Is there a generic Travel Insurance that will cover ALL of our trips?

[Lglen119]

I know vacationguard is bought for my current use year, and 1 year forward if banked. So my 2017 plan covers by 2017 use yr dues, and it if bank it, or exchange it, it covers me 1 year forward. Yes, I know I can bank or exchange longer than that, but we use ours within 2 yrs every time, so it's not been an issue. I don't think they have a plan to cover dues from years past or already banked on their web page. back to why I buy when I have my dues renewal. I too had looked around, and into an Amex offer, but every time I asked questions, the price would go up, or I had to do another upgrade, or it didn't cover what I already could get with vg, which used the words I was looking for. It doesn't matter what you buy or from whom, but my advice for any insurance plan is to always read the policy, as it's the only thing that is used in a claim.

 

[WinniWoman]

I am always confused as to the duration which it covers. Let's say I buy one for Jan 1, 2017 to Dec 31st, 2017. If I paid MF in 2016 for a 2017 use year, does it cover the MF for the timeshare?

It should since that in essence was your "deposit" date.

 

[VacationForever]

It should since that in essence was your "deposit" date.

...and if I use it in 2018 (through exchange), do I need to buy insurance for both 2017 and 2018?

 

[WinniWoman]

...and if I use it in 2018 (through exchange), do I need to buy insurance for both 2017 and 2018?

I only buy insurance for the year I use the timeshare.

 

[VacationForever]

I only buy insurance for the year I use the timeshare.

I figure if one buys every year without a break then it will cover all use cases. I am just not sure how exchanges for future uses are treated.

 

[WinniWoman]

I figure if one buys every year without a break then it will cover all use cases. I am just not sure how exchanges for future uses are treated.

I get what you mean, but for me I rarely exchange- I use my fixed weeks every year, though for 2018 I did do an exchange- but with a week from the same year (2018), so it really hasn't concerned me (plus, Smuggs doesn't require you pay your maintenance fee before you make an exchange). I would think you could call and ask.

 

[theo]

I got some good (if somewhat disappointing) clarifying information today from my VacationGuard contact which has helped me to more clearly understand exactly why people have and report very different understandings of their coverage, all of them possibly correct. I'll try to be brief in explanation / summary:

Someone who owns multiple weeks within the same system (I'll use Westgate as a bad example , for the sake of discussion) can indeed purchase a single annual Vacation Guard policy which will cover all of those weeks within that one system in a year. Seems like a great deal --- if you fit into that category.

However....... someone who owns multiple weeks which are not all within the same management company (at several different "independent" , non-chain resorts, for example) would have to purchase an individual policy for the weeks within each individual management company. In our case, to be specific, that involves seven weeks in total --- two weeks with each one of two different management companies and one week in each of three other different management companies. So, in our case, we would have to purchase five separate policies to cover all seven timeshare weeks (even though 4 of the 7 weeks are consecutive, at two resorts within 5 miles of each other and that particular travel involves a single trip). No thanks --- $299 times five ain't gonna happen...

I cannot begin to comprehend the underlying insurance reasoning here, but I now at least very clearly understand (even if I greatly dislike) the current Vacation Guard "rules" as they apply to owners of timeshares at multiple resorts and involving multiple, different management companies.

It's very odd that one could buy one annual policy at $299 covering (let's say fifteen weeks, for extreme example, all in Westgate ), while someone owning three weeks, each one with a different mgt. company, would actually have to buy three individual policies at $299 each to be covered for the year.
It all seems just a bit nuts to me, but c'est la vie --- I will just "self insure" instead, thanks.

 

[VacationForever]

I got some good (if somewhat disappointing) clarifiying information today from my VacationGuard contact which has helped me to more clearly understand why people have and report very different understandings of their coverage, all of them possibly correct. I'll try to be brief in my explanation / summary:

Someone who owns multiple weeks within the same system (let's use Westgate as an example, for the sake of discussion) can indeed purchase a single annual Vacation Guard policy which will cover all of those weeks within that one system in a year. Seems like a great deal --- if you fit into that category.

