World Nomads Travel Insurance

BEWARE: If your situation isn't on the list, it's not covered My recent travel experience with World Nomad Travel Insurance has left me feeling utterly frustrated and disappointed. Due to unforeseen circumstances at Beijing airport, I had to spend an extra $3,000 rerouting my flights. I checked with World Nomads and they said it shouldn't be a problem to claim this. However, later, I was told this situation wasn't covered in the set of specific situations you can claim for with World Nomads Insurance. I was genuinely shocked that this kind of situation was not covered by insurance, but World Nomads has a very specific set of situations and if your situation does not fall into that it is not covered. The Situation: I had planned a trip from Madrid to Melbourne with a three-day layover in Beijing, having researched extensively the complex visa-free transit regulations in China. Upon arriving in Beijing, I was detained at the airport for three hours and informed that I needed to rebook my flights because my original itinerary involved a layover in Guangzhou, which is not permitted under the 144 temporary transit visa I was applying for. This unexpected development was not mentioned in the 144 visa information online, and even the New Zealand diplomats I consulted before my trip were unaware of this rule. The Consequences: As a result of this unforeseen complication, I had no choice but to book new flights with Air China since my original carrier, China Southern, did not offer direct flights from Beijing to Australia. This necessitated a re-routing of my travel plans with a stopover in Sydney instead of Melbourne. Additionally, I had to cancel my non-refundable tickets with China Southern. Challenges in Communication: Being in China, I was unable to use essential communication tools like Google and WhatsApp. Thankfully, a friend, assisted me in booking new flights and contacting both China Southern and World Nomads to explore my options. She was told by World Nomads that it should be fine for me to rebook my flights and then claim the money back afterwards. Conclusion: While I understand that visa regulations can be complex and ever-changing, it was incredibly frustrating to encounter such a significant obstacle due to inadequate information and communication. World Nomads could improve its service by providing more comprehensive travel advisories or assistance in situations where customers encounter unforeseen circumstances beyond their control. I was genuinely shocked this kind of situation was not covered by insurance, but World Nomads have a particular set of situations and if your situation does not fall into that it is not covered. I appreciate the support I received from my friend and her quick thinking in assisting me during this stressful situation. However, I am left with an unexpected financial burden due to additional expenses and the lack of clarity surrounding my travel arrangements. In light of my experience, I encourage travellers to thoroughly research and consider the potential pitfalls of visa regulations when planning their trips. Additionally, I hope World Nomads takes steps to provide clearer and more updated information to help their customers navigate such complex situations in the future. I am extremely disappointed and out of pocket as this is exactly the type of situation I would expect insurance to cover - and why I buy expensive insurance in the first place! Annie

Value for money   1 / 10

Policy coverage   1 / 10

Customer service   1 / 10

Claims handling   1 / 10

Trust   1 / 10

Less

MASSIVE LOOPHOLE WARNING Conditions that are "similar", but unrelated to, a condition that was subject to a previous claim ARE NOT COVERED.  In their own words: "If you were to develop a new stomach condition not related to the previous stomach issue but a similar condition you would not be covered due to it would be considered pre-existing unless it was due to an injury or something totally unrelated." I would be happy to share a screenshot if the site allowed it. This is a shocking and appalling loophole, especially for a policy that is marketed towards long term travellers, who are likely to get separate but "similar conditions" - such as stomach issues, the most common travelers' ailment.  This company is unethical and anyone who promotes it without mentioning this loophole is irresponsible.  World Nomads will not provide any further details on how they define a "similar condition", so maybe save your one claim for any condition for something life-threatening/expensive.  Of course they don't issue any refunds after policy holders have discovered this loophole the hard way - it certainly is not explicitly stated anywhere in the policy!!  Who would buy it if it was?  I have confirmed this loophole multiple times, so I know it wasn't just one agent giving incorrect information.

Value for money   1 / 10

Policy coverage   1 / 10

Customer service   1 / 10

Claims handling   1 / 10

Trust   1 / 10

Less

World Nomads is great in listing all unfortunate situations, they will take care of if you are in trouble. And you pay for it cause you trust them. Being a well established travel agent I recommended World Nomads to many of my clients in the past. I did it until my expensive camera gear was stolen in Dubai 2019. Dubai airport authorities is a different story for the different poem. I reported my items stolen. I couldn’t collect the report from Dubai Airport Police Station the same day (was traveling with clients to Africa) and the local authorities told me that they will “investigate” first and I should contact them via dedicated website (nightmare). After many attempts I have scheduled one of my journeys via Dubai again to collect the police report. Nothing was ready. Another 2 hours waiting and the report was finally ready, written in.... Arabic. I was asking for the English version, but they simply refused. I sent in the goodwill the report to World Nomads claiming for coverage and they simply refused, saying that my item was lost, not stolen, which they said the police report from Dubai is saying. All this insurance game is just about how to make you pay money and how to use many “gaps” not to cover your losses. Trust your local insurance company for your medical expenses abroad (as you did in the past and they never let you down). Don’t buy any other beautifully listed coverages, which simply don’t work if you are in trouble.

Value for money   1 / 10

Claims handling   1 / 10

Trust   1 / 10

Less

I have always used world nomads and they have consistently provided competitive pricing and good service when I have had to claim. Getting coverage is always super fast and they often have loyalty specials. Recommended.

Value for money   10 / 10

Policy coverage   10 / 10

Customer service   10 / 10

Claims handling   10 / 10

Trust   10 / 10

Less

World Nomads are the worst! No help by phone, by email or otherwise with the policy. Furthermore they outsource the insurance to Tripmate one of the worst on the web! I have tickets on South African Airways and the policy clearly covers providers that are bankrupt and they refusing to cover the claims.

Value for money   1 / 10

Policy coverage   1 / 10

Customer service   1 / 10

Claims handling   1 / 10

Trust   1 / 10

Less