Travel Guard

The next day our travel guide suggested we file a claim with AIG Travel Guard (TG) and further suggested a list of documents to send. A long story short, we e-mailed the 17 page packages a week later; every page was necessary for various reasons. TG received our claim on Nov 13. We checked our claim weekly until Dec 16, when we decided to call TG, a task that requires being placed on-hold 10-20 mins. When we were connected, the rep. was polite, concerned, and helpful each time we called.

On January 7, a little less than two months later, we received our reimbursement. So why are we giving a review? We read nearly every review and had decided we were wasting our time. Each time we checked our claim status, TG was requesting information we had already provided. We seemed to be falling into that one-star category. But wait....we were reimbursed.

Unbeknownst to us, the claims rep. with whom we spoke did, in fact, expedite our paperwork just like he said he would. So, on Jan 7, we called the telephone number provided us by e-mail to talk to Jeanette **, our Claims Adjuster. Ms. ** discussed in detail the many reasons claims take so much time. That was an education. Over 20 thousand claims deep and our measly claim was expedited over who knows how many. We are not asking anyone to trust our review. We are simply saying accurate documentation mixed with a lot of patience will yield eventual benefits.

The trip went great, and when we returned home I began the task of rounding things up to submit a claim. I called Travelguard to begin the process and the representative suggested what I should list in the claim. Once I finally got everything I needed, I mailed all the information - a pile 1/2" thick mind you - in to travelguard. I was expecting a call from them to discuss my claim but no one ever called me. I patiently waited and watched the website for updates. It took about three weeks from the date they received my paperwork before I noticed on the website that my claim had been approved for all I had asked for (reimburse original airfare, transfers, train tickets).

I got an email the following day telling me the same thing the website indicated. Within a week of that, I had my reimbursement check. I was pleasantly surprised because I had read such dismal reviews on this webpage. But I followed all claim instructions to a "T", and even to the point of repetition of some things, so I had hoped I had given them more than enough information to make a determination.

Now here it is, 2 months later, and after all the phone calls and waiting on the line getting switched from one company to the next to the next, I find myself waiting on a rejection from American so I can go back to Expedia and show them I have no refund, so they can they can "complete" their review, and send me back the travel guard who took my money yet will not address the situation.

I'm a former prosecuting attorney and I have a ph.d where I did my dissertation on fraud. The difuse accountability structure exhibited here is worse than any fraudulent organization I have ever encountered. I have put in countless hours and I am no closer to receiving a satisfactory answer to my claim than I was two months ago when I filed it. Consumer Affairs and the BBB need to put an end to this property and this sham. Hard-working people are being ripped off and their dreams are turning into nightmares. Look at the overall rating of 1.2 where 1 is the lowest rating you can get. This company is committing fraud in the inducement and no one is doing anything about it.

As of this writing, I have yet to hear from any representative or receive an email, other than a generic no-reply email, of any communication to update my claims and status. I have attempted to call the company and with patience I was on hold for over three hours and I still was unable to get through. I completely understand that the high volume of calls during the Covid-19 but it seems that this agency does not care about customer service and only they care about is profits. Believe me, I will NEVER use to this company again and my recommendation is to others is beware.

Under the plan, AIG Travel Guard claims they will reimburse you up to your total trip cost if you need to cancel or interrupt your trip for any covered reason, subject to limitations and exclusions. Well about 3 weeks before the schedule departure date I was informed by the airline that my flight was cancelled because of the Covid 19 pandemic. I contacted Expedia who, of course, told me I had to contact AIG. When I called AIG I was instructed by a computer (of course no one actually works for AIG except computer programmers) to wait till 5 days before my scheduled flight before filing a claim. And, of course, the claim had to be filed electronically online.

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When you finally complete filling out the form they give you a Confirmation Number that has more numbers and letter than ‘War and Peace’ (they do this because it makes them seem more official). They tell you if you qualify you will be reimbursed within 10 days after your scheduled flight but if ever do have to contact them use the confirmation number.

After 10 days I go into the AIG Web site to find out the status of my case. As requested I enter the confirmation number and my last name and after a few seconds I get a response “That confirmation number does not exist”. (I hope they don’t pay the computer programmer who wrote this piece of code a lot of money).

Now I feel I really have to talk to ‘someone’ at AIG. And, of course, it would be easier finding Richard Kimble than to find a phone number for AIG on the Internet. But I persevere. So what better way to spend a day than waiting on hold for Customer Service, listening to snip-its of classical music in between a recording telling you how important your call is to them and how busy they are.

And when you finally do get through to an AIG customer service agent and tell them you’re interested in the status of your claim the customer service agent immediately start speaking some language that sounds like a combination of Korean and Swahili. I think that programmer wrote the “That confirmation number does not exist” code would be well suited for customer service.

At the end of the day I come to the conclusion that I am not going to get my money back. (I hope that Travelocity does not have a similar arrangement with AIG). Losing the cost of the flight, I can live with, but getting ripped off by an insurance agency just rubs me the wrong way. Of course you have to take into consideration that $19 buy you enough beer to get through the first hole.