However....... someone who owns weeks which are not all within the same management company system (say at several different "independent resorts", just for the sake of discussion) would have to purchase an individual policy for the weeks within each different management company. In our case, to be specific with numbers, that involves six weeks total --- two weeks with each one of two different management companies, one week in each of two other different management companies. So, in our case, we would have to purchase four separate policies to cover all six timeshare weeks. That's not gonna happen...

I do not profess to even begin to comprehend the underlying insurance reasoning here, but I do now at least very clearly understand (even if I don't much appreciate) the current Vacation Guard "rules" as they apply to owners of timeshares at various resorts involving multiple, different management companies.

It seems odd that one could buy one annual policy at $299 covering (let's say fourteen weeks, for example, all in Westaget), while someone owning three weeks, each with a different management company, would actually have to buy three individual policies at $299 each to be covered for the year.

Is this for the annual timeshare insurance? What happens when I exchange into a different timeshare system week?

Do you know if CSA work the same way?

Thanks for digging...

 

[theo]

Is this for the annual timeshare insurance? What happens when I exchange into a different timeshare system week?

Do you know if CSA work the same way?

Thanks for digging...

I refer very specifically (and exclusively) to Vacation Guard's "Annual Timeshare Plus" policy coverage and to its' application to owned weeks.
I have absolutely no knowledge about "exchanges" or about CSA, having never had any direct personal involvement or experience with either one.

If you want to talk directly to a VG rep who might be able to answer "exchange" related questions, the general number is 1-866-314-9480.

 

[VacationForever]

I refer very specifically (and exclusively) to Vacation Guard's "Annual Timeshare Plus" policy coverage and to its' application to owned weeks.

I have absolutely no knowledge about "exchanges" or about CSA, having never had any direct involvement with either one from an insurance perspective.

If you want to talk directly to a VG rep who might be able to answer "exchange" related questions, the general number is 1-866-314-9480.

Just trying to push my luck.

 

[WinniWoman]

Is this for the annual timeshare insurance? What happens when I exchange into a different timeshare system week?

Do you know if CSA work the same way?

Thanks for digging...

With CSA you have to insure individual weeks. They do not have an annual plan.

 

[VacationForever]

With CSA you have to insure individual weeks. They do not have an annual plan.

OK. Thanks.

 

[Lglen119]

I got some good (if somewhat disappointing) clarifying information today from my VacationGuard contact which has helped me to more clearly understand exactly why people have and report very different understandings of their coverage, all of them possibly correct. I'll try to be brief in explanation / summary:

Someone who owns multiple weeks within the same system (I'll use Westgate as a bad example , for the sake of discussion) can indeed purchase a single annual Vacation Guard policy which will cover all of those weeks within that one system in a year. Seems like a great deal --- if you fit into that category.

However....... someone who owns multiple weeks which are not all within the same management company (at several different "independent" , non-chain resorts, for example) would have to purchase an individual policy for the weeks within each individual management company. In our case, to be specific, that involves seven weeks in total --- two weeks with each one of two different management companies and one week in each of three other different management companies. So, in our case, we would have to purchase five separate policies to cover all seven timeshare weeks (even though 4 of the 7 weeks are consecutive, at two resorts within 5 miles of each other and that particular travel involves a single trip). No thanks --- $299 times five ain't gonna happen...

I cannot begin to comprehend the underlying insurance reasoning here, but I now at least very clearly understand (even if I greatly dislike) the current Vacation Guard "rules" as they apply to owners of timeshares at multiple resorts and involving multiple, different management companies.

It's very odd that one could buy one annual policy at $299 covering (let's say fifteen weeks, for extreme example, all in Westgate ), while someone owning three weeks, each one with a different mgt. company, would actually have to buy three individual policies at $299 each to be covered for the year.
It all seems just a bit nuts to me, but c'est la vie --- I will just "self insure" instead, thanks.

