ComplaintsforWorld Nomads, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  02/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I scheduled a multi-country trip to Africa. I purchased trip insurance from WorldNomads. After I purchased trip insurance, the ***** portion of the trip was canceled due to Terrorism. This occurred before my trip started. I had to pay to rebook plane tickets to cut out the ***** portion. However, since this change occurred before my trip started and I still went on the rest of my trip, WorldNomads is denying my claim. They said the issue needed to occur during my trip and not before it started for the costs to be covered. Even-though I purchased the insurance before any issue or changes were needed.

  Business response

  03/11/2024

  Please find attached the response.  Complaint ID ********

• Initial Complaint

  12/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  On August 29, 2023, I purchased travel insurance with World Nomads in the amount of $98.58. They promised to cover medical expenses and trip cancellation expenses if I were to become ill between August 30, 2023 to September 13, 2023. I got sick on Aug 30 and was diagnosed and started treatment between Aug 30 - Sep 1.They denied me coverage because the doctor filled out the wrong date of my services on the paperwork. I provided them with proof of the discrepancy AND with the corrected document, yet they still denied my claim. To remedy this situation, I need a full refund of the premium I paid, plus the cost of all my medical and trip cancellation expenses (approximately $1000).Policy no: WNUSA23590999

• Initial Complaint

  11/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I am writing to lodge a formal complaint against World Nomads and their insurance administrator, TripMate, regarding a denied travel insurance claim related to our recent trip to the North Pole.Background:On 03/28/22, we purchased travel insurance from World Nomads for our trip to the North Pole. Unfortunately, our return flight was canceled due to a strike at *********************** (***). We were informed of the cancellation via email from the airline, necessitating us to book an alternative flight at an additional cost.Issue:Upon filing a claim with TripMate, we encountered several issues. Despite providing the email notification from the airline as evidence of the flight cancellation, ********'s administrators requested further proof specifically detailing the reason for the cancellation. The airline's communication only stated the flight was canceled, without elaborating on the cause. Consequently, ******** denied our claim, asserting that the lack of explicit mention of the strike in the airline's communication does not fulfill their criteria for coverage.Contention:We firmly believe this denial is unjustified. The correlation between the airport strike and the flight cancellation is evident, and the airline's notification implicitly indicates the strike as the reason. The insistence on explicit mention of the strike in the airline's communication seems to be an unreasonable and unfair basis for denying a legitimate claim.Resolution Sought:A thorough review of our claim and the reasons provided for its denial.Reassessment of our case with a fair and reasonable approach, considering the circumstances of the flight cancellation.Appropriate compensation as per the terms of the travel insurance policy we purchased.We believe this situation represents an unfair practice on the part of World Nomads and TripMate. We trust that the BBB will assist in resolving this matter justly.Thank you for your attention to this matter.

• Initial Complaint

  09/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I bought trip insurance and may baggage didn't arrive. I tried to file a claim but their site is always down. I called customer service and they said only way to do it is online. It's been 3 months and still not working and they will not help me.

  Business response

  10/09/2023

  Respond to complaint ID ********

• Initial Complaint

  08/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  World Nomads sold ** a travel insurance policy for a vacation to ******* that was eventually cancelled on account of my son becoming dangerously suicidal. World Nomads was notified within days of the trip cancellation and has refused to communicate or accept phone calls to complete the claims process. We have submitted multiple testimonials, physicians notes, expense documentation, emails, and the best comment we have received is that the are very busy with COVID claims. Now we are over a year into the process and they still will not answer our call, even after being on hold they cut off the phone conversation. We have insured many trips with them but this is our first claim, and I am extremely frustrated and disappointed. I feel they have avoided the claim payout unlawfully and are betting we will give up. I cannot devote anymore energy to this. Please help us collect the insurance claim , thank you very much.

