Trip Mate Insurance Reviews

My husband & I went on a Viking River cruise in July. We purchased a $1200 Trip Mate Insurance policy that was supposed to be "for any reason whatsoever". Our 1st flight was delayed and we missed our connection to Zurich. We arrived 10 hours late and had no luggage for another 24 hours. We missed the entire 1st day of the trip - and could not go to dinner since we didn't have a change of clothes. Trip Mate has had all of our paperwork since July and are giving us the runaround. We lost a whole day - that has to be worth something. But, Trip Mate keeps asking for more documentation and say they will expedite the claim. It's October and we still have not received anything - we're contacting the Better Business Bureau.

Warning: Do not buy an TRAVEL INSURANCE policy from TRIP MATE if you want them to reimburse you if you make a claim. I have been trying to get this company to pay out a claim for stolen baggage for almost 6 months. I have provided my passport, police report that was done with a translator (at my cost of course), my hotel receipts, receipts for lost items, credit card statements, my permanent residency status, car registration, driver's license, receipts. Offered to meet them for the past two weeks for a personal visit where I am staying in Mexico (they couldn't get someone to see me in all that time).

I am handicap... I took a flight from Pittsburgh to Dallas. I took an insurance policy out, which was offered to me through the booking on my flight. When I landed in Dallas I was wheelchair from where I landed to my next flight which was to go to Abilene. They said that flight was boarded and ready to take off. I was put on standby for 6 hours. I was in total pain. I filed a claim and was denied. I believe that this insurance is a ripoff. Just another way to get your money.

I wish I could rate less than 1 star! Trip was with Smart Tours to S. Africa with my wife and grandson - a graduation gift for graduating University. A week before the trip my wife was diagnosed with cancer and had to start treatment immediately. I filed a claim. Whenever you call Trip Mate there is a long wait on the phone. Half an hour or an hour is not unusual. By this time you are very upset - I cannot imagine working there!!! EVERY TIME I was told the claim is in the final stages. It was not of course. The claim was for the trip and was over $11,000.

My husband and I bought travel insurance from Trip Mate November 2014. We were to travel to Europe in May. My husband needed emergency open heart surgery so we cancelled May 2015. The doctor sent all forms needed as we did for the flights and land trip. We are now in Oct. and no check. We call, we check online and all they have done is drag their feet. If it is not paid by Nov. 2015 we will file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

Went on a trip with my son's school for 10 days March 31 to April 10, 2015. Went the entire trip without our luggage because it was lost. Luggage was finally returned to us on the 13th of April. Filed a claim with Trip Mate on 4/22/2015. Come June they requested more information. Within 48 hours I sent them the information requested and never heard a thing. Would call to find out status and would get it has been sent to the claims department for final review. Finally after 5 months they say it is only worth $200 ($100 a piece) for going without my luggage the entire trip. They are extremely slow and don't have any customer service that can tell you anything and you can't talk to the claims people.

I would never again use Trip Mate travel insurance. On August 3rd of this year, we had to cancel our Viking River cruise due to my husband's hospitalization. We immediately completed all of their required forms and documentation - getting physician statements, dates, etc. - anything they asked for. That was sent to them within a week of our cancelation. Today is September 23rd and we are STILL waiting for our refund! I have called numerous times and just get the runaround. The claim online shows that final payment was printed on 9/11 and their answer today was that they only mail checks out on "certain days". They hold a lot of checks and send at the same time. What's up with that? Now I'm supposed to wait and if I don't receive my check within 30 more days to call back and they will reissue the check. I am SO frustrated. Shame on Viking for using this company! Never again.

Do NOT, I say again, DO NOT use Trip Mate as your travel Insurance company!! They will ruin your trip. They look for EVERY loophole to get out of paying. We had a suitcase that was damaged on our trip by TSA. There was a hole in the corner of the suitcase. Clothes fell out, we lost valuable possessions. We didn't realize it until we got home and started unpacking the next day. We assessed our situation, figured out what happened and contacted Trip Mate. Lost and damaged property is covered in our policy however, Trip Mate began asking for all kinds of documentation, receipts for clothes and the suitcase, when the stuff was bought, where it was lost, did we contact the airline and to provide them with this documentation.

Due to a medical issue, I had to cancel my trip. All necessary forms were sent to Trip Mate. All they have done is prolong paying me. I finally received the land portion after three months and am still waiting for the air portion. They are horrendous to deal with. Shame on Overseas Adventures for using them in conjunction with their trips.

