# Insurance Claims for Irma Cancellations



## Superchief (Oct 3, 2017)

I'd like to learn about the experiences other members are having in filing insurance claims for cancelled reservations and II exchanges at MVC resorts due to hurricane damage. I'm especially interested in those who were insured with MVC (Travelex and Vacation Guard.)

It is my understanding that the claim needs to be filed based on the week/year of the deposited week/points. Therefore, many claims will be using previous year policy. Please post your experiences regarding the type of reservation, the key components of the claim (MF fees, airline fees, etc), supporting documentations you need to provide, and compensation experiences. What happens if II provides a limited exchange certificate? Does that nullify your ability to be compensated for the MF's of you week?

I have an upcoming reservation for an II exchange for which I used a 2015 deposited week. If it is cancelled, i will likely use MR points for a hotel, but will expect to be compensated for my MF's for the deposited weeks. 

I hope all of you who had disrupted travel plans are at least being reimbursed by the insurance. I'm getting ready to purchase my 2018 policy, but want to make sure the claims are actually being paid. Thanks.


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## NJMOM2 (Oct 3, 2017)

We filed our claim with Travelex about a week after we got home.  The claim needed to file within 90 days of trip interruption.  I just received a letter yesterday that they have contacted Marriott to calculation the value of he MVC points we lost the use of.

We left Marco Island on Wednesday during the voluntary evacuation which later became mandatory.  We were scheduled to check out on Saturday.  We ended up spending three days traveling to Charlotte, NC to catch a flight home.  We had to reschedule our airline flights three times.  We could have driven home faster and arrived home by the Thursday after we left.  We were four adults and rented two hotel rooms each night during our adventure.

The car rental refunded any extra charges for not returning the car to Fort Myers airport (they were closed anyway).  The airline rescheduled our flights at no additional cost. The prepaid hotel night we had reserved for Saturday night in Fort Myers refunded the money.  The insurance company told us all the additional experiences we paid for hotel nights, gasoline and food will be reimbursed along with cash value of the lost MVC points usage.  We used 2018 MVC points for reservation and lost Wednesday to Friday night at Marco Island.  I sent them EVERYTHING, all hotel bills, gas & food receipts, copies of notices to evacuate, copies of my maintenance bills, e-mails for exchanging weeks for MVC, e-mail for MVC points reservation showing how many points I used and where they came from.  Then I went a overboard and did the calculations showing the cash value of the MVC points lost.

It was an adventure and the hardest part was rescheduling the airline because by the time United called it there was nothing left.  The worse part was they wouldn't put you on another airline until 24 hours before scheduled departure.  What?  That would have been WAY too late.  Thank goodness we had rented a van and had a comfortable ride.  We stayed off of most main highway and kept an eye on traffic with our smart phones.  We were averaging 55 mph and not in traffic without any problem of finding gas.  We made it to Savannah in 8 hours.  Then to Charlotte in another 6 hours.  Our smart phone were showing the highways were all backed up with traffic from the point where we would have gotten on 95 by Savannah all the way to Charlotte.


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## TXTortoise (Oct 3, 2017)

There's a thread going on the Marriott Vacation Club International - Owners' Network Facebook Page by Vin Vizzo(Scroll down), about what happened to him with insurance due to a hurricane induced cancellation.  I didn't get involved enough to understand the nuances, but it sounded like some folks were better off waiting to inside the 30-day window to cancel and insurance would cover, whereby his claim wasn't allowed.  Probably worth a read...


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## Superchief (Oct 4, 2017)

NJMOM2 said:


> We filed our claim with Travelex about a week after we got home.  The claim needed to file within 90 days of trip interruption.  I just received a letter yesterday that they have contacted Marriott to calculation the value of he MVC points we lost the use of.
> 
> We left Marco Island on Wednesday during the voluntary evacuation which later became mandatory.  We were scheduled to check out on Saturday.  We ended up spending three days traveling to Charlotte, NC to catch a flight home.  We had to reschedule our airline flights three times.  We could have driven home faster and arrived home by the Thursday after we left.  We were four adults and rented two hotel rooms each night during our adventure.
> 
> ...



This must have been a very disappointing experience, but I'm glad you made the best of the situation. I'm impressed with the way you handled the situation and how you provided every detailed documentation in support of your claim. Since this was a 2018 point claim with Travelex, you should have no problem being reimbursed. It will be interesting to see if anyone has problems with claims for which they used a prior year deposit or points, or if Travel Guard and Travelex both offer positive claim experience.  My claim will be for a 2015 deposited week for an II exchange. If my reservation is cancelled, I will at least expect to receive reimbursement for MF's. I have a backup reservation using 180K MR points for 5 nights at the Marriott resort, so I may also request the valet parking and resort fee reimbursement. I believe they should also pay me for 80K MR points (I would get 100K for my week if I had converted to MR points), but that may be difficult to quantify. I am still hopeful that my reservation isn't cancelled but MVC is providing absolutely no updates regarding the current status of the resort and Owners services know nothing.


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## Whoffner (Oct 4, 2017)

We were at Oceana Palms, we left on Thursday the day they announced mandatory evacuations by Friday morning. We were scheduled to be there until the following Wednesday. We had booked using 2017 DP points and we filed a claim with Travelex about a week later. I called and have been told the amount of the check we are going to receive. It includes the six nights we lost at Oceana Palms under the cancellation portion of the policy. We live in North Carolina and the drive home usually takes about 10 hours, after 12 hours we had finally made it into South Carolina and decided to get a hotel, under the trip delay policy we were reimbursed for the night in the hotel and dinner at a restaurant.


