Hotel cancellation insurance looks beautiful and difficult to pay
News from our newspaper (Reporter Yang Zhaokui) The peak of the National Day trip is approaching, the tourism market is picking up obviously, and travel insurance products such as hotel cancellation insurance have also entered the peak sales season.
However, some consumers who have purchased cancellation insurance complain that the hotel cancellation insurance looks beautiful, but it is difficult to settle claims.
A reporter from the Workers’ Daily found in recent interviews that many consumers reported that some online travel platforms’ promotion of cancellation of insurance and product settings are not standardized, such as claiming “no proof” and “quick arrival”, but in fact, the claims settlement conditions are very harsh. The claim settlement cycle is long, and the denial of claims is very common.
On September 11, a reporter booked a hotel through a travel platform. When submitting an order, an option of "hotel cancellation insurance without reason" appeared on the page, stating that "if you purchase cancellation insurance, you will be compensated for 100% of the loss of the room rate if you do not show up, 15 Claims will be settled within working days", and claims can be settled online, "no proof" and "quick arrival".
Depending on the hotel, the price of insurance varies from a few yuan to hundreds of yuan.
However, according to consumers' feedback, it is difficult to cash in the promised "quick arrival".
Some consumers encountered platforms and insurance companies "kick the ball", and it took nearly a month to settle claims.
In addition, some consumers have been refused compensation, and the platform customer service said that cancellation of insurance without reason does not mean that all cancellations can be compensated.
This makes consumers feel deceived: "They bought the hotel for no reason to cancel the insurance. Why are there so many reasons for the claims?"
The reporter tried to book a hotel through another travel platform. When submitting the order, the "cancel insurance" option also appeared. Through an inconspicuous small exclamation mark icon on the page, the reporter found the product insurance instructions.
The insurance notice shows that if the hotel reservation is cancelled due to agreed objective reasons, 90% of the unused and unrefundable room rate loss can be compensated.
However, the platform's definition of "contracted objective reasons" is very harsh.
For example: the designated guest is seriously injured or suffering from a sudden illness due to death, an accidental injury, and the doctor at the local hospital diagnoses that it is not suitable to continue the original itinerary; or the guest’s spouse, parents, children and travel partners are in this insurance contract Death, serious injury or sudden illness caused by accidental injury after effective.
Some consumers believe that this is seriously inconsistent with the publicity on the purchase page, and that the business is inducing consumption.
In this regard, Li Bin, a lawyer from the lawyers of the China Consumers Association, told reporters that it is a good thing for consumers to cancel the hotel insurance.
However, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Consumer Rights Protection Law, operators who use format clauses in their business activities should draw consumers’ attention to content that has major interests with them in a significant way to protect consumers’ right to know and to choose.
"The purchase page of the relevant platform does not have a detailed description of the claim settlement. It must be displayed after clicking the link. This is obviously unreasonable." Li Bin reminded that consumers should carefully read the relevant terms when purchasing cancellation insurance, and do not assume that the insurance is cancelled without reason. It can be cancelled unconditionally.
Yang Zhaokui
Yang Zhaokui