My first experience with them was when I had insurance on a Bahamas flight with JetBlue in February of 2013. My house was severely damaged due to a nor'easters and we had to deal with moving out, gas companies, electric, etc. and flood insurance so we cancelled our trip to the Bahamas which was scheduled a few days later. When making a claim with Trip Mate, they told us that the weather for the day of the storm that damaged my home had been predicted so they therefore denied reimbursing us for the cancelled vacation flight. I guess we are supposed to plan on home losses now, according to Trip Mate.

I purchase a flight to London for a summer abroad program for my son who attends one of the United States military academies. I purchased insurance, assuming it would cover the cost of the flight if my son was unable to go since there was no explanation of coverage anywhere. My son had a change in orders and was not able to travel at the scheduled time so I called to cancel. Student Universe was going to give me a voucher to be used within a year after I paid and exorbitant penalty and I inform them I had insurance. They gave me a number to call. The person from Trip Mate told me change in orders was covered and to fill out a form and send it along with an explanation letter from his CO.

I filed a request for a trip refund for health reasons on June 10, 2015. The trip was with Grand Circle, purchased Aug 8/28/14. In October of 2014 I was diagnosed with a health condition that prevented my taking the trip. Trip Mate has still not paid my claim even though they say on their website that its final payment was "entered" on August 6 and final payment was "printed" on August 13, 2015. It has taken two calls on my behalf from Grand Circle to get any action out of them and I still don't have a check. Their phone is always busy. I was on hold for 30 minutes several times. They said to leave a message and they would phone back but they never did.

My fiancé at the time & I decided to book a trip to Maui Hawaii in February for our honeymoon in April 2015. Our travel agent made all the arrangements and then asked us if we wanted to purchase travel insurance for the trip. At first we immediately said no but then changed our minds while still in the purchasing stage, deciding that it wasn't too much more money and reasoning that you never know what can happen. We are so glad that we did since my new husband got really ill a day after arriving on Maui and had to be ambulance the next day to the nearest hospital for IV fluids and tests. The ambulance alone cost us almost $1,000 after his company insurance paid their portion, and tests and such cost us another almost $150.

Great outcome. Took a little under two months from them to process my claim but they kept me informed the entire time (you can track the process online). You need to make sure you provide all of the required documentation. It can take some time but is easier in the end. They accepted my claim, no questions asked, and refunded exactly what I asked for. Will use them again!

In June of this year I was afforded the opportunity of a lifetime... to spend my 65th Birthday on June 8th in Rio Brazil. Subsequently I was able to get a week off from my job & fund my trip. I have always bought Travel Insurance in the past... & this time was no exception, although I had never previously filed a claim. Trip Mate was the Insurance offered by CheapOair. Unfortunately the flight from Los Angeles to Miami was cancelled & eventually I was rerouted thru New York but had to wait another entire day to resume my trip to Rio.

Wanted to take a short vacation to get some stress relief. Went onto Travelocity and made travel plans. (April 2015) The travel plans were not scheduled until June 2015. Purchase the travelers insurance just in case the unexpected happened. Well it did, my employer informed me in early May that I would be working at the time I had the trip scheduled. I immediately called Travelocity to cancel trip. Travelocity handled cancelation promptly. They instructed me to contact Trip Mate. After contacting them and receiving the necessary paperwork to be completed. They so IMPOLITELY called and with this obviously rehearsed statement, tell me they cannot refund my monies. Again I made this cancelation nearly 60 days prior to scheduled travel. I advise, recommend or simply say to anyone. Do NOT acquire travelers insurance through this company. It is a complete rip off!

I purchased travel insurance because the airline I chose did not offer any refund or change policy. A few days prior to my flight to France I went into the hospital with what appeared to be a heart attack (it was not fortunately). I was released from the hospital the morning of the day I was to fly with the caution from the hospital that flying was not a good idea for 5 days. (I had had an angiogram and there was risk of bleeding from the artery that had been used to insert a catheter into my heart).

I purchased the ticket to from US to China (~$800) on Student Universe. I have been using SU to buy flight tickets all the time, and almost every time I purchased they default Trip Mate insurance along with the ticket. I also purchased Trip Mate this time. It seemed a good deal because the insurance, which cost $ 49.95, could cover my cancellation fee of $200. Unfortunately I had to change the flight date after two weeks from purchase. I called Student Universe first, they said they had to charge me with $200 if I cancel the flight, and asked me to file a claim with Trip Mate to cover the cancellation fee. I called Trip Mate and they told me VERY CLEARLY THAT THEY COULD COVER MY CANCELLATION FEE, and asked me to fill out a form and send it back to them.