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## Superchief (Oct 4, 2017)

I've been buying the MVC offered insurance policy every year since 2013. I was told that I had to have insurance in the year that my week (and MF's) were for in order to have coverage for a claim when I actually used the week (exchange or deposited DP points). Since my deposited week for my exchange was from 2015, I called the numbers on my 2015 policies. Vacation Guard was the company listed on the policy, but when I called the number, I was told to call Transamerica (underwriter). When I called that number, they found the policy but transferred to another number so I could inquire about claim coverage. I was transferred to claims, but they said the 2015 coverage was no longer valid, and that I had to call Travelex regarding the claim, since it occurred in 2017. 

I tried calling Travelex, but gave up after being on hold for 20 minutes. It was a very frustrating experience. I am becoming concerned that they won't cover it because it was a 2015 week, and underwriters have changed. MVC reassured me when I purchased the insurance that my vacation would be covered as long as I had coverage during the years that the MF's were paid, but I will believe it when I see it. With all of the options for exchanging and banking points, actual vacations may occur 3 years after the paid year. I'll post an update after speaking with Travelex. Has anyone else filed a claim for II exchanges or points for weeks paid for in a prior year?


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## chriskre (Oct 5, 2017)

I had an exchange to Oceana Palms thru II that got cancelled.
I didn't have insurance but had one retrade left on the exchange.
They gave me a replacement week which is restricted to 30 days.
I ended up using it for Orlando and then retrading another week that 
I had originally used for Orlando so it worked out okay, but had I not
been going to Orlando then that week would have been really hard
to use. I had to call in to do the free retrade exchange, couldn't
do it online.


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## GreenTea (Oct 5, 2017)

Does having the policy issued via MVC cover Interval trades?  I know II offers their own.   Will my MVC issued plan protect me ?


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## jeepie (Oct 5, 2017)

Superchief said:


> I've been buying the MVC offered insurance policy every year since 2013. I was told that I had to have insurance in the year that my week (and MF's) were for in order to have coverage for a claim when I actually used the week (exchange or deposited DP points). Since my deposited week for my exchange was from 2015, I called the numbers on my 2015 policies. Vacation Guard was the company listed on the policy, but when I called the number, I was told to call Transamerica (underwriter). When I called that number, they found the policy but transferred to another number so I could inquire about claim coverage. I was transferred to claims, but they said the 2015 coverage was no longer valid, and that I had to call Travelex regarding the claim, since it occurred in 2017.
> 
> I tried calling Travelex, but gave up after being on hold for 20 minutes. It was a very frustrating experience. I am becoming concerned that they won't cover it because it was a 2015 week, and underwriters have changed. MVC reassured me when I purchased the insurance that my vacation would be covered as long as I had coverage during the years that the MF's were paid, but I will believe it when I see it. With all of the options for exchanging and banking points, actual vacations may occur 3 years after the paid year. I'll post an update after speaking with Travelex. Has anyone else filed a claim for II exchanges or points for weeks paid for in a prior year?


Your frustrations are understandable! Do you have a copy of the 2015 policy, and if so, what does it say about Claims deadlines? I am not sure if I have a copy of my policy for that year, but could look for it if you or others can't find a copy.

My understanding is the same as yours. I believe the 2015 policy should apply. Once I checked the policy, and confirmed the claims requirements, I would be inclined to escalate it with Transamerica. As necessary, I would then go to the State Insurance Commissioner in your state. You could go to MVC at the appropriate time, but I wouldn't hold out great hope (unless you could find something they published about no loss in coverage continuity as long as you continuously purchased the coverage they have recommended). Good luck.


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## jeepie (Oct 5, 2017)

I also think you should file a formal claim with both carriers (make sure you comply with the timing and documentation requirements). This will force both carriers to formally respond in writing. Then, assuming both are denying responsibility, I believe the applicable Insurance Commissioner will be sympathetic. Cheers.


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## Superchief (Oct 5, 2017)

I've just learned more 'wonderful' news about MVC's insurance coverage. I discovered MVC provided significant misinformation when I purchased my coverage and there is a lot of fine print in the policies (that weren't provided until after the purchase). I was told that my MVC weeks and points would be covered in the years in which they are actually used, as long as I had continuous coverage. I learned today that the coverage is only 2 years from the first date of coverage. That means that my 2015 week, reserved for 11/8/2015, was only covered through 12/31/16. Therefore, coverage for banked points and deposited II weeks will often expire before they are actually used. 

I also learned about a limitation for the new Travelex policies (2017). If your destination resort is damaged by a hurricane or other storm, only cancellations during the first 30 days after the storm are covered. If you have a cancellation after that 30 day period it will not be covered. My reservation on 10/29 would not be covered because it is over 30 days after Irma. Many MVC resorts will be impacted long after this 30 day period and those owners will be SOL. 

The 'lies' tendencies of MVC salesman are now being extended to owner services and MVC management. So much for corporate transparency.


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## GreenTea (Oct 8, 2017)

Has anyone researched how Chase Sapphire Reserve card insurance would cover weeks if the maintence fees were paid on the card?

I had no idea of this 2 year coverage on the insurance.  I’m in a situation that would be impacted by that.