----------------

Hi Theo - quick FYI _ I GATHERED DIFFERENT INFORMATION when talking to VG and a supervisor, and it was in line with what I expected.

Correct: When I buy from a company that offers VG, they get a rate that reflects their average ownership value and size. So with Westgate or someone else like Welk, I can cover my ownership under 1 plan my timeshare company offers. But I must buy it through my timeshare company offering it.

Clarified: If I own with more than one timeshare company, I can either:
a) buy VG at each company, if offered via both timeshare companies. (eg: Westgate and other), or
b) I can buy on VG.com, and their timeshare plus policy, which covers BOTH ownership's for the $299 annual price.

Also, this plan does not extend to Exchange that I have already deposited, but only if used for an exchange within 1 year of my use-year billing, and, the plan was bought PRIOR to depositing. These words are in the sample policy they directed me to. See pg 3, Extension of Coverage, so i could read and verify. They also suggested I read the definitions related to exchange on pg 12 and 13 for exchange, so I could see their intent. www.VacationGuard.com/DOC/TimesharePlus

So from my perspective, it does what I've been told, and have been using it for, and I can read the words in the plan that support it. Just thought it may be of value as an FYI. Thanks for all your input on this.

 

[theo]

If I own with more than one timeshare company, I can either:
a) buy VG at each company, if offered via both timeshare companies. (eg: Westgate and other), or
b) I can buy on VG.com, and their timeshare plus policy, which covers BOTH ownership's for the $299 annual price.

I'm not seeking to argue, but I am genuinely puzzled. We do not own within any "chains" or "companies". We own only at completely independent resorts, none of whose management companies offer Vacation Guard coverage. In my lengthy conversation with my VG contact yesterday, I was very clear and specific and detailed about the fact that we own a total seven weeks among five different independent resorts, collectively involving five different management companies (each of which I named individually). It was made very clear to me (unless I somehow managed to misunderstand that seemingly very clear explanation), that it would actually take five VG Annual Timeshare Plus policies (at $299 each) to cover all seven of our weeks, whether purchased online or by phone directly with Vacation Guard.

I certainly like your interpretation and apparent belief much better than my own, but it simply does not comport with what I was told after very specifically describing each and every one of our ownerships and management companies --- unless I somehow managed to misunderstand what I thought was a very clear and straightforward explanation. I could of course still be mistaken, so I'm certainly not going to get up on my high horse and proclaim that you are wrong, but there certainly seems to be some significant misunderstanding and / or misinterpretation here somewhere.

 

[philemer]

I carefully choose which credit card I use when I book travel.

When I use my Costco Citibank Visa, I get a 3% rebate on all travel expenses AND their concierge service AND airline change fees coverage AND rental auto insurance coverage AND trip interruption coverage for "You, your family members, domestic partner and your traveling companions whose trip you paid for at least in part with your Citi card." The details are in a PDF on their website....

Double ck. the fine print on the auto coverage. I believe it is "secondary" to your our personal policy. Many Chase cards offer primary coverage so your personal ins. will never know about a claim (and your rates won't be affected). I use the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

 

[dominidude]

I'm not seeking to argue, but I am genuinely puzzled. We do not own within any "chains" or "companies". We own only at completely independent resorts, none of whose management companies offer Vacation Guard coverage. In my lengthy conversation with my VG contact yesterday, I was very clear and specific and detailed about the fact that we own a total seven weeks, at a five different independent resorts, collectively involving five different management companies (each of which I individually named). It was made clear to me (unless I somehow managed to misunderstand the seemingly very clear explanation), that it would actually take five VG Annual Timeshare Plus policies (at $299 each) to cover all seven of our weeks.

I certainly like your interpretation much better, but it simply does not comport with what I was told after very specifically describing each and every one of our ownerships and management companies, unless I somehow managed to misunderstand what I thought was a very clear and straightforward explanation.
I could of course still be mistaken, so I'm certainly not going to get up on my high horse and assert that you are wrong.