American Express referred me to these guys to purchase travel insurance for approx $399 for an upcoming trip to Europe. I was ready to pull the trigger but on a whim decided to check them out and saw all these complaints. In the past I have been burned by one of these scam companies that have no qualms with taking your hard earned money and then promptly abandoning you when you need their assistance.

While traveling in India and Nepal last Feb. our flight from Kathmandu back to Delhi was cancelled. Both our concierge and travel guide had confirmed our flight. We were forced to buy a ticket on another airline and since have been trying to get this ticket reimbursed by our trip insurance. I have provided documentation, receipts, etc. and they claim our flight was just rescheduled. The only flight on the same airline was the next day, which would mean missing all our connecting flights. This is crazy and frustrating!!!

We bought an insurance from TravelSafe Insurance for a travel to New Zealand. While there, we had an accident with our rental car and paid for the repair of the car about two thousand dollars. We immediately opened a claim with TravelSafe. After returning to US we obtained all the paperwork both from TravelSafe and the rental company, filled it, and send to Trip Mate, which appears to be just a TravelSafe claim department. They acknowledge receiving the full paperwork on 05/20/2015. By the contract, they have 10 business days to process a claim.

My family planned a tripped to Europe for August 2015 and the six of us each purchased Trip Mate travel insurance within 10 days of booking. Purchasing the insurance at this time guaranteed pre-existing conditions were covered. Unfortunately we had to cancel the trip due to a pre-existing back condition I have. Trip Mate declined the claim because I had the condition prior to booking. Makes no sense and they are unwilling to listen. Even went through the appeal process and they still declined the claim. Highway robbery and I will be contacting the insurance commissioner and the BBB.

I book my tickets through CheapOair.com on May 10, 2015 to Detroit MI. My husband was just released from the Hospital after major illness which left him with blood clot in left leg and several wounds to maintain. At the time of release I was not informed that he should not travel by air due to this condition. I was informed about this after speaking with his doctors after May 10, 2015.

I am planning to study abroad in Ghana in the fall. I bought my ticket through student universe and was offered insurance in case I would need to cancel or change my trip, or if the airport lost my bags. It seemed like a great idea so I paid the extra $50. I found out three weeks after buying the ticket that my housing situation had changed by one week, and going to a country I've never been to, I just wanted to change my flight by a week. I called student universe and they informed me that I would have to pay all these huge and expensive fees, but that my insurance should reimburse me, so I called to fill out a claim.

We bought insurance on a trip from US to Europe (Sacramento - San Francisco - Frankfurt-Rome flight). Our Sacramento to San Francisco flight got cancelled due to ATC/Weather related (per email from United Airlines) and we decided to drive 3 hours to San Francisco to get on the connecting flight - to catch our remaining flights. We drove our own car. Myself, wife and a 5 year old got to SFO and parked in their parking and made it within 15 minutes of plane leaving. On the way back, leaving from Rome - we found that United cancelled our flight back home all together, because on their system if someone missed a connection, it assumes passengers did not make it (weird but true).

On a dream trip to Ireland in July 2014, two things went wrong. Bad weather caused a missed connection in New York, which caused me to arrive at noon on Day 3 of the tour. The group had left for the day and I could not meet up with them until that evening. The TripMate trap reimbursed only for one missed day and refused to reimburse for meals, as I had only the credit card statement identifying the restaurants in NY and one meal in Galway, Ireland. On tour Day 12, a large dog knocked me over reinjuring the area of a spinal fusion. I spent 40 hours at St. Luke Hospital in Kilkenny, because there was no radiologist working on the weekend. I discovered that TripMate does NOT accept collect calls placed by international operators, and in fact blocks its number from being called by an operator. I had no cell phone and a physician used his phone to call TripMate. No one from the ill-fate TripMate would call me.

Our flight in January 27, 2015 but the flight was cancel due to a bad weather, so we could not get a flight until January 29, 2015. The connection flight in Narita Airport was interrupt. I could not flight in January 30 but flight in January 31, 2015. On return trip February 18 from SGN to HKN (Hong Kong) then HKN to EWR (Newark, NJ) in Feb 18.