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## jimf41 (Oct 8, 2017)

Superchief said:


> I learned today that the coverage is only 2 years from the first date of coverage. That means that my 2015 week, reserved for 11/8/2015, was only covered through 12/31/16. Therefore, coverage for banked points and deposited II weeks will often expire before they are actually used.
> 
> I also learned about a limitation for the new Travelex policies (2017). If your destination resort is damaged by a hurricane or other storm, only cancellations during the first 30 days after the storm are covered. If you have a cancellation after that 30 day period it will not be covered. My reservation on 10/29 would not be covered because it is over 30 days after Irma. Many MVC resorts will be impacted long after this 30 day period and those owners will be SOL.
> 
> The 'lies' tendencies of MVC salesman are now being extended to owner services and MVC management. So much for corporate transparency.



As to when the coverage ends it's pretty clear in the policy. This is from the New York policy. I don't know what other states have in their policies. I couldn't find anything in the General description or the specific NY policy that referred to anything about a 30 day limit on hurricanes.

*WHEN COVERAGE BEGINS *

All coverages (except Pre-Departure Trip Cancellation and Post-Departure Trip Interruption) will take effect on the later of 1) the date the plan payment has been received by the Policyholder; 2) the date and time you start your Covered Trip; or 3) 12:01 A.M. Standard Time on the Scheduled Departure Date of your Covered Trip.

Pre-Departure Trip Cancellation coverage will take effect at 12:01 A.M. Standard Time on the day after the date your plan payment is received by the Policyholder. Post-Departure Trip Interruption coverage will take effect on the Scheduled Departure Date.

*WHEN COVERAGE ENDS *

Your coverage automatically ends on the earlier of:

(1) the date the Covered Trip is completed;

(2) the Scheduled Return Date;

(3) your arrival at the return destination on a round-trip, or the destination on a one-way trip;

(4) cancellation of the Covered Trip covered by the plan.



All coverages under the plan will be extended if your entire Covered Trip is covered by the plan and your return is delayed by unavoidable circumstances beyond your control.



TAHC5000GCS.NY 3

If coverage is extended for the above reasons, coverage will end on the earlier of the date you reach your originally scheduled return destination or seven (7) days after the Scheduled Return Date.


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## bazzap (Oct 8, 2017)

Superchief said:


> I've just learned more 'wonderful' news about MVC's insurance coverage. I discovered MVC provided significant misinformation when I purchased my coverage and there is a lot of fine print in the policies (that weren't provided until after the purchase). I was told that my MVC weeks and points would be covered in the years in which they are actually used, as long as I had continuous coverage. I learned today that the coverage is only 2 years from the first date of coverage. That means that my 2015 week, reserved for 11/8/2015, was only covered through 12/31/16. Therefore, coverage for banked points and deposited II weeks will often expire before they are actually used.
> 
> I also learned about a limitation for the new Travelex policies (2017). If your destination resort is damaged by a hurricane or other storm, only cancellations during the first 30 days after the storm are covered. If you have a cancellation after that 30 day period it will not be covered. My reservation on 10/29 would not be covered because it is over 30 days after Irma. Many MVC resorts will be impacted long after this 30 day period and those owners will be SOL.
> 
> The 'lies' tendencies of MVC salesman are now being extended to owner services and MVC management. So much for corporate transparency.


It does seem extremely poor that an insurance policy designed specifically for Marriott Vacation Club does not offer cover across the range of options and period they offer for owners to borrow, book, bank...etc
Perhaps I now feel just a little less bad that as a non US resident I am not even eligible for it.
I do still feel very sorry though for all those who now find that the cover is not what they expected, even if the detailed Ts & Cs do state this.


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## Superchief (Oct 8, 2017)

I had to make several phone calls to get the information because two different companies provided the MVC insurance over the last few years. When I originally purchased the policy, I was told that the current year policy would cover the trip, as well as the MF for the week in which the week had been paid for, as long as I had continuous coverage for all the years. Therefore, I thought the 2017 policy would cover the trip, and would pay for my 2015 MF's for the deposited week. This would make sense since our II deposits and banked points can be used over a 3 year period. The '30 day from storm' limit makes absolutely no sense and was never communicated.

I've learned the hard way not to trust MVC. Limited information was available when I purchased the policy, and there was no opportunity to actually review the policy until after it was purchased. I asked specific detailed questions to the Travelex rep regarding the timing of coverage when I was purchasing it. They provided detailed answers and understood exactly what I was asking, so others were also probably misled regarding coverage. I never thought of asking about the 30 day limit.


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## bogey21 (Oct 8, 2017)

For better or worse I never bought trip interruption or trip cancellation insurance.  My reasoning was that I figured the company providing the insurance would find a way to deny the claim and screw me.

George


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## Superchief (Oct 8, 2017)

bogey21 said:


> For better or worse I never bought trip interruption or trip cancellation insurance.  My reasoning was that I figured the company providing the insurance would find a way to deny the claim and screw me.
> 
> George


I've been buying it for several years and filed two successful claims for cancelled timeshare trips a few years ago without any problems. My father-in-law was in his 90's so I thought we should have it the past 3 years. I'm glad I learned this information prior to buying it for 2018. I think the big change is that the new MVC really can't be trusted, since their focus is on revenue growth, not ownership satisfaction. Previous management realized that the owners/customers are the key to long term profits.


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## jeepie (Oct 8, 2017)

jimf41 said:


> As to when the coverage ends it's pretty clear in the policy. This is from the New York policy. I don't know what other states have in their policies. I couldn't find anything in the General description or the specific NY policy that referred to anything about a 30 day limit on hurricanes.
> 
> *WHEN COVERAGE BEGINS *
> 
> ...


Thanks for that! How do you interpret this in light of the aforementioned ostensible 2 year limitation?