Theo, talking to a customer service rep is not necessarily the best way to get information from an insurance company, unfortunately.

Look at the link below:

https://www.dailymanagementresorts.com/MemberPage.aspx?fileid=235

That link is to a VacationGuard policy sold by Daily Management.
It's $89 per year.

Additionally, look at the brochure below:
https://bhtpcdn.blob.core.windows.net/vacationguard/TimesharePlusProtectionPlan.pdf

It says:
Protection for dues-based travel, which according to others in this thread costs $299.

So, this is my conclusion:
Theo, it seems you would have to buy five insurance policies, ONLY if you buy the insurance policies from each management company.

If you buy your own policy directly from Vacation Guard, you would be covering ALL 7 of your timeshare weeks, including the 5 different management companies, for $299.

BUT, this is the caveat (and, it's a big one). You'd be primarily covering your dues-based travel. Vacation Guard does throw in other minimal coverages, but the other coverages can be had for FREE using the right credit cards. In other words, this would not cover you for week rentals, cruises, etc.

In other words, Vacation Guard is making profits hand over fist on this policy. Why, you ask? Consider your maintenance dues. If you are paying $3000 in maintenance dues each year, they'd be charging 10% of your dues to insure your vacation. To come down to a relatively considerate 5% of dues you'd need to pay 6k in MF EACH YEAR. I dont know many people who pay 3k in MF dues each year, much less 6k.

 

[Laurie]

Anyone know whether Allianz annual policy would cover timeshare MF's and/or exchange fees?

 

[WackyLucy]

To add still more confusion to this discussion about timeshare / travel insurance, quoted below in pertinent part is a statement made by a fellow who posted yesterday in the RedWeek discussion forums. He provided no sources, references or citations, so his input may be completely incorrect subjective interpretation or entirely accurate, I do not claim to know which. I'm just relaying and presenting his input as food for thought or comment:

"Unfortunately, many trip cancellation policies (CSA's included) do not cover you if your date of check-in is more than 14/15 days after the date of damage / closure, making that insurance essentially useless for many who thought they were covered".

This statement, if true, makes absolutely no sense to me, but I admit to being entirely unfamiliar with travel insurance policies anyhow.

 

[theo]

Theo, talking to a customer service rep is not necessarily the best way to get information from an insurance company, unfortunately.

I certainly agree --- but my Vacation Guard contact is not a "customer service rep", but is actually a high level company executive (a college roommate, law school classmate and now long time friend and colleague of my youngest brother).

In any event, you've cited instances where VG insurance is made available through a resort management company; a good option when available.
However, as I tried to make abundantly clear previously, ownerships at independent resorts whose management companies do not offer policy purchase is a different kettle of fish --- and all of our ownerships fall into that latter category. It is simply not possible to purchase VG from or through any of our resorts or management companies at any price, so your examples / interpretations are simply not applicable to the specific situation I have cited.

Our maintenance fees collectively exceed $4k per year. In the pre-Berkshire Hathaway days of Vacation Guard, a single policy (which, btw, cost 1/3 less than $299 then iirc), provided coverage for lost maintenance fees on all seven of our weeks (although we never had a claim). Frankly, covering that potential loss of 4k+ in maintenance fees was our primary objective. That level of coverage for multiple, unrelated, independent timeshares via a single VG policy is apparently quite simply no longer available. Buying that annual VG timeshare policy was previously just a relatively inexpensive annual "no brainer", but certainly not so now with the current "Berkshire Hathaway modified" iteration of Vacation Guard.

I haven't purchased VG since the BH changes, nor do I plan to do so in the future; it just no longer makes sense from a cost / benefit perspective.
I appreciate your input, but believe your interpretations are incorrect; in any case not applicable to our particular ownwerships -- "apples and oranges".