Accident happened on 2/27/14 in Belize on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. After numerous phone calls/letters, requesting additional bits of information each time, Trip mate refused to honor their policy in April 2015; over a year later. One would have thought any reputable/ethical company would have resolved this issue in a much more timely fashion; especially if they had no intention of abiding by their Insurance Policy. Buyer Beware; Don't pay Trip mate for Insurance Coverage. The Company has no intention of Honoring it. Use your own insurance and pay the rest out of pocket.

I was diagnosed with cancer while on a trip and had to return early. I purchased a ticket one way to get home in order to start treatment. They denied the claim. They have completely failed in their purpose for existence. Furthermore, it was for a one way airfare only and no reimbursement for any of the rest of the remaining trip that was lost. Their lack of integrity, understanding, and misrepresentation is blatantly negligent.

My husband and I purchased very expensive trip insurance through OAT, which has Trip Mate insurance available for customers booking OAT trips. We both got sick and missed a lot of meals as well as a lot of day trips/adventures, some of which were very expensive (ex. a rain forest canopy tour that we both had to miss cost another traveler not with our group, but wanting to go with our group $300).

Unfortunately, I did not do my research on this company when I booked a trip from TRAVELIVE and they offered travel insurance from TRIP MATE, so I hope this help someone. I took the insurance since I was four months pregnant and figured while in another country or if any emergency comes up I am covered..I WAS NEVER TOLD BY THE TRAVEL AGENCY TRAVELIVE agent ** that taking the insurance after the 20 day cut off from the 1st payment allow TRIP MATE to deny a claim as pre existing.

We planned a once in a lifetime trip with Viking from Paris to Prague. We bought fares for two nephews and their wives. They weren't able to afford the trip so we wanted to enjoy it with them. One nephew's wife's company changed owners and she was told that she had to be there at the time we were to travel (she had been promised that she could take off for the trip). We canceled their trip and Viking refunded the part that was in their contract according to the date we cancelled. Trip Mate finally after many weeks of emails and phone calls, sent the nephew and his wife travel vouchers for about a third of the cost of the trip. They would have to travel within a year and the vouchers were "non-refundable and non-transferable."

Took my grand-daughter to England after graduation on July 31, 2014. We received a phone call that our daughter had passed away on August 1. Had to make arrangements for our flights home. Had to pay out of pocket for myself, my wife and granddaughter to get home. Our flight bill and loss of hotel nights have not been reimbursed by TripMate insurance. After filing the claim in September of 2014, we have yet to be reimbursed. After receiving 2 notifications that they received our claim and after numerous calls, now they say that they can't find our claim.

Viking Cruises sold us a very expensive travel insurance policy ($919.00) for a trip that was scheduled for June 2016. They demanded payment in full for the travel insurance and a deposit for the trip. Then, Viking Cruises asked for full payment for a trip that was 18 months away (not the standard 90 days prior to travel). I objected to paying in full for a trip that was scheduled for June 2016 . So, we canceled the trip. The deposit for the trip was refunded less $100.00 and we were advised to file a claim with Trip Mate for the travel insurance. Then I lost my job!

Trip on winstar was interrupted but cruise line paid half but trip mate paid nothing. I would never recommend trip mate insurance.

After numerous rounds of paperwork, Trip Mate issued a message saying they will reimburse me for the $25 fee charged by domestic airlines to take a later flight due to weather delays from Ecuador to L.A. I am satisfied enough with the final reimbursement; the best feedback I can give is that insurance providers should not be allowed to put us through so many hoops to get reimbursement in such a minor amount.

We are elderly travelers who assumed that ill health would be adequate reason to cancel a trip four months before scheduled departure. We submitted a 5 page claim form to TripMate requesting reimbursement of airfare deposit, including a doctor's signature indicating an ongoing health condition. TripMate refused to issue a refund.

Booked flight for 5 people for a wedding. Purchased Cancel for Any Reason Insurance. Wedding cancelled less than 2 weeks later. Immediately filed completed paperwork and claim. Then began the phone calls, the delays, the phone calls, the delays...on and on. Finally threatened BBB and they got the check out about 2 weeks later. Paperwork on contract states 14 days, took 3 months with a threat. Paid 75%. NEVER AGAIN. I typically don't write reviews, no time, but this one had to be written to warn others.