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## Fasttr (Oct 8, 2017)

Superchief said:


> I've just learned more 'wonderful' news about MVC's insurance coverage. I discovered MVC provided significant misinformation when I purchased my coverage and there is a lot of fine print in the policies (that weren't provided until after the purchase). I was told that my MVC weeks and points would be covered in the years in which they are actually used, as long as I had continuous coverage. I learned today that the coverage is only 2 years from the first date of coverage. That means that my 2015 week, reserved for 11/8/2015, was only covered through 12/31/16. Therefore, coverage for banked points and deposited II weeks will often expire before they are actually used.
> 
> I also learned about a limitation for the new Travelex policies (2017). If your destination resort is damaged by a hurricane or other storm, only cancellations during the first 30 days after the storm are covered. If you have a cancellation after that 30 day period it will not be covered. My reservation on 10/29 would not be covered because it is over 30 days after Irma. Many MVC resorts will be impacted long after this 30 day period and those owners will be SOL.
> 
> The 'lies' tendencies of MVC salesman are now being extended to owner services and MVC management. So much for corporate transparency.


Superchief.... Unfortunately, the 2 year restriction is consistent with my notes attached in post #80 in this thread from years ago....
http://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?threads/vacationguard-insurance-mvc-insider-10-13.200588/


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## bogey21 (Oct 8, 2017)

Superchief said:


> I think the big change is that the new MVC really can't be trusted, since their focus is on revenue growth, not ownership satisfaction. Previous management realized that the owners/customers are the key to long term profits.



Nothing new here.  I bailed on my four Marriott Weeks some 20+ years ago when they devalued their rental program, their sales program and modified the Marriott Rewards Points a Week was worth.  Even way back then it was all for Marriott Corporate not owners/customers.

George


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## tiel (Oct 8, 2017)

bazzap said:


> It does seem extremely poor that an insurance policy designed specifically for Marriott Vacation Club does not offer cover across the range of options and period they offer for owners to borrow, book, bank...etc



This is what I find disappointing/disturbing.  Every time you make reservation via phone, they offer this travel insurance.  Yet, given the several options and timing people have for using their weeks/points, it is entirely possible the insurance will not be usable. We have purchased it every year for years, and I was told on many occasions, it would stay in force until the covered weeks/points were used, and this information came both from the MVC and insurance company personnel.  So I feel mislead, despite the "fine print", which I often find confusing and deliberately unclear...this could be just me though. 

I wish MVC would set standards for travel insurance which clearly supports their owners' usage options of their weeks/points before contracting with a company to provide coverage every year.  But I guess they look at this as a convenience to owners, which may or may not pay off, and may frequently be a waste of money for the owners.  They really don't care.  Disappointing


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## WBP (Oct 8, 2017)

Here is an excellent alternative.

Look carefully at the "Cancel for Any Reason" option.

https://www.squaremouth.com/


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## Superchief (Oct 8, 2017)

Fasttr said:


> Superchief.... Unfortunately, the 2 year restriction is consistent with my notes attached in post #80 in this thread from years ago....
> http://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?threads/vacationguard-insurance-mvc-insider-10-13.200588/





Fasttr said:


> Superchief.... Unfortunately, the 2 year restriction is consistent with my notes attached in post #80 in this thread from years ago....
> http://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?threads/vacationguard-insurance-mvc-insider-10-13.200588/


The timing of coverage never was very clear for the old Vacation Guard plan, and the company and plan changed to Travelex for 2017. I, like others in the thread, was told that I would be covered for the duration of my weeks/points usage as long as I had policies for each of the years. I reviewed my old Vacation Guard document (which wasn't provided until after I paid for the policy), and couldn't find any clause specifying the precise timing. Based on my discussions with the VG rep at the time, my reserved week for 11/2/2015 would be covered in 2017 as long as I had coverage in both years. It was never clear whether the 2017 policy or the 2015 policy would cover my 2017 week using 2015 week. 

Now I am encountering two problems:
2015 policy won't cover it because they say cancellation had to be within two years of the policy start date of Jan 1, 2015 which effectively makes it only a 1 year policy because our weeks/points can be used throughout the year. (Points can be banked for 2 years so basically there is no coverage for the 2nd year)
2017 policy won't cover it because the cancellation of my 10/29 week would occur more than 30 days after the storm. This restriction makes no sense and will impact many policy owners whose trips are cancelled at MFC, Chrysto Shores and Ocean Pointe.


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## jimf41 (Oct 8, 2017)

bogey21 said:


> For better or worse I never bought trip interruption or trip cancellation insurance.  My reasoning was that I figured the company providing the insurance would find a way to deny the claim and screw me.
> 
> George


I don't understand this. If not for Trip Interruption or Trip Cancellation why would you buy insurance at all?


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## jimf41 (Oct 8, 2017)

jeepie said:


> Thanks for that! How do you interpret this in light of the aforementioned ostensible 2 year limitation?


I posted what the policy states. I think it's pretty clear. No one has posted anything but rumor about any two year or thirty day restrictions.

I've had two experiences with the MVC travel insurance so far and both have been positive. I've yet to read a post on TUG of someone having a claim denied for a non-valid reason.


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## bogey21 (Oct 8, 2017)

jimf41 said:


> I don't understand this. If not for Trip Interruption or Trip Cancellation *why would you buy insurance at all?*



The only Insurance I buy or would buy is Life Insurance (sometimes); Auto Insurance; Home Owners' Insurance; and Health Insurance.
I never bought or would never buy Travel Insurance, Trip Interruption Insurance, Trip Cancellation  Insurance or the like.  Too confusing and too many ways for the issuer not to pay for my taste.

