STA travel insurance - a waste of money!! you'll be lucky if you even receive the claim form (STA Travel Insurance)

Member Name: lula71

Product:	STA Travel Insurance
Date:	04/03/09 (544 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: NONE!!!!

Disadvantages: don't pay out, don't send claim forms, have to phone a billion times to even recieve forms

I hate hate hate HATE STA with a passion, especially their so-called travel insurance. But I will try to be objective. Overall, the service in STA itself is friendly and helpful, this is the instore service I refer to. The insurance plan is laid out in a simple format, and well explained by the staff which is great for first time travellers as so many customers of STA are. What's more, it's cheap compared with some other insurances of it's kind... I can't remember the exact figure I paid as it was a good 4 years ago, but I selected a 4 and a half month premium cover and believe it was less than £200. However, this is where the good points end.

I set off on my travels around South America, and day 7 into the trip everything I owned was stolen during a landslide... rucksack, clothing, phone, anti malarials, flight tickets, EVERYTHING except thank God my credit card and passport. Tearfully phoning home my mother calmed me down declaring, 'don't worry, you're insured' so I thought everything would be ok.

Well, off I went to get a police report as the required proof of the event, and with that done, I thought all would be okay. STA on the phone were helpful, providing the number to call for insurance claims etc and having done that, I was assured not to worry, the forms were in the post to my UK address and I could claim when I arrived home a few months later.

Later in my trip I ended up severely ill in hospital, connected to all manners of drips and running up fairly hefty medical bills, which, should also have been convered by insurance as I made sure to keep all receipts for the medical treatment I received.

Upon returning home I discovered the insurance claim forms had not arrived... 3 phonecalls later I finally received a form for claiming on my stolen luggage, but no form for medical expenses. The medical expenses form NEVER showed up. I filled in the stolen goods form, with a grand total of nearly £800 to claim and sent it off in good faith. However, after a long wait I received a letter declaring without receipts for everything that had been stolen, I couldn't receive a pay-out.

Having phoned up the insurance people yet again, and politely explaining that not surprisingly, I hadn't kept every single receipt for every single product I had ever bought in my life, they suggests I mail in photos displaying the stolen goods, suggesting even a picture of me wearing some of the clothes, or with my rucksack, would be sufficient.

I sent off my travel snaps and as many receipts as I could find, (which actually covered many of the main items like rucksack and antimalarials and mozzi net etc etc etc) and hoped to be receiving a cheque, at least for something if not for all of the value lost. I also, again, requested the medical claims form.

I heard nothing for weeks, before eventually being informed that without further receipts I could not claim a penny. And the medical form STILL didn't show up. Well, I had by now started Uni, and this had been going on for months and months and months with no progress, so I confess, I just gave up. I wish I had pursued it further but am not convinced I would have achieved a desireable outcome anyway. So, I paid for the premier insurance, and I didn't get any compensation for my stolen goods, and wasn't even ABLE to claim for my medical expences.

STA travel insurance in my experience is an absolute waste of time, a complete sham, and should be avoided at all costs. STA itself I discovered had also grossly overcharged me for half of my travel itinery, but we'll save that rant for another day :D

This company should be avoided at all costs. However, if you are off backpacking, check out www.worldnomads.com for great value ADVENTURE travel insurance that covers literally almost every type of activity that you are likely to do. While most people go for STA as it's geared at backpackers and other companies tend to have a mountain of exclusions on adventure activities, worldnomads is fantastic, and recommended in the lonely planet guides. I have never tried claiming from worldnomads though, but I hope it would be a better experience!

STA is rubbish!

Summary: AWFUL, RUBBISH, WASTE OF MONEY