NRMA Travel Insurance - International

Hello, This is a friendly warning and piece of advice for everyone planning to travel and purchase travel insurance from NRMA Insurance — do not waste your money. NRMA Insurance has built its reputation purely through heavy advertising, but in reality, it offers no real services. Because of its big name, it charges the highest insurance premiums… Read more

among all insurance companies. However, it never processes claims properly and never pays compensation.

This is not only true for travel insurance, but also for car insurance, home insurance, health insurance, job insurance, business insurance, and so on. They always try to delay the claim process unnecessarily with ridiculous and irrelevant questions, and they demand private and confidential information that has nothing to do with your case — all just to avoid paying compensation.

When handling a claim, they specifically ask for personal or sensitive information that many people are unwilling to share for privacy or security reasons. Then they use that as an excuse to reject your claim.

Personally, I have a travel insurance claim with NRMA that I submitted 2 months ago, but every time it is assigned to a new person who asks the same old questions along with new ones, even though I purchased one of their most expensive travel insurance policies.

This problem hasn’t just happened to me — many people I know have had similar experiences. For example, one of my friends filed a car insurance claim, and NRMA dragged the process on for eight months before refusing to pay. My friend lost $20,000, and the company’s excuse was that the other driver involved wasn’t answering their calls.

In another case, someone I know died in a house fire, and insurance company refused to pay compensation, claiming that the fire was suspicious or intentional, or that the deceased was somehow responsible for the fire. Can you believe that? A person dies in a house fire, and the insurance company says the fire was deliberate!

Based on my own experience and the experiences of friends, Bupa and Allianz are far better insurance companies. They handle claims quickly and pay compensation without unnecessary complications.

This was the first time in my life that I filed an insurance claim, and it turned out to be a terrible experience — all because of NRMA. I will cancel all my insurance policies with NRMA and strongly advise everyone I know not to use NRMA’s services under any circumstances.

NRMA/COVERMORE is shocking with travel insurance. The process is atrocious. We had to cancel our trip 3 months ahead of leaving due to illness and recommendation by my doctor not to travel. I have submitted the all of the claims forms 4 times!… Read more

Each time I get a response from a different person asking for the same thing and they don’t reply to my emails when i ask if they haven’t received the information. Tried getting through to NRMA by phone and when i enter the claim number it hangs up! This happened 3 times. ( Hint, don’t enter the claim or policy number, be prepared to be on hold for at least 10-15 minutes before speaking with anyone). Finally spoke with a guy called [Name Removed], he was helpful and did see that all the claims forms and info had been sent, he apologised and said there are some new staff. It was then handed over to a team leader. Still waiting to for the outcome. I would hate to be overseas and actually have something happen, because I’m pretty sure it would still be a trash fight to get any help. Never again will I use NRMA/COVERMORE. We have all of our cars and house insured with NRMA, seriously thinking about finding another insurer. Safe travels and good luck if you use this company.

DON'T EVEN BOTHER WITH NRMA. Paid for comprehensive travel insurance including snowboarding then I fractured my knee snowboarding. Mountain couldn't do an MRI and suspected meniscus tear. Was due to travel home a few days later so I was instructed to go to GP and get an MRI upon return. I did all that and actually had a tibial fracture so had to… Read more

pay $170 for a brace plus ongoing physio. Called them to ask them to cover the brace since the fracture was done in new Zealand and I was misdiagnosed so technically I should have been given the brace in NZ. NRMA blatantly refused this and paid the measly one off mountain doctor $73 consult and do not pay ANY ongoing fees in Australia. The insurance itself cost much more. Pointless for me- I'd do your research and don't support this company for travel insurance.

Medical condition rort – We took out a yearly comprehensive travel insurance policy. I have since been diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation, after initially being advised I didn’t need to add this to the policy I later found out I was required to. I called to add this and was advised that it would be an additional $1700! I have looked into other companies and with the same… Read more

condition the additional premium is between $295 and $430. How can they justify this massive difference? Can’t get any responses from them. They will be losing a lot of our business after nearly 40 years, there is no loyalty from them.

Easy process – I had to lodge a claim for an emergency medical expense for my overseas trip. I attached all the relevant documents such as the medical report, invoice and receipts. Within 4 business days my claim was accepted and payment was issued. There was no going around in circles or requests for more information. From online claim lodgement to finalisation, it was a really seamless process. Show details ·  1

NRMA Travel Insurance is a s***t show – Claim numbers on my policy are incorrect as I live in WA. SO after wasting hours on hold to QLD finally was given correct number. They can't sort our my online account so I can see my policy online either. Show details

Thought it would be safe using a big name in the insurance world, so wrong – Very painful experience trying to make our claim online. Website refused to go past a certain point then automatically submitted before we could attach any receipts or sign. Contacted Covermore and was told to contact NRMA. The NRMA contact number is a constant loop of button pushing to get through multiple menus. Got cut off multiple times.… Read more

Finally got through after an hour or so. NRMA said it was a glitch in the app and emailed us a form. The form is a nightmare. You also have to print it to sign it, then scan it back in to email it back to NRMA. My daughter has also tried to do a claim online and the app crashed on her as well so not a one off incident. Would be interesting to see how many other people experience the same issue with the online claim form. I won’t be using NRMA for my insurance for any future trips.