George


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## Superchief (Oct 8, 2017)

jimf41 said:


> I posted what the policy states. I think it's pretty clear. No one has posted anything but rumor about any two year or thirty day restrictions.
> 
> I've had two experiences with the MVC travel insurance so far and both have been positive. I've yet to read a post on TUG of someone having a claim denied for a non-valid reason.


In my situation, this isn't a rumor. I called Travel Guard and Travelex to get information about filing a claim and this is exactly the information I was given:

Travelguard policy doesn't cover anything after two years from policy start date: 1/1/15.
Travelex policy won't cover a cancellation due to a hurricane after 30 days after the storm occurred.
I still can't find the 2yr limitation details in the Travel guard policy they sent me (after I had purchased it). I was not able to see the details of the policy until I actually bought them. This should not have purchased it unless I was able to review the fine print prior to purchase.


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## Fasttr (Oct 8, 2017)

Superchief said:


> In my situation, this isn't a rumor. I called Travel Guard and Travelex to get information about filing a claim and this is exactly the information I was given:
> 
> Travelguard policy doesn't cover anything after two years from policy start date: 1/1/15.
> Travelex policy won't cover a cancellation due to a hurricane after 30 days after the storm occurred.
> I still can't find the 2yr limitation details in the Travel guard policy they sent me (after I had purchased it). I was not able to see the details of the policy until I actually bought them. This should not have purchased it unless I was able to review the fine print prior to purchase.


I too have read all of the info provided for the 2015 policy and see nothing that indicates the 2 year limitation.  I would ask them to point out the specific language in the policy details provided to you upon purchasing the policy that indicates a 2 year limitation.


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## Superchief (Oct 9, 2017)

I finally received a copy of the policy for 2017. Here is the paragraph regarding storm damage. Of course, my reservation begins after the 30 day limit. I'm still unclear whether I would file a claim under my 2015 policy because that was my deposit date, or under the 2017 policy because that would be my travel dates. I'd expect it would be for the 2017 policy, and the amount of MF claim would be based on the 2015 deposit. After reading the policies, that would seem to be the logical approach. I'll never find out because it now won't be covered either way due to fine print that wasn't disclosed at purchase. Buyer Beware!

'your Accommodation at your destination is made uninhabitable due to fire, flood, volcano, earthquake, hurricane or natural disaster so as to prevent you from reaching your destination or continuing on your Covered Trip. To cancel or delay the arrival on your Covered Trip: 1) your Accommodation must be uninhabitable on the Scheduled Departure Date; 2) your Accommodation must be uninhabitable for a minimum of 24 hours; and 3) *the time and date that the Accommodation first becomes uninhabitable must commence no more than 30 days prior to your Scheduled Departure Date*. To interrupt your Covered Trip: 1) the Accommodation must be uninhabitable for a minimum of 24 hours; and 2) you must have 50% or more remaining on your Covered Trip at the time and date the Accommodation first becomes uninhabitable; 9. mandatory evacuation ordered by local authorities at your destination due to hurricane or other natural disaster; 10. you or your Traveling Companion’s place'


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## dioxide45 (Oct 9, 2017)

I will point out that not being able to see a copy of the policy until after purchase is quite common in the industry. This is because you usually have a period of time, 14-21 days where you can cancel after purchase and receive a full refund.


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## SpikeMauler (Oct 9, 2017)

Yep, it’s in the fine print. Why the 30 day stipulation, makes no sense. Marriotts customer service default answer to MFC owners whose week or weeks have been canceled post Irma is “well, you should have bought the insurance”. Well, I did, from you(Marriott). Now what...


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## jimf41 (Oct 9, 2017)

Superchief,
 You have not been denied a claim. You can't file a claim until after you're scheduled departure date. If at that time the insurance company denies you coverage due to the " 30 day" clause I would point out to them that it only applies if the resort becomes uninhabitable. MFC has been continuously occupied and habitable before, during and after Irma and Maria. It hasn't been open for owners or exchangers but that doesn't make it uninhabitable. Thank you for providing the documentation for this. It was available during the 21 day trial period but I never looked that deeply.

Greentea,
I would like to know the answer to that also. Does the insurance cover II exchanges? It covers a Marriott hotel stay in conjunction with an owner using an owned week or DC points but I'm not sure about an II exchange.

As to the two year restriction, I agree with FASTTR, show it to me in writing.


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## Bunk (Oct 9, 2017)

jimf41 said:


> Superchief,
> You have not been denied a claim. You can't file a claim until after you're scheduled departure date. If at that time the insurance company denies you coverage due to the " 30 day" clause I would point out to them that it only applies if the resort becomes uninhabitable. MFC has been continuously occupied and habitable before, during and after Irma and Maria. It hasn't been open for owners or exchangers but that doesn't make it uninhabitable. Thank you for providing the documentation for this. It was available during the 21 day trial period but I never looked that deeply.





Sorry Jim:  I'm not sure I agree with that.  We would have to see whether the policy defines Accommodation and whether it means the entire resort or only the Time Share Unit that you have reserved. I think the 30 day clause begins to run when the particular time share unit at the resort is uninhabitable and you say it applies only if the entire resort is uninhabitable.