 

[bellesgirl]

We had VG policies for a number of years and did need to make a claim. Although it has been stated by others, I want to clarify that it can get tricky if you have not been a customer for a while and are trying to submit a claim for an exchange. They cover the year of the week, not the year you use it. So if you use a 2016 week in 2017 and did not have the policy in 2016, it won't be covered. I imagine, with the ability to combine weeks in RCI, this can get even trickier to justify. We did get reimbursed, but it took a while and I had to provide lots of documentation. They also do not cover preexisting conditions the first year you have the policy.

This is how it used to be and perhaps things have changed. We no longer have VG.

 

[bobpark56]

I am the RedWeek poster you cite. I learned of the 15-day rule when CSA refused to pay benefits to the renter of our 18-27 Nov week at Westin St John (that resort is now closed until at least the end of the year, and all reservations have been cancelled). CSA refunded the renter's premium, but would not pay for any losses because their reservation did not start until more than 15 days from the date of damage. I have since read CSA's rules and found their wording. They do make it clear, but you really have to look hard to find it if you do not have a policy in hand. I did learn that they also offer an upscale policy that uses a 30-day cut-off. I found more than half a dozen other insurers who had similar 14/15-day cut-offs. There were many more insurers who did not make their policies public w/r/t cancellations due to units made uninhabitable by hurricane damage. So...buyer beware.

 

[theo]

I am the RedWeek poster you cite. I learned of the 15-day rule when CSA refused to pay benefits to the renter of our 18-27 Nov week at Westin St John (that resort is now closed until at least the end of the year, and all reservations have been cancelled). CSA refunded the renter's premium, but would not pay for any losses because their reservation did not start until more than 15 days from the date of damage. I have since read CSA's rules and found their wording. They do make it clear, but you really have to look hard to find it if you do not have a policy in hand. I did learn that they also offer an upscale policy that uses a 30-day cut-off. I found more than half a dozen other insurers who had similar 14/15-day cut-offs. There were many more insurers who did not make their policies public w/r/t cancellations due to units made uninhabitable by hurricane damage. So...buyer beware.

None of my business, but how do you plan to address refund of pre-paid rental money if you now cannot deliver the "contracted product"?

 

[Lglen119]

There has been enough confusion on this thread, and making me wonder what I'm buying, that I asked to speak to a VG executive, which was quickly facilitated. I spoke to Brian Rock, the VP, who explained he has been at VG since day 1 and authored the coverage forms. He also owns a timeshare, so knew what I was talking about. He had the history to explain how they have used different carriers over the years, and now are on Berkshire Hathaway, and it's going smoothly. He mentioned this timeshare plan is unique, as evidenced by the questions many of us have, but can't cover everything at the price it's being offered. He said they do 99% of their enrollments via a developer, who can access it at a lower rate due to volume, but because this plan didn't seem to exist on a retail basis elsewhere, for owners who own across several, they feel it's a service to the timeshare community to offer it on their retail page, until such time it's not. I asked about the rate, and he said that in focus groups, nobody would buy it at $800 a year, so they had to offer a plan rate to regulators they felt would be fair and adequately cover the average owner.

He went over exchange, which actually has not changed in the many years I've been buying this. They cover it for the use-year I insure and only 1 year past that, if I haven't used it prior. They can't make it longer because the regulators do not allow coverage beyond that. They don't cover exchange already deposited, because exchange companies have their own insurance plans.

We went over that they plan does in fact cover incidentals outside of my M&T, like theme park tickets, airfare change fees and other stuff on my timeshare. This hasn't changed, and its another reason why I buy it, as we always have to fly for our use, so I don't have to worry about making sure I list the airfare or FF points as part of my trip cost I'm trying to cover. He did say they pay change fees first, since most people re-deposit lost air for a year.

He explained the recent hurricanes were a great reminder, for nobody expects an issue, and the plan can respond not only if you can't go there, but also if you are required to evacuate early, and even if you lost your house due to a natural disaster, and now can't go at all. He did remind me that VG plans have a 10 day cut-off, to avoid people waiting until a storm develops before trying to get coverage after the problem is known.

