Travel Guard Demands Medical Records From a Dying Family Member
I am filing this complaint regarding the travel insurance policy we purchased through Travel Guard when booking our flight through CheapOair. The entire purpose of purchasing travel insurance is to provide protection when unexpected life events occur, yet when we were forced to cancel our trip due to a serious family situation, the process turned into days of frustration and a complete runaround between multiple companies. My wife and I had to cancel our flight because my sister has been taken off chemotherapy and has been given only a short time to live. Her 70th birthday is on March 16, and we made the personal decision that being with her during this time was far more important than taking a trip. This was not a casual change of plans; it was a deeply personal family decision during an extremely difficult time. After cancelling the flight, we began trying to determine how to use the travel insurance that we paid for, but instead of receiving help we were sent back and forth repeatedly between CheapOair, Travel Guard, and the airline. Each party told us to contact the other. We spent several days and countless hours on hold and on the phone explaining the same painful story over and over again, only to be told each time that nothing could be done. When we finally received a response from Travel Guard, we were told that in order to process a claim we would have to provide medical records from my dying sister. This request is completely unreasonable and deeply insensitive. I will not ask my sister, who is facing the end of her life, to provide private medical documentation simply so we can recover the money or receive a credit for a cancelled flight. It is an invasion of her privacy and something that our family will not do. The entire experience has made the travel insurance feel meaningless, because when a genuine and serious life circumstance occurs, the company hides behind documentation requirements that most families would never feel comfortable asking for. Travel Guard advertises peace of mind and protection during unforeseen events, but our experience has been the exact opposite. Instead of compassion or assistance, we were met with bureaucracy, endless transfers, and a demand for sensitive medical records that should never be required in order to receive basic consideration for a claim. Consumers purchase insurance believing it will help during difficult moments, not create additional stress and hardship. Based on this experience, I would strongly warn other travelers to avoid relying on third-party booking services and their insurance products. When problems arise, responsibility is simply passed around between companies while the customer is left with no solution. All we are seeking is a reasonable resolution in the form of a refund or travel credit without forcing our family to provide private medical records during an already painful situation.