I agree with everyone that it is very unfair to market a protect that covers your Marriott timeshare trips for an entire year, and then excludes coverage for any trips that occur more than 30 days after the disaster.  I looked at the MVC link to the Travelex travel insurance and nowhere is the "30 day" clause disclosed on the website.  I just looked at Allianz annual plan and do not see any limitation like that.  It seems ridiculous to cover only those travelers who were "lucky" enough to reserve a unit within 30 days after a major disaster.

Has MVC announced a policy covering reservations made at time shares that are closed when those reservations use points that expire soon.  Will MFC extend those points or will you lose them (unless you can reserve at another location before the points expire.)


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## jimf41 (Oct 9, 2017)

Travelex definitions excerpt

*ACCOMMODATION *means any establishment used for the purpose of temporary, overnight lodging for which a fee is paid and reservations are secured.

*uninhabitable*
Collins English dictionary
adjective
If a place is uninhabitable, it is impossible for people to live there, for example because it is dangerous or unhealthy.

*uninhabitable*
Dictionary.com
/ˌʌnɪnˈhæbɪtəbəl/
adjective
1.
not capable of being lived in

*October 4th facebook quote by a BOD member*

I will try my best to update you on the status of the Island and the Cove. This is not in any particular order but will cover different topics. We have about 60 Villas being used by Associates, Police, Otis Elevator repair men and local officials. Generators are working as is the Desalination Plant.

There are no individually owned rooms at MFC. From the BOD statement it appears that they currently have a 40% occupancy rate. Hard to justify denying a claim when the resort inhabited. Then again no one has reported being denied a claim.


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## JIMinNC (Oct 9, 2017)

SpikeMauler said:


> View attachment 4894 Yep, it’s in the fine print. Why the 30 day stipulation, makes no sense. Marriotts customer service default answer to MFC owners whose week or weeks have been canceled post Irma is “well, you should have bought the insurance”. Well, I did, from you(Marriott). Now what...



I suspect the explanation for the 30 day stipulation might be that all of these travel insurance policies are standard industry travel insurance policies with standard language. These have not been adapted or modified to the unique characteristics of timeshare/vacation ownership travel, perhaps because underwriting such a small segment of the travel market might be uneconomical, and they just sell the same policies to timeshare owners, since in the vast majority of the situations, they still work for timeshare. Most of the policies that are sold by these companies nationwide are sold to cover travel costs like non-refundable air fare/travel and hotel/condo rentals that have fairly liberal cancellation rights. As I recall, virtually every lodging rental I've ever booked (excluding timeshares) allows cancellation and rebooking - some all the way up until the check-in day, some 24/48/72 hours before check-in, and a very few had a somewhat more restrictive cancellation window, but I don't recall any being over 30 days out. Obviously "for-rent-by-owner" rentals don't typically have this same liberal cancellation right, but I suspect anyone trying to file a claim for an owner-rental in this same situation would have the same issue with the 30-day clause.

If my assumption above is correct, and trying to think like an insurance company, the logic for the 30 day exclusion might be that if the property becomes uninhabitable outside of 30 days from arrival, the policy holder should have adequate time to cancel/rebook and find alternative accommodations. The insurance would be designed to only cover those "last minute" interruptions where the policy holder has limited options to rebook alternative accommodations. They want to use the 30 day limitation to ensure that the policy holder reasonably tries to rebook and find alternative accommodations and not just rely on the insurance to get their money back ("loss mitigation" in insurance company-speak). While that may be a reasonable restriction for the typical cash bookings used by most travelers, it doesn't work as well for vacation ownership or "By Owner" rentals in rare natural disaster-type situations like this. (But the policies do seem to still work with timeshares for the more typical family health emergency/family death situations that, I suspect, account for most of the claims under these policies).


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## Superchief (Oct 9, 2017)

The 30 limitation was not part of the previous Vacation Guard insurance policies prior to Travelex. It is new in 2017 when Travalex took over as MVC insurance provider.

As I go through this process, I would like to clarify which policy year would cover a claim like this. If the cancelled travel occurs in 2017, but the deposited week or VC points MF's were for a prior year, which policy would cover the event (assuming it meets other stipulations). All of the other travel costs would occur in 2017, but the MF's were for 2015 or 16. Since I always had continuous coverage without any claims over the past 4 years, I never actually had to file a claim.

Has anyone filed a claim for a trip that used previous year's MVC weeks/points?


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## JIMinNC (Oct 9, 2017)

Superchief said:


> The 30 limitation was not part of the previous Vacation Guard insurance policies prior to Travelex. It is new in 2017 when Travalex took over as MVC insurance provider.



Each insurance company has different underwriting standards and means of loss mitigation, so it's not surprising that Vacation Guard and Travelex have different terms, limitations, and conditions. Obviously, someone at Travelex thought that was an important limitation to put on their coverage, whereas Vacation Guard did not. Perhaps it was the result of Travelex's loss experience with other disaster situations in the past that caused them to take that route.

I frequently bought travel insurance when my wife and I had elderly parents with multiple medical conditions, but now that they are gone, and after reading this and other threads - even after what happened to us with our HHI reservation last month - I'm not sure I would even consider this type of insurance unless I was insuring a very expensive travel package like a luxury cruise (but for those, the insurance is so expensive, it also makes it a difficult purchase to justify.)