  Business response

  08/29/2023

  Complaint ID ********

  Business response

  09/18/2023

  Response already supplied 

• Initial Complaint

  05/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Purchased a medical insurance policy for a trip to **************** for 3 months. I was unable to depart and the insurance company kept 3 months of premium even though it never went into effect and the trip never happened.Policy: WNUSA23537121

  Business response

  05/23/2023

  Response in attachment

• Initial Complaint

  02/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I bought an Explorer policy on 12/3/2022 through WorldNomads.com for an upcoming trip to ****. I was forced to cancel this trip when the **** **************** issued a ********************************************** due to ongoing unrest. I received a full refund from our tour operator and a 100% e-credit from our flight operator. I contacted World Nomands through their call center and, after being informed that they could not help me, through their directed e-mail customer care service. I requested a premium refund because of the travel alert and because I did not use their travel insurance services. I provided proof via e-mail that I received a full refund for the costs I had incurred for this trip.I was then informed that, although I qualify for a refund, I would not receive a refund until I book another travel insurance policy with World Nomads. I was also told that I could not roll over my existing policy into a new trip. Essentially, World Nomads is asking me to spend twice as much money with them, with the hope that they may refund me. All of this after their welcome e-mail told me to contact them after the **************** issues a warning!I am reticent to sign up for a new policy with them because it is impossible to reach them and this entire process is not in line with expectations. I would like a premium refund.

  Business response

  02/17/2023

  February 17,2023
  
  VIA PORTAL
  
  
  Better Business Bureau
  Serving the **************************************************************************************
  PO Box 218
  ***********, ** 94577
  Attn: ****************
  
  RE:       Insured:                        *******************
              Your Complaint ID:        19384911
              Claim ID:                      N/A
  
  
  To Whom It May ********
  
  Thank you for your correspondence regarding the above-noted matter. 
  
  The claimant expressed concerns regarding his request for a premium refund. 
  
  Our records show that ************ purchased the travel protection plan on December 3, 2022;however, did not request a premium refund until February 2, 2023.  The travel protection plan purchased by *********** provides a satisfaction guarantee which allows for a travel protection plan refund during the 10-day period following the purchase of the plan.  As ************ did not request a travel protection plan refund within 10-days of purchase, it is our position that *********** is not eligible to receive a cash refund of the plan payment.  Specifically, please note the following Plan terms listed in the Part B benefit underwritten by *************************** Company:
  
  Satisfaction Guarantee
  If You are not satisfied for any reason, You may return Your Plan Documents to us within 10 days after receipt. Your plan payment will be refunded, provided You have not filed a claim or departed on Your Trip. When so returned, the Plan Documents are void from the beginning.
  
  However,although ************ is not eligible for a refund according to the policy provisions, World Nomads has extended an offer of a credit in the amount of $297.20 to be used on a future trip.  The information provided to ************ states that once he submits proof of purchase of the travel protection plan for the new trip, he will be credited the amount of $297.20. 
  
  To date, we have not received any further communications from ************* 
  
  We hope this has been responsive to your concerns.  Should you have any further questions, please contact us at ************************************.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  *******************************
  Claims Supervisor

• Initial Complaint

  01/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased world nomads travel insurance for $164.92 on June 19th, 2022 for my European trip from June 20th - Aug. 2nd. They confirmed on applying that I was a U.S. resident.I tried to file 2 claims. One I couldn't file because their system wasn't functioning and they refused to provide me with the information to do so. The other I did file, they promised it to be resolved in 30 days. It wasn't. It's still on-going today, January 30th (filed October 13th, 2022) and they've lied and made everything so amazingly difficult that's it's comical. I have still not received the service they said they would provide, period. I am requesting a full refund.On July 9th, I got sick and had to go to the hospital and get several medications.When the hospital bill finally showed up, I filed a claim on October 13th, 2022. They documented that with an email response.On October 31st, having not heard anything, I wrote in. They said the claim could take up to 30 days.On November 15th, I called them. They said that they would expedite the claim. On November 25th, I wrote in again inquiring. No response On November 30th, they only gave me a link to the claim. Apparently, they wanted a plane ticket (I had provided them this ticket twice in the previous claim attempt). They stated that I needed to prove U.S. residency. I said I had already provided that information when I signed up for the plan and it was very odd to be just now (December 20th) needing to confirm that. I sent them in again.Dec. 21, they wrote and asked me to provide the same information I had just sent in.On January 5th, they said the claim was being sent to be finalized and to allow a few business days.On January 16th, after hearing nothing and there being no progress on the claim, I wrote again.On the 17th, they copied their previous response and to check the status online.And on it goes...

