Sometimes the best made plans go awry.
Take the case of a retired Lombard couple who were set to jet off to Europe last fall on a fast-paced 16-day tour that would have taken them to Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and a stop in London. A week before their Oct. 1 departure, Shirley Johnson was having her annual physical and her physician found Shirley’s blood pressure to be alarmingly high. She advised her not to travel.
Johnson and her husband called their travel agent and canceled their trip. The tour cost $3,508 and the travel agent was able to refund $1,908. The couple was out $1,600 because of cancellation penalties. But they had purchased trip cancellation insurance from Wisconsin-based Travel Guard International. So they filed a claim to recoup the $1,600.
Johnson said she filled out the required claim forms, had her physician send medical records and a letter, which said that her patient “is not allowed to travel due to her current medical status. She will need to be seen in approximately two weeks. We will assess her ability to travel at that time.”
In February, Johnson received a letter from Travel Guard, denying her claim. The letter from Jack Eckberg, a claims arbitrator, said the medical records didn’t reflect “any diagnosis of hypertension.” It went on to quote the fine print under “Trip Cancellation and Interruption.”
The letter also advised Johnson that she could appeal the denial to the Illinois Department of Insurance consumer division in Chicago.
Instead of appealing her case, Johnson chose to make follow-up phone calls to Travel Guard. She said Travel Guard reviewed her case once more and subsequently sent her a check for the $1,600. When things go wrong on trips, or in this case with a travel insurance claim, persistent complaining can pay off. This does not mean travelers who feel they have been wronged should go on a rant or become abusive. That tactic most likely will get you nowhere. It will show you as an ill-tempered jerk.
A calm conversation and a rational letter are better courses to resolve a nasty situation.
First off, be sure that you have a legitimate grievance. Lousy weather or an aircraft mechanical problem can be upsetting, but those things should not launch you into a rage against some poor working stiff.
The American Society of Travel Agents advises that “it’s better to try to resolve any problems you face on the spot, if possible. Even if your complaint does not get resolved right away, you will have registered your dissatisfaction should you decide to pursue your complaint after your return.”
You should, ASTA suggests, check the fine print on your travel documents; speak up immediately if you have a problem; keep notes that include the names of people you complained to as well as the date, time and location of your conversation; keep all your receipts should you have to spend money to resolve a problem.
Whether your bag is lost or you get an inedible meal on a cruise ship, deal with the problem on the spot. Do not let it fester like an open wound. But complain in a calm, rational way, not like some maniac.
If you need to write a letter to resolve your complaint, be concise. Confine your letter to one, no more than two, typewritten pages rather than four or five rambling pages. Include your name, address and phone numbers so you can be easily contacted.
– Address your letter to someone, an executive or a consumer affairs person, someone high enough on the ladder to make a decision. You can get a name by calling the company.
– Spell out the problem so that it’s very clear to the reader what happened, when and how you addressed the issue on the spot. Don’t exaggerate. Be specific, providing dates, times, names and anything else that’s pertinent. Include copies of any supporting evidence.
– If the incident cost you money, document your loss with copies of bills or receipts.
– Explain specifically what you want to resolve the problem, something that will elicit a response.
If you receive a form letter that does not address the issues you raised, send a second letter, explaining that the form letter is inadequate and reiterate your first proposal. As with the Johnson case, calm persistence can pay off.
In the aftermath of a problem unresolved on the spot, you can always go back to your travel agent for guidance. “The travel agent is the liaison between the consumer and the supplier,” said Kristina Rundquist, an ASTA spokeswoman. “But the first thing the consumer should do is make certain he or she has a legitimate complaint.”
ASTA’s consumer affairs department (703-739-2782; www.astanet.com) handles only complaints involving its members. Otherwise it has no jurisdiction. “Of the 222 complaints we worked on last year, 105 resulted in refunds that amounted to $196,000,” Rundquist said.
Other outlets for complaints include:
– U.S. Transportation Department’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division, 202-366-2220, or www.dot.gov/airconsumer
– Federal Maritime Commission, cruise issues. 202-523-5807; www.fmc.gov
– Federal Trade Commission, 877-FTC-HELP; www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint.htm
– State or local consumer protection agencies. Illinois Attorney General Consumer Protection Division, 312-793-2852
– Better Business Bureaus. In Chicago, 312-832-0500; www.chicago.bbb.org
– National Business Travel Association, www.biztraveler.org/complaint
Whatever your complaint, keep your cool and curb your rage. You might get what you want.
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E-mail Alfred Borcover: aborcover@aol.com