Viking Cruise line sold us expensive insurance policy before trip to Europe. This company is the only one they use, so no choice. We missed a connecting flight in Paris due to NYC weather conditions and tight connection times. We were delayed 5 hours and I ended up making many international phone calls. I filed a claim right away even before we left Europe. All the documentation was sent out and received after Christmas. I have called 3 times to ask the status of the claim and feel as if I am getting the runaround by them. It was supposed to have been done and now they are telling me "next week." How long does it take to "review?"

On September 29, 2014 I was run down by a car that backed up into me in Savoca, Sicily and thrust me, face-forward, onto the pavement. My 2 left center teeth went through my bottom lip and were chipped and pushed inward. Other than that, my knee and right arm were badly bashed and bruised. The driver of the car that hit me took me and my tour director (and translator; no one spoke English) to the hospital in Taormina, but their x-ray machine was broken. So the driver, who could not have been more remorseful, drove us to the hospital in Messina. There we waited in the emergency room for more than 5 hours to be seen by a doctor. The very nice driver waited the entire time.

People write bad reviews because there are so many bad companies out there who will try to walk on its customers and clients and generally give cooperate America an Ugly name. I am sharing my experience with TripMate because they are one of the most garbage filled manipulating companies I have ever done business with. This past May I planned a vacation to the Bahamas with a lady friend. When I booked the trip, the agent offered to place insurance on the trip. My travel friend turned out to be bipolar and off meds. I decided that this trip was not in my best interest and notified my agent who in turn notified TripMate. It is my closest experience with a third world company since serving in the military.

Booked a trip in April 2014 to Atlantis for 4 people. In September 2014 my son was told that he needed surgery probably in December 2014 when the the trip was scheduled. He got doctor's notes and we filed a claim in October but I had to call several times for it to be reviewed. It took about one month for a review after someone expedited the claim. He actually had surgery on November 26 and would be recuperating in December. I called on November 26 at about 10 am and was told that a supervisor would get back to me in 24-48 hours but that the office was closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday and Friday. It is now Monday and still no supervisor. And I was told that they did not have a doctor's note which they did explaining the need for surgery.

TripMate is a scam. They just keep telling me that the check is in the mail. They never mailed it. They are just stalling the payment. "It has been mailed." They want me to wait now 30 days before rewriting a new check. I will never use this company in the future.

I paid for a trip to Italy in July 2014 through Globus who uses Tripmate for their insurer. I had had two knee surgeries and was concerned that my knee was not going to be healed by the trip which was to depart in September. I went in to the Globus office in Littleton, CO and talked with the travel agent in person. I mentioned my concern and she suggested that I purchase travel insurance so that I could get a refund if necessary. I ended up having to cancel because my knee was not healing. I had to have another surgery, this time on my foot because I was walking crooked and thus the reason for my knee not healing.

I always travel once a year to Europe and I purchase insurance. This year me, my son and my friend all had insurance through TripMate. We missed our connection in ZURICH because there was fog so our airline came in late. We had to stay in a hotel overnight, buy food and some toiletries. Pretty simple and closed case. But no, TripMate first they told me they need 15 days, after 15 days they still never looked at the claim. Now they say they are looking at it but they have to verify if my airplane came in late. I told I faxed them the proof from the airline. Meanwhile 6 weeks and nothing happening. If I don't get a response soon I will report them to the state insurance board. And will have to take them to small claims court.

My mom had planned a trip to Israel with a friend. A month after paying her deposit, her speech was slurring, we thought she had a mini stroke. It took doctors time to figure out what was wrong - my mom was diagnosed with ALS. Mom wrote letters & Trip Mate denied her appeal. They told us they needed the money for research. We sent medical records as asked. Trip Mate also said she had pre existing condition - all lies. I wish they would do the right thing and also give her friends money back, which is also $800.00. I think I will get the ALS Association on this as well. Trip Mate needs to do the right thing. My mom could use this to pay her medical bills. Please any help would be appreciated!

M.H. Ross Travel Insurance. I have had the WORST experience with this company. In all of my years cruising, we always purchase travel insurance. I have never had to file a claim - until now. I filed a claim for $1,500. That's it - just $1,500, and it has been a nightmare. It's been 10 weeks now, and this company still has not paid the claim. I am ready to file a complaint with the state insurance commissioner over this. Save yourself a headache, and do not use this company.

