frannyo 2 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Do you take out travel insurance when you travel overseas / back 'home'? How much do you pay? Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 7,500 yen for two people for two weeks. Link to post Share on other sites
frannyo 2 Posted July 16, 2004 Author Share Posted July 16, 2004 Hmm. I'm being asked 10000 for 1 person for 1 month, just seems a bit steep. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 If that's a package it may cover things like helicopter rescue from remote areas. To get the price down, you have to talk to an insurance agent and check which coverage you're likely to need. Then it gets a lot cheaper. It helps to have a wife/secretary to deal with things like that, but then these come at a much higher cost than the difference between cheap and expensive insurance. Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 I always used to get it and never needed it. last time, Indonesia, i didnt bother and got robbed twice! I use this example in the classroom to teach the phrase 'Sods Law'. Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 I usually just use the credit card cover, matches your average OTC package. Link to post Share on other sites
KlingKlang 1 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Not following you there miteyak? Mine cost 4000 yen. Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Me, too. My credit card covers travel insurance. Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 If I buy my air ticket with my credit card, I get automatic travel insurance for the duration. It applies to most gredit cards, I believe. Link to post Share on other sites
happyhappy 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 I'll have to check that out, interesting. Last time I paid I think just under 5000 yen for 3 weeks. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Alas some of the cheapest bucket shops won't accept credit cards. Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 That is true, but others accept cards w/ 3% surcharge. I've not found a ticket/insurance combo yet that was cheaper than the card+surcharge. Having said that, I haven't flown to South America from Japan yet. For the average vacation, 120,000 yen is about the threshhold where the card insurance is worth the surcharge. If i'm taking a lot of camera gear I usually take out separate insurance too. Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Do you have to buy tickets with your credit card??? I don't buy any tickets with my credit card for travel insurance but it covers everytime, as long as I am a membership. Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Are you sure? Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 I am sure. Please check "My Sony Card" or "DC Card". Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 I usually use AIU. They have a pretty cheap deal was 17,000 for a family plan for 21 days. Wife today discovered the Insurance on the credit card so all we need to do is pay for our little one's insurance as the C/card only covers the name on the card. Wasn't sure about the ticket thing though. Guess the lady is making a call tomorrow. I would never go without travel insurance. for just alittle bit extra it can save you so much. i have had malaria & dengue a few times and each time was pretty exy when i was hospitalised. My brother who got malaria in Sumatra and then came and visited me here was admitted to ICU after he passed out. 7 days in ICU here was just over 1,000,000 yen a day. now try and reason with me that travel insurance isn't worth it? without it he would have been up for over $70,000 US! Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Quote: Originally posted by slow: I am sure. Please check "My Sony Card" or "DC Card". Ahh, but do either of those companies issue cards to gaijin sama? Especially self-employed ones. The experience many gaijin (at least used to) have is that the arbeito outside the Loft says yes of course you can have the card and all the freebies and then six weeks later you get a letter from HQ saying no. Sh!tibank stopped my cc without telling me the other week because I was a few thousand yen short on my Sh!tibank paying account. I bought a computer with it and had forgotten to top up the account. Rather than tell me straight away or change it to a "revolving", they just stopped the card. I found out from Amazon. I thought someone must have ripped me off. Despite paying up straight away, my card was out of action for a week. The amount I had used was well below my limit. Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 I have japanese credit cards and I am self employed. In fact, i just got a new one yesterday! But it was a process that my wife handled but took a tad long if you ask me. Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Quote: Originally posted by Mr Wiggles: Sh!tibank stopped my cc without telling me the other week because I was a few thousand yen short on my Sh!tibank paying account. I bought a computer with it and had forgotten to top up the account. Rather than tell me straight away or change it to a "revolving", they just stopped the card. I found out from Amazon. I thought someone must have ripped me off. Despite paying up straight away, my card was out of action for a week. The amount I had used was well below my limit. [/QB] I am sorry but I don't think you can get new credit card soon. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 slow Perhaps my message wasn't so clear. My card just got temporarily stopped. My point is that most Japanese companies won't give gaijin credit cards. Citibank will, but they're only in the big cities, you've got a keep a fair amount in your account to avoid charges, and in my experience, the service could be better. Getting back on topic, if you pay extra for the Sh!tibank gold card (or whatever the rank above normal is), I think you get travel insurance regardless of whether you bought tickets with it. Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 I have the Gold, and I don't think so. (If someone knows diferently, could you let me know in the next few hours, about to get me tickets... ) Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 Just quizzed the wife and she said that it automatically kicks in once you travel. if you bought the ticket with or without your card. ( but it pays to check YOUR card rules) Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 yakman Looks like it changed back in 2001. It's amazing what you miss if you place all the leaflets they send in the round file. Do you get anything special for gold? (assume ironic tone) "Always believing You are gold (GOLD!) You've got the power to know You're indestructible!" Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 Continued ironic tone... travel insurance that might actually pay for a medical emergency... Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 Quote: Originally posted by Mr Wiggles: My point is that most Japanese companies won't give gaijin credit cards. DC card, Orico, JAL, LIFE & numerous others give out cards to gaijin. Maybe they don' if you are only on a working visa, rather than a spouse visa? Link to post Share on other sites
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