  Business response

  02/17/2023

  February 17,2023
  
  VIA PORTAL
  
  
  Better Business Bureau
  Serving the **************************************************************************************
  PO Box 218
  ***********, ** 94577
  Attn: ****************
  
  RE:       Insured:                        *************************
              Your Complaint ID:        18934872
              Claim ID:                      7192924
  
  
  To Whom It May ********
  
  Thank you for your correspondence regarding the above-noted matter. 
  
  The claimant expressed concerns regarding the status of his claim. 
  
  Our records indicate the claim was filed with our office on October 13, 2022. 
  
  In reviewing the information provided, it was determined we did not have sufficient documentation on file to finalize the claim. 
  
  Therefore, on November 15, 2022 correspondence was sent to the claimant requesting the following information:
  
  Please provide copies of the air itinerary purchased or booked in conjunction with your departure from the US. Additionally, please note that if the itinerary does not depart from the US, we must also request a copy of all travelers valid US drivers license or documentation of US residency (i.e. state ID, utility bill in the travelers name/address in the US, etc.). Please note that passports do not indicate US residency.
  
  The requested information was provided on December 22, 2022.
  
  On January 27,2023 payment was emailed to ***************** however, according to our records *********** was not able to view the check and asked for our office to resend it to him, this request was completed on February 2, 2023.  
  
  On February 6,2023 we received correspondence from ************ stating he finally received our original payment but he was owed additional money.  After review of the documentation on file it was determined that ************ was claiming expenses which were not on file;therefore, on February 6, 2023, our claims representative advised ************ he would need to submit the documentation to our office for review. 
  
  On February 6,2023 ************ submitted the additional medical information which he was claiming and a second payment, in the amount of $53.14 was approved.  The payment was emailed to **************** on February 15, 2023. 
  
  We hope this has been responsive to your concerns.  Should you have any further questions, please contact us at ************************************.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  *******************************
  Claims Supervisor        

  Customer response

  02/19/2023

   
  Complaint: 18934872
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The response ignores the main is***s.
  

  
  

  Hi ********,

  Thanks for the response. Although the company finally paid the most basic claim (after many promises, blown deadlines, lies, and probably the most infuriating dialogue I have ever had with a company) your response seems to ignore the main is***s which are: World Nomads promised a service within a certain amount of time and did not provide it; World nomads customer service and processing are the worst I have encountered and turned what should have been a simple process into an absolute nightmare and instead of acknowledging the is***s, they ignored, lied and delayed their way through it. At a certain point well after their promised delivery date, world nomads requested more documents. As I had sent in said documents multiple times during this process, my feeling is that I, as the consumer cannot be held responsible for the faulty accounting and/ or software failures of world nomads.

  
  

  Here are detailed accounts and responses to yours.

  "Our records indicate the claim was filed with our office on October 13, 2022."

  That's correct. The previous invoice for pharmacy items had been submitted long before, but this was the date when I finally received my hospital bill and I submitted it to world nomads at this time. World Nomads had both of the invoices at this time.

  
  

  On Oct. 25th when I had not heard anything back in several weeks, I emailed and asked how long I should expect to wait. 

  I did not receive a response until October 31st and it stated that claims can take up to 30 days.

