Travel insurance is an essential consideration when planning a trip, whether for business or pleasure. Among the many options available, Tick Travel Insurance has gained popularity in recent years. But is Tick Travel Insurance good? In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at the company’s offerings, customer reviews, and overall value to help you make an informed decision.
What Does Tick Travel Insurance Offer?
Tick Travel Insurance provides a range of coverage options to suit various travel needs. Their policies include:
- Comprehensive Plan: This plan offers the most extensive coverage, including trip cancellation, trip interruption, emergency medical expenses, baggage loss, and more.
- Domestic Plan: Designed for travellers within Australia, this plan covers trip cancellation, trip interruption, rental car excess, and personal liability.
- Basic Plan: This budget-friendly option provides essential coverage for overseas medical expenses, personal liability, and baggage loss.
The Importance of Comprehensive Coverage
When choosing a travel insurance provider, it’s crucial to ensure that you have adequate coverage for your specific needs. Tick Travel Insurance’s Comprehensive Plan is an excellent choice for travellers who want peace of mind knowing they’re protected against a wide range of potential issues.
Consider these statistics:
- Unexpected Events: According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, approximately 25% of Australians encounter unforeseen events while travelling abroad. This high incidence highlights the importance of having robust travel insurance that can handle unexpected situations, from medical emergencies to trip cancellations.
- Medical Emergency Costs: Medical emergencies while traveling can be substantial. For instance, the average cost of an overseas medical emergency can reach AUD 10,000. This figure underscores the significance of having unlimited medical coverage, which Tick Travel Insurance provides in its Comprehensive Plan, ensuring that unexpected medical expenses do not financially burden travellers.
- Luggage Issues: Travel complications often involve luggage issues. Statistics indicate that around 20% of travellers experience lost or stolen luggage during their trips. Tick Travel Insurance addresses this concern by offering up to AUD 7,500 coverage for lost, stolen, or damaged luggage under its Top Policy, providing significant relief in such stressful situations.
Benefits of Tick Travel Insurance:
- Comprehensive coverage options with 4 cover levels—Basic, Budget, Standard, and Top—allow travellers to select a policy that suits their needs and budget.
- All plans cover unlimited overseas medical expenses, including ambulance costs, emergency surgery, medical repatriation, and coverage in the event of death overseas.
- All pre-existing medical conditions are considered when you apply online, especially under the top levels of cover.
- Baggage cover for lost, stolen or damaged luggage up to $7,500 on the Top plan.
- Free coverage for children under 18 when they travel with an insured parent.
- Trip cancellation coverage is up to $20,000 on the Top plan for unforeseen events.
- Coverage for travel delays, trip interruption, rental car excess, and pregnancy up to 30 weeks.
- Affordable premiums start as low as $19 for basic coverage, with the ability to tailor coverage by destination and duration.
- 24-hour emergency assistance for policyholders.
- Simple online claims process with the ability to track claims.
Drawbacks of Tick Travel Insurance:
- Difficult claims process with excessive paperwork requirements. Customers have reported that Tick requires all original receipts as proof to make a claim, which can be challenging. The claims process involves “so much paperwork” and “they take ages.”
- Poor communication and customer service. Some reviews mention that Tick is “non-contactable” with “poor communication”. Emails from customers have bounced back, and it can be hard to get in touch with the company.
- Reluctance to pay out legitimate claims. Despite marketing itself as a budget-friendly option, multiple customers have alleged that Tick is a “scam” and “will not pay you out if you decide to make a claim.” One review states that Tick took over five weeks to reject a simple claim.
- High excesses of $200 on all policies mean customers need to pay the first $200 of any claim before insurance kicks in, which can raise the real cost more than expected.
- Cheaper policies like Basic and Budget do not include any COVID-19-related coverage for medical costs or cancellations. Customers need to purchase the more expensive Standard or Top plans for this.
- Some reviews mention difficulty printing policy documents, determining cruise coverage, and getting clear information about pre-existing condition coverage.
Is Tick Travel Insurance Good?
Tick Travel Insurance offers competitive pricing and a range of coverage options suitable for various travellers, including specific coverage for COVID-19 expenses. However, there are notable drawbacks, such as no cover for cruise travel or annual policies, and some customers have reported difficulties with the claims process and customer service.
While Tick Travel Insurance may be appealing for its affordability and the breadth of its coverage, potential customers should weigh these benefits against the reported service and claims handling issues before making a decision.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I purchase a policy if I’ve already started my trip?
Yes, you can purchase a policy after your trip has begun, but there may be a waiting period before coverage takes effect.
Does Tick Travel Insurance cover pre-existing medical conditions?
Some pre-existing medical conditions may be covered, subject to assessment and approval by Tick Travel Insurance.
How do I make a claim with Tick Travel Insurance?
You can make a claim online through the Tick Travel Insurance website or by contacting their claims team directly.
