TID Travel Insurance Direct

I was going away for a 4 day adventure holiday in remote Australia. At the airport, I searched for insurance options that would cover for domestic travel medical evacuation. TID seemed to be the only one offering this. I made the purchase and immediately read the PDA in the confirmation email, only to realize the medi-evac did not in fact cover domestic travel, and further, there was a 72 hour exclusion. This meant not only did I not have medi eval insurance, but I also effectively had no insurance for the entire duration of my trip.
I tried to phone to cancel within one hour of the purchase, before the amount was even deducted from my account - No answer, just endless music. Finally I gave up and went online to TID's website to request that they cancel.
I finally got a response after my return, telling me they wouldn't refund the amount as I had already commenced my travel. Big thumbs down for TID.

Absolutely awful experience. I’ve been waiting more than 20 days for an outcome of my claim.
Average response to emails is 10 days for 1 reply. More than 30 minutes on hold waiting to speak to an operator.

I’m disgusted.

My flight was cancelled for a week trip and because I could not on a flight for 4. Days later I asked Jetstar for a refund and now travel insurance direct are refusing to pay my missed hotel accommodation saying I could have stayed there 3 days. Absolutely a joke!!!!’

Do not use

I am in the Uk and my web access to TID is not working for some reason. I have been trying to contact them for 5 days on the 1300 number to extend my policy. I end up in queues till my skype credit burns away . I have left callback numbers, no callback, I have even left voice msg with the details and call back number no reply. I found a customer service manager email on the web admittedly 2 yrs old but no reply to that either. I have used them for lots of travel over 5 yrs and found them good ( no claims tho) but this is driving me mad. They should have email or at least return calls they say they will or perhaps an OS number that does not get stuck in the Aust. queue and never get answered. I even contacted the emergency number even tho not an emergency, they answered but could not help other than leave a note on my file. After spending probably $5k+ with them i doubt i will use them again

They are terrible to deal with. I made a claim in May, it's now August and it's still not resolved. They intentionally string it out and delay.

Every single time they email you either requesting the same document(s) you have already sent them, a document that you don't have and have previously advised them of that fact, or some other information they could have asked for in a previous email.

The real kicker is that EVERY interaction with them starts a 10 business day wait - and every single time they wait at least the full 10 business days before replying with their stalling question(s). You then respond and wait 10-15 business days, they'll reply without answering your question or asking something else unrelated, and then you have to wait another 10-15 business days.

You can't ring them - I've tried 4 times at various times of the day and never been able to get through. The hold times before I've had to hang up have been: 63mins, 74min, 92mins and 61mins.

This is completely different to my experience with another 2 travel insurers who are at least contactable by phone, and much quicker to respond (still a bit slow, but usually only 5 days).

Avoid this insurer, have a look at the better rated ones on product review. There's a reason they're better rated!

EDIT: Got through on the phone today to the "claims" area, who were absolutely useless. I wanted to know if the documents I resent through were correct, and all they could say was "sorry we can't tell you that, you have to wait 10 days after you send it, each time, for the assessor to have a look and reply". If they're not correct, you'll have to send again and wait another 10 days. Absolutely disgusting.

I have been sick overseas, contacted their emergency support but just keeps on ringing so we decided to ring the customer service instead and transferred us to someone. Since I really feel sick, I let hubby do some of the talking because we are in the hospital already with the kids and I need to undergo some procedure to rule out some serious illness. I have to stayed a night, they communicated through email and call. The next day I will be going home but if I'll wait for them to conduct their process etc it will take me ages to get out from the hospital so I paid the bill by myself using my credit card and decided to claim later on. Filed the claim after few weeks and it's nearly been a month still no result. I rang them two weeks after to follow up, that's when they decided to send me an email asking for additional information from my local gp. I submitted and still waiting for the response. My point is they could have asked this a week after I submitted the claim and not right after I follow up. They have been my insurance since 2012, I didn't make any major claims, if you claim for like less than a $100 they will process it straight away and this is the first time that I have claimed for over a thousand dollars (less than $4,000) and the process is painfully slow. I have to deal with loss of conversion rate (since I used my local card overseas) and now probably late payment fee and an interest because it will be due soon and I'm expecting the money to be reimbursed by them. Oh and wait, if you try to ring their claims department be ready to wait for an hour before you can talk to someone. At first I thought, they are just really busy but I have been ringing for the third time now and never even got a short waiting time. You will really test the integrity of your insurance in situation like this. It's time for me to switch to a new one I guess next time we travel. I even refer them to a friend but she have used another insurance and I should have listened to her to try something else. I will not recommend TID anymore as I'm sick and tired of hearing "sorry to keep you waiting, we will get back to you in a TID!" I guess they are very quick in signing you up and getting your money but when you need them the most, out there somewhere and you will be more stress! Definitely frustrated customer now! I have been a loyal customer for 6 years and now that I needed to really claim, they made me feel that my claim is not their priority as they are a very busy company!

