Valve Bounce 0 Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I applied for Travelers Insurance through a very well known travel agency, and had to pay nearly Aud$1000 for two weeks holiday for the two of us WITHOUT any pre existing medical cover. On arriving home, I checked out the online cover with the same insurance company and found that I had been overcharged Aud$300. So! I checked out another source and found that I could get cover for myself WITH a pre existing medical condition and my wife without pre-existing for Aud$460. And before anyone says that I may be insured with a dodgy company at the lower rate, I can confirm it is underwritten by Lloyds. So! I canceled the more expensive one, as I am entitled to. The moral of the story is: Do your homework on insurance cover online And YES!! we are now also covered for off piste ski-ing. Link to post Share on other sites
Schneebored 0 Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Valuable lessons VB. I have become a total 'Anal Hitler' (someone else's words not mine) when it comes to insurance policies. Always make sure I have a clear understanding of the T&C before I travel. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 How do you do that Schnee? Read it yourself? Thing is when the staff explain it to you, I'm pretty sure they don't tell you all the niggly details. Link to post Share on other sites
Schneebored 0 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Originally Posted By: muikabochi How do you do that Schnee? Read it yourself? Thing is when the staff explain it to you, I'm pretty sure they don't tell you all the niggly details. Unfortunately the only way is the most boring....sit down with a glass of wine and take 20mins to churn through it. Usually I am looking at a few key features. - Off Piste cover - Whether my kit is covered Off Piste. - Their definition of Off Piste Baggage/personal belongings cover tends to be fairly standard, just as long as the value of the cover is equal to or greater than the value of your kit. Unfortunately the people on the phone are more than happy to say yes to get rid of you quicker. Recently been through a couple of insurance quotes (and help some mates), I always find that the easier you make the job for the claims officer the more likely they are to pay out. If I send any documentation through I make it as clear as possible so they don't have to think......all the trouble starts when they use their brains! Link to post Share on other sites
Valve Bounce 0 Posted January 29, 2011 Author Share Posted January 29, 2011 I think it would be wise to check out Travellers Insurance with google just to see what the ballpark rate should be. I'd tend to stay away from those advertising the cheapest rates for backpackers, and as Schneebored says, check to make sure you are covered for whatever type of ski-ing or riding that you intend to enjoy. Hospital costs for foreigners in many countries are very, very high, so make sure you are covered. Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 So what you are telling us to do is use some common sense and shop around for the best quote before buying something, in this case, insurance. Wonder why the large disparity between quotes? Link to post Share on other sites
foreversnow 5 Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Also please remember if you do lose your luggage or have an accident MAKE SURE you get a full report signed by the consulting doctor. to come back with injuries and Xrays is not enough. Link to post Share on other sites
Schneebored 0 Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Just finalized by insurance for my Japan trip. Interesting how some insurers claim off piste insurance, but when you dig deeper you find that it is only off piste within resort boundaries...i.e no back country. Anyway found a good insurer (Insure4less) who have quiet clear literature which clearly states back country cover. Link to post Share on other sites
Valve Bounce 0 Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 Originally Posted By: Schneebored Just finalized by insurance for my Japan trip. Interesting how some insurers claim off piste insurance, but when you dig deeper you find that it is only off piste within resort boundaries...i.e no back country. Anyway found a good insurer (Insure4less) who have quiet clear literature which clearly states back country cover. Here's hoping you won't be needing it. Do you have a RECCO reflector for your jacket? It would be useful for off-piste riding. Link to post Share on other sites
Schneebored 0 Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 My Pants have RECCO. But never really thought about it. Do rescue teams have the appropriate kit for tracking the signal as standard? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 what is RECCO? Link to post Share on other sites
Schneebored 0 Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Originally Posted By: Tubby Beaver what is RECCO? Its a small transmitter found in some clothing, boots & helmets. It allows for location of bodies/people. Not sure how effective it is in an avalanche. Personally never rely on it and always carry my full avi kit. Guess its a good 'back up'. Apparently there are receivers which pick up both RECCO and beeper signals and uses them together to locate bodies/people. Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Interesting, never heard of that. Link to post Share on other sites
Valve Bounce 0 Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 Originally Posted By: BagOfCrisps Interesting, never heard of that. Me neither; that was until we went looking for a new ski outfit for my wife. The Helly Hanson jacket has it, as well as many (if not all) of the North Face jackets, and many of the other top brands also. So I was impressed and looked up their website through Google and here it is: http://www.recco.com/ I don't need it I suppose, as I am well past the adventurous stage of life, but I guess many of the gung ho brigade might benefit from it. Link to post Share on other sites
jblesener 1 Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I've always viewed RECCO as something aimed at inbounds slides only, where patrol can be notified quickly and the victims unlikely to be wearing transceivers. Apparently the inventor created after helping search for victims in an inbounds slide. I would think if you got buried off-piste without the right equipment and a partner (also with equipment) to perform a rescue, RECCO would be more of a body recovery tool than anything else. Here's the list of resorts in Japan that use RECCO equipment. Looks like the big international destinations are covered but it's far from 100%. Alpha Resort Tomamu (Hokkaido) Alts Bandai Resort (Fukushima) Arai Spa & Resort (Nigata) Hakuba Cortina (Nagano) Hakuba Goryo (Nagano) Hakuba Happo-One (Nagano) Naeba Resort (Nigata) Niseko Annupuri (Hokkaido) Niseko Hanazono (Hokkaido) Niseko Higashiyama (Hokkaido) Niseko Hirafu (Hokkaido) Tenjin Daira (Gunma) Tsugaike-Kogen (Nagano) Tsugaike-Shizenen Ropeway (Nagano) Mountain rescue/fire & rescue bases Avalanche Control Team Nagano Gakunan Nakano City Fire & Rescue Gakuhoku Liyama City Fire & Rescue Hakuba Kita Alps Fire & Rescue Hakuba Sotaikyo Mountain Rescue from http://www.recco.com/resorts-operations/asian-resorts Link to post Share on other sites
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