedly until the 10th but it was removed on the 9th which messed me up). So my dilemma is, if I buy the insurance now and Costco is unable to modify the terms of the policy, I am stuck with the insurance very early in the game. My final pmt is not until Oct 19. That's five months where I thought I could cancel without cost to me. But now, if I have to book insurance early like this, if I cancel I would have to eat the insurance cost because Travelguard refuses to help me and Costco only says "maybe" they can help.

 

 

 

I have wasted so much time on this. Unbelievable that two big travel players couldn't have been better prepared in the rollout of this "improved product" (lol... that's what the Travelguard rep called it!!)

 

 

I believe you have a 14 or 15 day "look see" and can cancel anytime during that time frame. Check on that to make sure I have that correct.

 

I went in and bought my coverage almost immediately, thank god for that. Sorry it has not worked out so well for you.

 

Check back and let us know what happened.

 

Really really they called this an Improved product??? Yiks !

 

 

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Edited May 12, 2014 by nana541

[Sundiego]

I believe you have a 14 or 15 day "look see" and can cancel anytime during that time frame. Check on that to make sure I have that correct.

 

Hmmm... that's a good idea about taking advantage of the 15-day look period (I did check and it is 15 days). I don't know... we bought the insurance for cruise #1 but had sort of decided to just wait until the last minute (before final pmt) to purchase the insurance for cruise #2 and just forego the pre-existing waiver. I spent TWO HOURS on the phone with Costco and Travelguard on this and I don't know if I have the fortitude to keep "fighting the good fight" ya know? Still thinking :o

[nana541]

Well good luck to you and no matter what have a great cruise!

 

 

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[Sundiego]

Well good luck to you and no matter what have a great cruise!

 

Thank you! And thanks for sharing all the info you did! I'm sure it will educate a lot of cruisers.

[nana541]

Thank you! And thanks for sharing all the info you did! I'm sure it will educate a lot of cruisers.

 

 

I can only hope and also thank Cruise Critic moderators for allowing this thread to stay up even though we mentioned on many many occasions the "Big Big big box store" that acted as our TA.

 

Unfortunately I'm afraid not enough cruisers booked thru "C" have been alerted to the problem... What are we 3 or 4 vs likely 100's or maybe 1000's???

 

"C" had a DUTY to notify their clients and yet they choose to stay silent???

 

 

 

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[usviking]

I just called Travel Guard this morning. I was able to purchase the old Costco policy for our October, 2014 cruise that we booked in January, 2014.

 

If I understood the Travel Guard rep correctly, they are currently allowing the old policy to be purchased for bookings made prior to May 1, 2014. I don't know how long this will be available, so I purchased my policy today.

 

Thank you CC members for bringing this to my attention.

.

[Sundiego]

I just called Travel Guard this morning. I was able to purchase the old Costco policy for our October, 2014 cruise that we booked in January, 2014.

 

If I understood the Travel Guard rep correctly, they are currently allowing the old policy to be purchased for bookings made prior to May 1, 2014. I don't know how long this will be available, so I purchased my policy today.

 

Thank you CC members for bringing this to my attention.

.

 

Wow! You were very lucky in getting a helpful rep! The Travelguard rep I spoke with bordered on rude and kept saying she'd refer my concerns to "management".

 

Anyway, I have an update and it's good news!! A Travelguard supervisor called me this morning and made everything right :) My situation got a little complicated because I have the two cruises, one of which I booked directly with NCL in March and transferred to Costco in April but the Costco invoice date was in May. I successfully got the pre-existing condition waiver and those special cruise premium rates for both my cruises. I am one happy girl! He did have to place me on hold a few times while he gave various details to the Costco rep at Travelguard and got the necessary approvals. I was pleased about the pre-existing condition waiver but very pleasantly surprised about the special premiums! YAY!!!

 

A footnote on those special cruise premiums that were on the Travelguard website and then disappeared... the Travelguard supervisor told me they put them up *until* the 10th, not through the 10th. Which explains why I was unable to purchase the insurance on Saturday May 10th on their site.

 

What a confusing mess, glad it's behind me now :)

[nana541]

Still irritated that "C" never bothered to notify anyone about this issue.

 

Thank you everyone for reporting back and for raising this issue... I would have been fat dumb and happy after having spoken with TravelGuard on April 30. Got price quotes and never knew things would change the next day except for my fellow CC's and stumbling accidentally across this thread!

 

Thanks again all!

 

So if I understand correctly they did Grandfather bookings prior to May 1st or not??????? Cuz they sure aren't telling anyone on the website!

 

 

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[marsworth75]

It looks like that the "Grandfather" thing may have happened. I just logged on and was given 4 choices and then when I got the quote it was for the amount I was seeing before May 1st. I would recommend getting the insurance while it is up on the website. No telling where this story will end up

[sona2013]

I called Travel Guard (through C) and got the travel insurance for $150 (2 adults, 2 kids). The quote I got from the site was $185.

[Sundiego]

It looks like that the "Grandfather" thing may have happened. I just logged on and was given 4 choices and then when I got the quote it was for the amount I was seeing before May 1st. I would recommend getting the insurance while it is up on the website. No telling where this story will end up

 

Wow! You are right, the 4 choices are back up. PLUS, I entered in my cruise #2 with a deposit date of May 5 (after that original May 1st cutoff that we've been talking about) and I still got a premium quote using the cruise insurance option, not age rated, with pre-existing conditions waiver and the lower premiums. I wonder how long that insurance will be available? Maybe they are leaving it up until Costco has time to do a mass mailing to their current bookings. That would be the fair thing to do IMO.