I specifically asked about the use-year, and how I buy ours in January when I pay my dues. He explained that was the easiest and best way, for the use-year is easier to track against the dues year I am trying to protect. I also asked about the pre-ex and he confirmed that it's waived because I reenroll without a break. He sent me a flyer on this, which may have been posted earlier but am sharing since it was part of this call: https://bhtpcdn.blob.core.windows.net/vacationguard/TimesharePlusProtectionPlan.pdf

He also reminded me that unique to this plan, and another current event, they include ID theft monitoring enrollment through an established provider, for 2, as part of the plan pricing. Not assistance, but monitoring, which he directed me to the link off my plan confirmation. Every day I turn on the TV, I see ads for Lifelock for 9.95 per person or $240 a year, and now realize I already can get this on my timeshare plan, which protects my timeshare. So I enrolled for that too.

As respects the insurance, I come from a lineage of insurance people. In my experience, I don't buy insurance to make money, but to save me the hassle in a surprise and offset some costs if I have a loss. People don't buy earthquake, hurricane, or flood insurance to make money, as it's a lot easier to work with someone trying to find coverage, than to walk that road alone, knowing I have none, as I might just need it. So, with over $2,500 paid in medical issues over the years on my kids, which VG paid promptly, and a rental car that got hit overnight, which was certainly another 1k+ they paid direct, and the trip interruption when I had to change a trip, I have absolute confidence in why it works. My claims have not been for dues, but for things I didn't anticipate. And each time I didn't have to wig out about the hassle, or something ruining our trip, because I carried coverage. I didn't actually appreciate this until a non-timeshare trip we drove to, and I wish I had bought some coverage when something went wrong, and we later realized they had a plan that could have covered it for $59. So eliminating that stress factor on a trip means a lot to me, but it's just our choice. Just wanted to share this before I move off this thread in case it's of help.

Brian did say he can be reached at Brian@VacationGuard.com if someone has questions or confusion, or to just ask their ambassadors at service@vacationguard.com.

 

[dominidude]

He said they do 99% of their enrollments via a developer, who can access it at a lower rate due to volume, but because this plan didn't seem to exist on a retail basis elsewhere, for owners who own across several, they feel it's a service to the timeshare community to offer it on their retail page, until such time it's not.

Just wondering, are you saying that Brian Rock says that owners who own across several developers are covered for all their weeks using one policy, or that owners who own across several developer must buy one policy per developer?

So, with over $2,500 paid in medical issues over the years on my kids, which VG paid promptly, and a rental car that got hit overnight, which was certainly another 1k+ they paid direct, and the trip interruption when I had to change a trip, I have absolute confidence in why it works. My claims have not been for dues, but for things I didn't anticipate. And each time I didn't have to wig out about the hassle, or something ruining our trip, because I carried coverage. I didn't actually appreciate this until a non-timeshare trip we drove to, and I wish I had bought some coverage when something went wrong, and we later realized they had a plan that could have covered it for $59.

Consider that several credit cards will offer trip cancellation, trip delay insurance, secondary car insurance, ID theft insurance, emergency evacuation insurance etc, for free.
International Medical insurance can be had for as little as $100 per year per person. If travelling within the USA, most health insurers will cover emergency expenses, so an additional medical insurance policy purchase usually needs NOT be made.
The one positive thing that I can say about Vacation Guard is that they cover Maintenance dues, while some credit cards wont consider maintenance dues a travel expense.

 

[WinniWoman]

And so- I have 2 fixed timeshare weeks for summer 2018 coming up. For one, I will pay the maintenance fee before January 2018. The other I will be paying in February when I get the bill.

Then there is a third that is an exchange I made last year for Sept. 2018. The maintenance fee for that one will be paid in August 2018 (yes- our resort allows exchanges before you pay the maintenance fee for the week).

So- If I tool out an annual plan through VG in January 2018, would all three be covered?