Looks good until – I need to make a claim against my insurance but their claim form is atrocious. I cannot get through to the support desk - I did get Covermore but they gave me another number to call for NRMA and that number has had me going in circles through the options again and again. Show details ·  1

Isn't worth it - non responsive claims team – Submitted a travel claim over 13 business days ago. Absolutely no communication from the claims team. Was then advised that the claims processing time had been escalated to 35 business days. Read their PDS - for cancellations - everything for which you would normally expect to be covered for is excluded. Avoid purchasing their policy. Show details

No way to contact them, go around in circles – I'm just glad I didn't have a claim...would have been a nightmare. I just want to cancel my policy in line with their terms, however no-one picks up the phone and the email address simply acknowledges your send....no other reply. I have had to raise dispute with credit card company. Show details

Pathetic! Avoid at all costs – NRMA and their underwriter (Covermore) have repeatedly denied paying out a claim for replacement flights after having my journey home cancelled at the last minute in March 2020. The case was referred to AFCA in April & nrma are still refusing to budge. Their excuse? The policy does not cover pandemics & because the claim took place towards the… Read more

end of my trip it also does not apply. Go figure. Disgusting, shameful & pathetic. As a former lifelong member, my advice is to do yourself a favour & avoid!

Disgusted with NRMA – Booked International Travel with NRMA, since I have been a member for over 15 years, and did have an incident in Honolulu and was hospitalised. NRMA were fantastic. I rang today to cancel my travel policy because I can't go overseas at the moment due to the Corona virus. I didn't think they would do it for free, I expected maybe a small admin… Read more

charge, but to find I will lose over $90 for a 'just in case', that never happened, is totally wrong! Shame on you NRMA, especially at this time and all policies should be null and void at this time, and not, 'did you read your PDF'. I am not happy with this service seeing I never actually travelled anywhere, and was not due to travel till mid May.

Helpline not – Three weeks trying to extend my overseas travel policy without success. Six communications ignored and long delays trying to call using the helpline number. Two suggested solutions from NRMA, the first sent by email and the second by phone with the helpline, have produced no result and I am still left without travel cover. No coordination between NRMA, IAG and Cover-More and the customer is ignored. A poor experience after 25+ years with NRMA. Show details

Definitely not a fan – My husband knocked out his whole front tooth in Thailand the day before we flew home. Logically, we therefore sought treatment in Australia as the trauma to his gums had to recede before restoration could happen (we had our dentist write a letter stating this as well). NRMA denied our claim as they do not provide insurance for services in… Read more

Australia. This is ridiculous, would they have preferred we stayed overseas for another two weeks until it could be fixed? Paid accommodation, flight changes, daily costs etc? Should we have risked a sketchy dentist in Thailand? I understand the policy is reasonable in most circumstances, but I think that exceptions should be made in exceptional circumstances and travellers should not be punished for making a logical decision. What if we stayed for another two weeks and they still denied our claim? They certainly don't make decisions on claims quickly.

Very impressed and grateful – We have an Annual Multi Trip International Comprehensive policy and we were travelling in western China in September when I suffered a significant leg injury that required surgery within two weeks. After four days NRMA had me medically evacuated back to the Gold Coast with both of us flying in business class so I could put my leg up during the… Read more

flight. Because I had private health insurance in Australia NRMA arranged for a top surgeon at a private hospital and had a vehicle waiting at Brisbane airport to take me straight to the hospital on the Gold Coast. I was operated on successfully two days later. NRMA also paid for our overseas medical, additional and cancellation expenses ten days after submitting the receipts as promised. We have been using NRMA travel insurance since we retired and we have always found them to be very competitively priced compared to other insurance policies - especially if you are a home insurance customer.

Drowned my iPad Air .....covermore is pathetic – I drowned an iPad Air with 64G and 3G...I had a receipt for $900. A compulsory quote from a repairer to say that it was a write off cost $50. The excess was $100 and the depreciation took the rest. They offered me $42 for an item that I could still buy new! So to make the claim I was negative $8! It was impossible to discuss it with the NRMA -… Read more

they flicked it at every attempt. Covermore were appalling for some time until eventually I told them we were in dispute and then they offered more...and we settled. But the stress is not worth it.

They don't tell you everything! – Policy seemed great and easy to apply for, after doing some research this seemed like the best. During my trip to Vanuatu, I perforated my eardrum, which caused me to be out of work for 2 weeks. I lost over $1100 of income and being casual, was not paid sick leave at work. I had proof of my rostered shifts and when trying to submit a claim for… Read more

loss of income, was told they only cover your loss of income a month after your return! Any money lost in the first 30 days out of work is not covered! If I had known this prior to leaving I would not have paid over $150 for insurance that would not properly cover me. Disappointed and will NOT be using NRMA again.

Great until you submit a claim – Like all NRMA policies our travel insurance policy was quick and easy to set up, make the payment and receive the relevant documentation. Our well known airline carrier cancelled our flight and put us on a flight 24 hours later. As we would miss our connecting flight we had to purchase new replacement air tickets to fly to our destination.… Read more

Making a claim is done via the web. The process to submit your details is terrible. Your travel agent is also required to submit supporting documentation. The insurance company responses were poor and extremely frustrating seeking additional details and wasting time.

Our claim was denied as this policy only covers delays due to airline strikes. It does not cover operational delays.