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## jojo777 (Oct 9, 2017)

Superchief said:


> I'd like to learn about the experiences other members are having in filing insurance claims for cancelled reservations and II exchanges at MVC resorts due to hurricane damage. I'm especially interested in those who were insured with MVC (Travelex and Vacation Guard.)
> 
> It is my understanding that the claim needs to be filed based on the week/year of the deposited week/points. Therefore, many claims will be using previous year policy. Please post your experiences regarding the type of reservation, the key components of the claim (MF fees, airline fees, etc), supporting documentations you need to provide, and compensation experiences. What happens if II provides a limited exchange certificate? Does that nullify your ability to be compensated for the MF's of you week?
> 
> ...




I booked a timeshare exchange through Interval International for September 8th to Marriott Frenchman's Cove.  I bought the Global Allianz insurance from Interval.  I increased the amount when I bought my flights.  I  submitted the claim on October 8th.  This week I received a notification from them that they were reimbursing me about $1300 which was my timeshare maintenance fee and interval exchange fee and maybe an upgrade fee.  The funny thing is, they wont reimburse me the airfare unless I get them a letter on Jet Blue's letterhead that says I did not receive a refund.  I wrote them a letter and told them Jet Blue gave me a credit to use within a year and that I did not want that.  I wanted the refund.  I then went on Jet blue's site and put in my flights and it came up no refund.  I scanned them the screen shots and now I'm waiting again.   They make it so difficult.  They keep asking for more and more information in a laundry list so you don't really know what they want because some of the list does not even apply to you.  I'm thinking if its this hard for a Cat 5 Hurricane what must it be like normally.  I think folks must just give up and say forget it.


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## Fasttr (Oct 9, 2017)

Superchief said:


> I'm still unclear whether I would file a claim under my 2015 policy because that was my deposit date, or under the 2017 policy because that would be my travel dates.


Superchief....after reviewing my notes from my call with Brian Rock, National Director of VacationGuard, Inc. back in 2013, I came across this tasty treat....VacationGuard and Travelex are separate companies in the front office (VacationGuard selling timeshare specific plans and Travelex selling more traditional travel insurance to the masses), but in the back office are the same company utilizing many of the same resources.

That said...perhaps there is little to no difference in the actual underlying company between your 2015 policy and your 2017 policy.  

Also....it appears the underwriter is the same under both agreements.... Transamerica Casualty Insurance Company.


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## Bunk (Oct 9, 2017)

Jim:  

1.     Your take on the 30 day limitation makes sense.  But keep in mind that even if you can cancel the reservation, you may still have damage such as a non-refundable airline ticket that you've already purchased.

2.      I would assume that  a "for-rent-by-owner" can't hold onto your prepayment if the property is uninhabitable.  You should not have to pay him because he can't deliver what you agreed to pay for.

 3.      I look upon  timeshares differently because you (or your assignor) are not an arms' length guest but a member of the Association that operates the timeshare.  I wonder if the bylaws state who bears the risk of loss if the unit is uninhabitable.  And let's say that MVC refunds your points.  But let's assume those points expire in a few months and there is nothing available for you to book during that short period of time.  You've now suffered real damage, because you've been deprived of the use of points that expire in the near future.  And I don't even know that MVC has the right to extend the expiration date of your points, because that would adversely impact other members that want to book after your points expire.

Is anyone aware whether MVC or another Timeshare company or II or RCI has announced how they will deal with points that can't be used because the unit is uninhabitable.


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## dioxide45 (Oct 22, 2017)

Superchief said:


> I also learned about a limitation for the new Travelex policies (2017). If your destination resort is damaged by a hurricane or other storm, only cancellations during the first 30 days after the storm are covered. If you have a cancellation after that 30 day period it will not be covered. My reservation on 10/29 would not be covered because it is over 30 days after Irma. Many MVC resorts will be impacted long after this 30 day period and those owners will be SOL.


Thinking about this more. Is Marriott perhaps enabling the insurance company to deny claims by waiting so long to cancel reservations? Have you tried filing an actual claim yet to test the rule or perhaps your claim is not against the loss due to hurricane, but perhaps some other reason for unavailability?


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## pwrshift (Oct 24, 2017)

I'm Canadian and for years always purchased the insurance MVC offered.  I only had a claim once for a broken tooth that required a crown, and everything was covered and very efficient.  Insurance is something you buy but hope not to use.

A year or so ago, Marriott changed insurers which would not cover anyone living outside USA.  I really was surprised Marriott would sanction that, but they let their 'foreign' owners down.  Travel insurance is very expensive in Canada and the cost gets much higher as you age or have pre-existing conditions...to the point the old MVC insurance was really attractive.

Brian


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## skyequeen (Oct 27, 2017)

I just learned by accident! while looking at my Interval account that my two weeks of exchanges into Crystal Shores in December have been cancelled.  I was not notified by email and Interval claims they left a message on my home phone!  As we are in Aruba I cannot just call everyone to get this straightened out, but I have sent an email to Travelex to initiate a claim and spent $10 calling Interval long distance trying to find out what happened.  Reading posts about insurance problems has me worried.  Interval says the resort told them on 10/24 that they could not honor the reservation due to Irma damage.  All Interval did is give me a Flex-change week for my 2017 Surf Club studio and a new AC for my AC. Garbage. No return of extra fees paid for the exchanges.  I'm livid.  I will never exchange again with Interval.  I already had two good Surf Club weeks, a 2- BR and a 1-BR for which I can't get anything I can use.  An issue for my husband required not using the original bookings and it was too late to opt for points. I've never rented but apparently need to learn.  I feel very powerless right now.  I've complained to Marriott using Chat that Interval handled this poorly and so did they and they need to do Internal exchanges themselves in future.