Terrible experience with Travmark insurance from **. I strongly recommend not using this company. I had purchased a "cancel for any reason" rider to the Travmark A+ program. I filed a claim on July 11, 2014 for a cancelled trip and did not hear about a decision until October 23, 2014, despite multiple calls and even expediting my concerns. After expediting, I was not notified of a decision until 6 days after being promised a decision within 48 hours. As if that was not bad enough, I was told that I was going to be reimbursed $4500 for trip cancellation. The next day they called me back and told me they made a mistake and I was going to get nothing. I am not sure what kind of operation this business is running, but it is unprofessional and I hope potential clients and tour operators, including camps, are aware of this.

I received a serious injury to my leg on the trip in which we had purchased this insurance as protection. However even though my accident happened during the trip and received stitches for a serious wound during the trip, my problem was that shortly after my leg became infected. Given the trip length by the time I returned home I had a very serious MRSA staph infection and needed for the wound to be opened and had to have weekly treatments, including 2 $6000 skin grafts. The doctors determined that the infection was due to poor medical conditions under which I was first treated. I started treatments the day we returned to the US because of the timing of returning home and the poor medical conditions that existed in South America.

I bought Cancel For Any Reason coverage from Tripmate on the recommendation of Pleasant Holidays, whose Hawaiian travel package I bought. My young grandson's subsequent illness made it impossible for our family to take this trip, so I called Pleasant Holidays and Tripmate to cancel. Pleasant Holidays refunded their portion of the trip cost promptly and with no delays, but I am in month four of delays and excuses with Tripmate, even though their own website substantiate that they have all the paperwork they need to process the claim. I will be filing a bad faith lawsuit against Tripmate if this claim is not paid in full by the end of October. Anyone wishing to join in this suit as a class action should feel welcome to contact me at **.

I just got off the with phone the customer service supervisor for Tripmate. My companion and I went to Paris in August and of course the airline lost our luggage. I was fortunate enough, if you can say that, to receive my baggage 2 days later while my companion did not receive his until we returned home 7 days later. Of course during those days without luggage we purchased clothes (inexpensive). All of the documentation (i.e., receipts, credit card statements, airline claim paperwork) was submitted to Tripmate to substantiate our claim. After waiting for 30 days and not hearing from Tripmate I checked their website only to find my claim was still being processed.

TripMate insurance was purchased for a trip to Greece and Turkey. My wife got sick and was treated in Greece with all medical bills documented in Greek. Tripmate will not cover the costs because it will not provide translation. Medicare will not cover out of the USA. Secondary coverage will not accept claim because it is in Greek. This company fraudulently sold me a policy for a foreign country and does not accept the claim in that country's language. It is nothing but a rip off by insurance industry who make petty rules to avoid claims payment.

I always take trip insurance and have never put in a claim but I recently had to do so. I have been waiting almost a month to hear from them other than an acknowledgement that they have all the paperwork and while the customer service reps are nice enough, no money - what are they waiting for? Do they need something else? On their website it says the file went to the claims dept 6/26 - they also told me it was 10 business days. Now it is 16 days and no word from them. Guess 10 days is meaningless.

Purchased Travel Insurance for $274. Got to Mexico without our bags on Monday, the bags showed up Thursday. We spent $122 to get a few items to bridge the gap until we received our bags. After submitting originals of all paperwork received from airlines, completed Trip Mate claim forms, receipts for goods as well as receipt for Trip Mate policy and full itinerary our Claim was denied. Tripmate's response was that Aero Mexico (airline) would not respond to Tripmate's email verifying the delayed luggage. Multiple calls to Tripmate requesting a manager call me back were not followed up with until my third request. After the frustration and treatment I received from Tripmate I would strongly urge everyone to avoid them at all costs. They are only good if you do not have a claim, but then why do you need them?

My client and I have resolved this problem with Tripmate.

I read a bunch of negative reviews here and on other sites (after we filed our claim) so I was expecting the worst. In fact, everything went very smoothly. I don't know if this is because we bought it through GCTravel, which sends thousands of dollars business to them, or not. The bottom line is: My wife and I had to cancel our trip because of an immediate family member (not one going on the trip) being admitted to the hospital 3 days before we were scheduled to leave on our trip to Europe.

As a result of Consumer Affairs advocacy, the online agent at TripMate responded quickly and politely and did considerable research to clarify the confusion over several aspects of my trip. Thank you Consumer Affairs for facilitating the resolution of my problem.