  
  

  When I had not heard anything in 30 days, I called world nomads on November 14th. They said yes, it could take up to 30 days. I explained that it had already been over 30 days and seemingly that's when they actually noticed that they had the claim. As I was already dissatisfied with the lack of service for the price, I asked for them to just refund the fee I paid and to not worry about the claim. They said they can't do that, but they said they would expedite the claim. I later saw documented (falsely) on their site that this November date was the "date of claim."

  
  

  "In reviewing the information provided, it was determined we did not have sufficient documentation on file to finalize the claim."

  Ok, I don't know why as all the documents had been submitted long before.

  "Therefore, on November 15, 2022 correspondence was sent to the claimant requesting the following information:

  
  

  Please provide copies of the air itinerary purchased or booked in conjunction with your departure from the US. Additionally, please note that if the itinerary does not depart from the US, we must also request a copy of all travelers valid US drivers license or documentation of US residency (i.e. state ID, utility bill in the travelers name/address in the US, etc.). Please note that passports do not indicate US residency."

  If by "sent" you mean, not emailed like all of the previous correspondence, but put into a portal on your website that I didn't know existed, then sure, you sent it. 

  The only way I happened to find out about it is by emailing again on November 25th after I had still heard nothing back and addressed the lack of service for price paid.

  
  

  There was no response from world nomads until November 30th and in their email response, there was not one part of it that addressed what I had written in about. They did however send for the 1st time, access to the claims portal where they had "sent" that information request.

  
  

  I didn't happen to see that response until December 16th, so my fault there. I responded again trying to get them to address my actual concerns which were: why they suddenly needed my plane ticket, which I had submitted several times at this point, once in a different claim, why it took them almost 2 months to figure out that they needed it and to please refund my money as the communication and service had only gotten worse.

  
  

  It wasn't until December 20th, after several attempts, that someone actually addressed 1 of my concerns. They explained that they wanted my plane tickets or my ID to confirm US residency. 

  
  

  I explained also on December 20th that I can (and did in the same email) provide that, but it seemed very odd to be just now confirming my eligibility for an insurance plan that I had been sold and approved for literally 6 months prior. (I'm also pretty sure that I had to submit my ID when I applied initially.)

  
  

  "The requested information was provided on December 22, 2022."

  No. The requested documentation was sent again by email on December 20th. Again, it's not my fault if it wasn't noticed or miscategorized by world Nomads staff.

  It was December 22nd when world nomads replied and asked again for the same information I had sent in the previous email.

  
  

  22 more email exchanges took place between December 22nd and February 12th when the initial claim had finally been paid out. I won't go into detail if it's not necessary, but essentially it was asking for my money back again for lack of service.

  
  

  On January 5th, I received a response saying to just allow a few more days for finalizing and processing.

  
  

  On January 17th, after I had heard nothing again, I responded and had to threaten to *** for my money. World nomads stated that normal claims are done in 30 days and it was now over 3 months into my "expedited" claim with nothing but extremely slow and frustrating interactions to show, mostly without world nomads addressing my questions.

  
  

  Finally, on January 24th, world nomads claimed that my claim was completed on January 14th, but I'd have to wait **** business days for a check. For some reason they didn't notify when my claim was "completed", but instead decided to wait another 5 days after my previous email again threatening a lawsuit because there had been no movement on their portal and no response from them.

  
  

  They said the check would come from a particular company and that I should also check spam.

  There was no check.

  
  

  "On January 27, 2023 payment was emailed to ***************** however, according to our records ************ was not able to view the check and asked for our office to resend it to him, this request was completed on February 2, 2023. "

  No. The portal said it was sent, but clearly wasn't, otherwise I would have had it. I checked everywhere in email including the spam folder. There was nothing. I emailed and told World nomads this on January 30th.

  
  

  After more of world Nomads ignoring my emails, they finally agreed to resend it.

  
  

  "On February 6, 2023 we received correspondence from ************ stating he finally received our original payment but he was owed additional money.  After review of the documentation on file it was determined that ************ was claiming expenses which were not on file; therefore, on February 6, 2023, our claims representative advised ************ he would need to submit the documentation to our office for review."

