Automatic Add of Trip Insurance with Packages?

[Gr8lander]

We have had a room-only reservation with the military discount booked for several months.

Finally decided yesterday that we would like to add Quick Service dining to the reservation, so I called Disney to do so. This necessitated changing the room-only reservation to a "package.". All well and good.

The total price I was quoted did seem a touch higher than I anticipated, but I thought I might have mscalculated the taxes.

Last night, looking at the invoice from Disney, I realized I had been charged $66+ for "trip insurance"...not something that had been discussed in my exchange with the cast member.

I thought this was an honest mistake on the part of the CM, until I called today to rectify the error. The CM who spoke with me told me that trip insurance is added to every package unless one actively declines it.

Huh? How does one decline something of which one is not aware?

Anyway, not a BIG deal; glad I noticed the charge and had it removed. Just foundthe whole thing interesting. We had a travel agent for last year's trip. I wonder if we paid for trip insurance then without realizing it.

(Don't think the insurance is undesirable necessarily. But I would like the option of choosing whether or not to carry it.)

 

[POOHsie]

How does one decline something of which one is not aware? ... (Don't think the insurance is undesirable necessarily. But I would like the option of choosing whether or not to carry it.)

Your last comment sums it up best about wanting to have the option to choose trip insurance or not. Technically, you do have the choice, when you happen to notice it on the invoice. In your case, you saw it and changed it. But that is an underhanded way to add something to your booking, in my opinion. And trip insurance is cheaper from other sources. I am not sure I would call these people Cast Members, maybe they are travel agents working independently under the Disney umbrella for commission? That would explain the trip insurance upcharge.

You have learned that you need to specifically bring up the subject of trip insurance during your booking conversation and to clearly make your choice known at that time. This same thing goes for rental car "optional" per day insurance upcharge, too. They will mark your contract with the inclusion of insurance until you point it out and get it changed. Some even insist you must have it, a bald-faced lie, at least in the U.S.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Agreed. The CM with whom I booked my trip stated 'insurance', but didn't ask me if I wanted it. I didn't, and said that; but a lot of people would assume it mandatory, and others - like you - aren't even informed!

 

[kaytieeldr]

I am not sure I would call these people Cast Members, maybe they are travel agents working independently under the Disney umbrella for commission? That would explain the trip insurance upcharge.

No, they're Walt Disney World Cast Members. They have goals to meet.

 

[Gr8lander]

Another thing is that we wouldn't have known that we even had insurance in the event of trip cancellation. Would not have occurred to me to make a claim. Would Disney have offered the option? Who knows?

I do find the practice slightly underhanded.

 

[ngvenice]

sorry to "hijack" your post but what does trip ins actually cover? I read on another post that it does give you back your money in case you need to cancel, so what does it cover. Im assuming if you have medical and you have a med emergency your health ins would cover it so what do you gain from trip ins?

 

[bigbabyblues]

sorry to "hijack" your post but what does trip ins actually cover? I read on another post that it does give you back your money in case you need to cancel, so what does it cover. Im assuming if you have medical and you have a med emergency your health ins would cover it so what do you gain from trip ins?

Health insurance would not cover any trip cancellation fees, airline tickets, etc. That would be where the trip insurance would come in, but you'd have to read the specific policy to know if cancellation due to medical emergency would be covered.