Our son traveled to South Korea and was taken to the hospital on an emergency. He was having seizures. Tripmate's immediate medical facilitator is OnCall. OnCall's primary interest at the outset was to find out who was the primary insurer, Tripmate's wish hopefully not Tripmate, and to find out if they could deny responsibility for the medical emergency hoping it was a pre-existing condition that wasn't covered under the insurance.

My wife and I flew from L.A. to Frankfort Germany via Lufthansa for a connecting flight to Prague. We had 1 hour and 15 minutes to make our connection. With no hesitation or stopping for any reason we began to make our way to the next gate. There were extremely long lines thru the passport check and again thru security which we did not expect to have to go thru again. In my carry-on bag I had a large handheld back massager, which cleared security in LA. However, we were taken to another location for further checking of the massager. Several times I expressed my concern to the agents about missing our connection, to no avail.

Tripmate Claim Paid, but the fine details are tricky - My husband and went to the Caribbean through Sandals resort and for some reason they use Tripmate. However, Tripmate is now US Fire. Things have changed quite a bit with Tripmate and depending on when you went, your claim number etc, will depend on the company whom your claim is submitted to. As I mentioned, it is the fine details that you have to submit in order for your claim to be paid.

We booked a vacation through a travel agency to travel to Mexico for a week. We were convinced to purchase the travel ins. (from TripMate). We had a problem with our vacation plans to go in Nov. Of course, they kept our insurance money and we rebooked to take the trip in Jan. We got to Mexico without any problems. On the last day at the resort, I fell and broke my wrist. I called them as soon as I could and reported the issue. I turned in my claim and just found out that they denied my claim. We were still at the vacation site when the accident happened - technically still on vacation - right?

I had been ill. After my doctor cleared me to go back to work on Jan. 14, 2013, I then booked a condo at Slopeside Okemo for the following week of Jan. 23-25, 2013. On Jan. 22, when I heard the temperatures in Vermont were single digits, I asked my doctor if it was okay for me to go. He said no, do not go. The weather is too extreme. Yet when I went through all the hoops they put me through, they only paid 75%. I appealed the decision and provided confirmation from my doctor that the above story was correct. I just found out they have refused my appeal. I am furious. Upon looking at the Consumer Affairs website, I found numerous complaints about TripMate. I just emailed the condo rental agency and lambasted them for using an insurance company with so many complaints against it.

I purchased the trip insurance through Sandals. Unfortunately, we were in a car accident in St. Lucia. When I called Trip Mate, I had to leave a message, and they never called me back. Their reasoning for this was, "We do not call outside the US." Really?! Then why provide insurance to people traveling outside the US? I am currently waiting for an answer regarding my medical claim. By the way, I sustained an injury that required surgery. I have waited for over a month, and every time I call, I am told, "It is in final review." That is not helpful. Do not use this company if you expect any money back and/or any type of customer service! This was the most horrible experience ever!

I tried to get travel insurance for an upcoming trip to Hawaii. The phone operators were unknowing of their product and if you called another day for clarification, they gave you another answer with misleading information. They have a strange relationship with Carefree Rental which they couldn't explain. I finally, out of desperation, cancelled the insurance when they put me on hold when I tried to cancel. I also contacted my credit card company which will decline their payment. Their contracts have a lot of exceptions in their fine print. So buyer beware. If you have to use them for a claim, good luck in getting your claim approved, based on their terrible customer relationship and their misleading info. These clerks seem to have a problem when you ask too many questions. Stay away from them and get a quote from a responsible travel insurance company or your credit card company.

Tripmate took three months then only gave me a partial refund, after they stated each person on my trip had to be listed in the policy regardless of who was paying for the trip. The policy clearly states if a trip is cancelled due to anyone in your party becoming ill, the trip is covered. Now, they say each person has to have a policy. After reading complaints from other policy holders, this is their way of doing business. Stay away from this company. They will not pay the policy holder what is due them no matter what information they say they need to complete the claim. Very disappointed. Hopefully, if one person does not use this insurance, my time writing is worthwhile. Do your homework and go somewhere else.

Looking over the reviews of Trip Mate Travel Insurance, I can see that they haven't changed a bit; they don't want to pay legitimate claims. The only satisfaction that I and my 86-year-old travel companion mother got in 2000 was to get some reimbursement from the travel agent that we used for the trip who recommended Trip Mate. They gave us some travel vouchers.