  Yes. This documentation was definitely sent with the original claim. Again, it's not my fault if world nomads can't keep track of documents in their own business.

  
  

  On February 6, 2023 ************ submitted the additional medical information which he was claiming and a second payment, in the amount of $53.14 was approved.  The payment was emailed to **************** on February 15, 2023. 

  Yes, I did send it again and I did finally receive the 2nd check over 4 months from my actual claim date.

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  01/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In May 2022 I purchased travel insurance from **** Nomad (R) covering lost plane tickets and expenses. I suffered an accident at ************************************************* and as a result, lost my flight to ******. Unfortunately after many communications I have not received the coverage from world nomad The claim number: ******* I have contacted the worldnimad manytimes over the last 6 months with no resposne, their link to check the status wont return any results. email the claims department directly at *********************.called the claims department directly at ************** and they claim to not be able to find any claims! Please assist in recovering my losses All the best,******************* **************** Representative ********* **************** Team On behalf of ************************ We're here to help T Collect: ************** | ************** ( toll free within ***) ************************************* Visit: www.worldnomads.com Emergency Assistance 24 hours, 7 days a week *************** (Collect outside the **)*************** (Toll-free in the ** and ******) ****************** Claims Assistance (non-emergency)T collect: ************** *********************

  Business response

  02/17/2023

  RE:Insured:*****************************
  Your Complaint ID:
  Claim **********
  
  
  To Whom It May ********************************* you for your correspondence regarding the above-noted matter.  
  
  The claimant expressed concerns regarding the status of his claim.  
  
  The claimant reported a trip cancellation claim with our office, citing the reason for the cancellation was his medical condition.  
  
  Our records indicate that the above referenced claim was received by our office on June 26, 2022.  In the original submission, ************************ indicates there were multiple pieces of correspondence attached to his email (proof of insurance, bank statement, medical process for the accident, flight details cancellation by airline and contact details).    
  
  Two requests for additional information have been sent to the claimant with no response.  On July 27, 2022 and November 10, 2022 correspondence was sent requesting the following information: 
  
  The documentation received is not clear as to what you are claiming. We request that you please identify the expenses you are claiming.
  
  Upon receipt of this inquiry and further review into this matter, it has been determined that ************************ did not cancel his trip, but rather experienced a trip interruption as a result of his injury causing him to miss his flight.  ************************ submitted a medical bill for treatment and a notice that LOT Polish Airlines cancelled his subsequent flights on their airline since he did not take his scheduled flight LO 384 on May 14, 2022 and they were not notified of the cancellation.  
  
  In accordance with the plan provisions, benefits have been approved on January 23, 2023 in the amount of $211.68 under the medical expense provisions of the plan.  Upon completion of the accounting process, within the next **** days, the payment will then be mailed to the address in ********** on file.  
  
  Please note, ************************ appears to also be claiming unused airfare as a result of his medical condition; however, under the trip interruption plan provisions, unused airfare is not reimbursable.  
  
  We hope this has been responsive to your concerns.  Should you have any further questions, please contact us at ************************************.
  

• Initial Complaint

  11/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We purchased travel insurance from TripMate (World Nomads) before our trip on Ireland on June 12. 2022. Despite our precautions, we ended up with Covid. We had both taken a positive test. Were very sick and decided to extend our trip to isolate (not to pass on to others). The day of our testing we called several medical places in ******** - who told us to isolate and stay away unless it was an absolute emergency. We called and communicated with our GP in the States. We extended our plane, car rental and hotel by 3 days. After many attempts to get a response from this company - only emails. The email stated that we didn't have a doctors exam - even though they told us in Ireland to stay away and we communicated with our doctors in the U.S. We asked to appeal the process and we were never sure if they actually appealed. It is now November and we got an email back that we are denied based on no doctor ****** No number to call. Only a case file in which we can't really plead or talk to someone about our case. Extremely shady!

  Business response

  03/21/2023

  Please see attached response

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