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## dioxide45 (Oct 27, 2017)

You should contact the TUG Members II mailbox. You should at least get an unrestricted cancellation replacement week. I can understand the fact that you got an AC for an AC. The fact that you got Crystal Shores with an AC in the first place makes you very lucky. Your travel insurance should cover the your monetary costs. Was the travel insurance through II?


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## skyequeen (Oct 30, 2017)

Just received email from Travelex [Marriott] denying the claim with the same verbiage in other people's posts.  I responded that the resort will be unavailable due to hurricane Irma and remain unavailable until I was supposed to be there on vacation.  Therefore I should be covered.  I have a family member experienced in the insurance industry and one a lawyer and I may fight this hard just on principal.  Yes, I was lucky to get into Crystal Shores with an AC [and a fee] and I also paid extra for the exchange using my Aruba platinum studio.  I got a fairly unrestricted AC from Interval but only a Flex-change for the Surf Club, both requiring paying hundreds in fees to use them even though I'm Marriott!  The only good player here is Delta which let us cancel our flights and redeem points used plus get a credit for cash fees.  If I had rented someone the Surf Club studio I would have gotten $1,000 and they give me a Flex-change! We buy that insurance every year and it is apparently worthless in these situations.  This is a real breach of trust for both companies in my opinion and I will never view them the same in future.


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## GreenTea (Oct 30, 2017)

Did anyone pay their member fees with a Chase Sapphire Reserve and try to file with them for the travel insurance?


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## LUV2TRVL2HI (Nov 6, 2017)

Has anyone else filed a claim with Travelex (Marriott) and heard back that their claim has been approved?  If so, how long did it take for you to hear back.  We filed claims for 2 different reservations that we had made through Interval (different Marriotts, different areas and different weeks).  We heard back about three weeks after filing each one saying that "in order to accurately assess your claim, we have requested further information from Marriott to confirm the value of your loss". We haven't heard anything since then and that was over 5 weeks ago.  Anyone else have the same experience?


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## jimf41 (Nov 7, 2017)

GreenTea said:


> Did anyone pay their member fees with a Chase Sapphire Reserve and try to file with them for the travel insurance?



I called about that when I first applied for the card. They don't cover timeshares.


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## NJMOM2 (Nov 7, 2017)

LUV2TRVL2HI said:


> Has anyone else filed a claim with Travelex (Marriott) and heard back that their claim has been approved?  If so, how long did it take for you to hear back.  We filed claims for 2 different reservations that we had made through Interval (different Marriotts, different areas and different weeks).  We heard back about three weeks after filing each one saying that "in order to accurately assess your claim, we have requested further information from Marriott to confirm the value of your loss". We haven't heard anything since then and that was over 5 weeks ago.  Anyone else have the same experience?



We had received the same letter that they needed to contact Marriott to confirm the value of our loss (Wed. through Fri. night at Crystal Shores).  About two to three weeks later we received a check for our Marriott Vacation Club loss plus the additional cost for us trying to get home.  We mailed our claim around 9/11 and received the check 10/20.  We had a reservation using 2017 MVC points.


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## GreenTea (Nov 9, 2017)

jimf41 said:


> I called about that when I first applied for the card. They don't cover timeshares.


Thanks.   I wondered.  I know the membership dues and fees count as travel so I'd wondered if paying those fees with the card led to being insured.


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## Quilter (Nov 9, 2017)

LUV2TRVL2HI said:


> Has anyone else filed a claim with Travelex (Marriott) and heard back that their claim has been approved?  If so, how long did it take for you to hear back.  We filed claims for 2 different reservations that we had made through Interval (different Marriotts, different areas and different weeks).  We heard back about three weeks after filing each one saying that "in order to accurately assess your claim, we have requested further information from Marriott to confirm the value of your loss". We haven't heard anything since then and that was over 5 weeks ago.  Anyone else have the same experience?



Call and see if any needed information is missing.

I had a claim that stalled twice and it was because they needed more information but I didn't know until I called.


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## LUV2TRVL2HI (Nov 9, 2017)

Quilter said:


> Call and see if any needed information is missing.
> 
> I had a claim that stalled twice and it was because they needed more information but I didn't know until I called.



I did hear back today finally.  The one claim was approved and we were reimbursed for our maintenance fees.  The second claim, which was for a stay at BeachPlace Towers beginning Sept. 30th (where they "officially" cancelled all reservations up through Sept. 28 - and our Sept. 30th one!), was denied because "it appears you are not at a loss for these points, so we are unable to consider your claim".  Interesting thing is that we did not use points....this was an II exchange (BeachPlace for another BeachPlace).  We are of course writing to question this denial.


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## Quilter (Nov 10, 2017)

While some people have concluded that purchasing the insurance is worthless because of this mess with the hurricanes, I've had good results with 2 claims that weren't hurricane related.   

On the first one we got reimbursement for an iPad that was forgotten on the airplane (minus what our homeowners paid).   The most recent was getting reimbursed for a 2016 Ocean Pointe 1 bedroom week that we couldn't use due to illness.   Got the information yesterday that a check for $647 is in the mail.


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## Lglen119 (Nov 18, 2017)

Quilter said:


> While some people have concluded that purchasing the insurance is worthless because of this mess with the hurricanes, I've had good results with 2 claims that weren't hurricane related. ...




I also found not every policy has the 30 day restriction.  VacationGuard and Travelex split a few years back, when VG moved to Berkshire Hathaway.  I decided to check my VacationGuard policy for the 30 day limitation, and was happy to see the VG plan did not have that restriction – see clause e   Just another reason I still buy their plan.


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