We purchased trip insurance through Tripmate for a cost of over $350. We are unable to make the trip due to our home being destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. We were denied reimbursement, because the event didn't happen within 10 days of departure. Even the airlines weren't that cold-hearted. Stay away from these people if you are smart. They are only out to take your money!

This firm did everything possible to deny, delay, and frustrate the execution of their contractual financial duties. Tripmate failed to provide an air ambulance even though it was medically essential and they so admitted. Tripmate would authorize but not send the air evacuation service Tripmate promotes, but could not provide when it was needed. Tripmate provided, instead, only obstacles. Tripmate was no help. I was on my own. I had to secure my own land ambulance to a clinic. Then, I had to secure my own flight home. I had to find my own air ambulance company. When Tripmate failed to locate an air ambulance "because of the weather," I found an Air Ambulance service in minutes via American Express. Tripmate then took nine months considering my claims. Finally, they paid. In fact, I was preparing a suit when, at long last, the check arrived. Tripmate "service" - in my experience - is a scandal and those who consider Tripmate would be well advised to check the web for the experience of others, including the legal costs of legitimate recovery.

I purchased travel insurance with these folks to protect 2 R/T flights to Hawaii. The day before the flight, Traveler 1 called Delta Vacations and cancelled the whole vacation, flight, hotel, rent a car, etc. - all done without us having a clue. Before you buy travel insurance, read the contract, find out what they will/will not pay for. We are stuck now with 2 travel vouchers that cannot be used because of health and age restrictions they made out, and so did Delta. The consumer lose. Do your homework first. They will find a way not to pay.

On October 4, 2011, we agreed to purchase the travel insurance recommended by our travel agent for Royal Caribbean Cruise: Aon/Berkley Travel. We did not see a copy of this policy at the time we purchased it. It turned out to have a "pre-existing condition" clause in it and does not want to pay our claim. I had severe bursitis at the time of the trip in February and a good doctor's excuse. Allianz which serves Delta Airlines paid without any trouble, but this company refuses to pay.

Trip Mate and Grand Circle Travel (GCT), in my experience, were complicit in my problems. GCT talked me into buying the insurance at the time I booked the trip saying that by doing this "pre-existing conditions would be accepted". As may be noted, my wife had a pacemaker implant prior to booking the trip. She thought she felt well enough to take the river cruise with minimum walking. Subsequently, she had a bad reaction to medication she was taking and we had to cancel the trip and incurred an $800 penalty from GCT.

I took a trip to the Caribbean (Beaches Resort) this summer and I knew that it was a risky proposition because it was hurricane season. The bought insurance through TripMate since the policy stated that there was coverage for trip interruption. Hurricane Irene struck the island of Turks and Caicos and our resort was flooded. Our room was flooded. The entire place was shut down. The airport was closed for days. Naturally we were trapped until our departure. There was running water and some food, but we were stranded for days until our departure.

Trip Mate refused to reimburse for lost items out of luggage on trip to Peru. The trip was cut short by riots at Lake Titicaca and a bomb in the Cusco airport. Trip Mate's reasoning was losses were not reported to authorities. Well, we did not sleep for two days. And the authorities were busy with riots and bombs. We did not have the time to inventory possessions, until we were safely back in Lima. I did tell the hotel in Lima, but they did not give me any documentation. Trip Mate took three months to decide that they would not pay up.

This unreliable and unethical company stalled for three months and finally refused to pay claim for a cruise I had to cancel prior to the sailing date because my husband died unexpectedly in May. Instead of honoring my June 2010 claim they waited until mid September when the cruise company went out of business and then said I had to try to recover my loss from the entities handling the Cruise West bankruptcy as if my trip had been cancelled by the Cruise West rather than me. Cruise West paid their share of my claim promptly in June and said TripMate would pay the remainder. No one from TripMate ever questioned my claim or contacted me after I filed the claim until Oct 2010 when they sent two checks for $60.....they owe me $13k.

In March 2010, my wife and I traveled on their grand circle tour to Chile and Argentina led by your excellent trip director, Nick ** On an air descent into Argentina, my ear began to bleed. Nick wanted me to see a specialist and sent me in the hotel car to the british hospital. He filled out the insurance forms and said there would be no trouble with reimbursement.

I bought this travel insurance policy and when I needed to file a claim, they took more than 3 months to process a claim. They were rude and harassing me and my family, trying to make me tired. So I gave up on the claim. Until today, they haven't finished my claim and every time they ask for a document, I send it to them. Then they ask for more documents. Please help!