After travelling to Europe and needing travel insurance, looked online and saw TID had some good reviews and i had used them before with no hassle. Had a hotel booking cancelled on us and had to rebook figured we would be ok since we have travel insurance. Get back to Aus and started a claim, downloaded the attached document, filled everything out, explained the situation and submitted all the relevant documents. Get an automated reply saying someone will get back to me, a week later someone emails and says they need further information which i had already provided in the original claim along with all the correct documents, so i tell them the situation again and attach all the same documents again! get another automated reply saying someone will get back to me, a week later no response. Send a follow up email asking for an update NOTHING but another automated response, a week later send another follow up email NOTHING but another automated response, a week later send another follow up email NOTHING but another automated response. Finally got a response after 5+ emails saying they solved my case and would like to inform me that my claim was REJECTED because the hotel booking site i used had become insolvent and they would NOT cover such event. Why the hell would I get travel insurance if this kind of thing isn't covered?

If you travel and have no problems yeah why not use TID, but if you want service and decent communication then probably don't use TID, NEVER EVER in my life time will i EVER use TID again or recommend TID to anyone

Following a trip, I had the need to lodge a claim with TID for damage to my camera and lens. It was made a little awkward by the fact that I (a) extended my travel and (b) when I returned to Australia, I was leaving 5 days later so only had time to lodge my claim but not seek the necessary quotations to progress the claim immediately. Also, I was reluctant to travel to my next holiday destination without my camera, which was still limping along. Well, TID were very accommodating and clear in their communication. I lodged the claim prior to my departure and sought their approval to take my camera with me and then to progress the claim on my return. I again extended my travel plans. I made sure that I kept TID up-to-date every time I changed my plans and they continued to assure me that, provided I met the conditions of the insurance policy I had purchased, that they would proceed with the claim.
My claims officer, at all times, exceeded the time expectations set out in the automated email response. Once my claim was settled, the payment was made into my account on the same day. (I was also fortunate enough to get great service from the camera shop I used; but that is another review!).
I use TID because I am able to purchase – or extend - travel insurance while I am overseas (as well as they meet my requirements). I am pleased to say that I have been satisfied now by both the policy offerings and claim settlement process. Definitely a recommend.

TID does not cover what you would expect a decent travel insurance would. Plus making a claim is non-responsive, very little of help. GO somewhere else and pay a few extra $.

I have been a loyal customer of TID for at least 6 years, but after 2 experiences with their claims departments, and multiple interactions with customer service, it's time for me to do my research and move on to something better (and going by Choice and plenty of other review websites, there are a lot better, and cheaper out there!).
The first instance that lead to me having to make a claim was after i broke my ankle in Bhutan. The nurse that i dealt with was great, very compassionate and understanding, and the fact i could talk to her over WhatsApp made the whole experience much better than i had been expecting. However, when it came time to make a claim in regards to my broken ankle, that's where customer service let her down! I emailed through my claim as i had been told to do, to the email address i was provided with. After waiting a month and hearing nothing back, i got in contact with customer service. They told me nothing had been submitted so i sent them a copy of the email i had sent with my claim. They then told me i had sent it to the wrong email address, so i sent them the email where i had been told by an employee of TID to send it to the particular address. Within 24hrs i had an email notification that i would receive my refund, but no further communication from customer service.
In spite of the above i was willing to write it off as a one time error from TID. I have consistently praised them on travel groups i am a part of on social media, however after my recent encounters with the company i can not in good conscious continue to do that, and will instead be warning others to steer clear of them. All it takes is a google search to see that there are higher rated, and at the same time better priced, travel insurance companies out there.
My recent experience with them has occured after i got robbed and injured while i was in Tanzania (losing my passport, phone, etc). After contacting the emergency area of TID, i was told that they couldnt help me because i had attempted to extend my policy, but i hadnt yet paid for it. Never mind that the reason i wasnt able to pay for it was because their site wouldnt let me (it kept timing out!)! When i explained that, i was passed off to customer service to try and fix the issue. The guy i was passed onto was unable to fix the issue, and when i tried again to pay for the extension, the site completely deleted any record of the extension, so i emailed customer servide to let them know, but to this day i have still not had a response to that email. I eventually had to purchase a new policy to cover me for the extend dates i was in Tanzania.
As there is no Australian embassy in Tanzania, i had multiple issues with being able to cross the border into Kenya to get an emergency passport. I asked for guidance multiple times as to what was acceptable under my policy, but never really got a clear answer. Adding to this was the issue that most things in Tanzania are paid in cash, with no receipt, so again i asked for some guidance on how to deal with this so as to ensure i would be reimbursed for the costs i was incurring, and again there were no clear answers. Surely i can't be the first person they've dealt with in situations like this?!
I am currently waiting for my claim to be processed, but based on the questions i received from the claims officer on Day 9 of their 10 day service standard period, i do not have high hopes. The questions seemed to ask for things i had already provided, were not well written and also quite confusing. I got the feeling that they are trying to delay any payout to me, and also try to decrease the amount they pay out to me. I have stated repeatedly that i am willing to sign any legal documentation they may have to verify the vailidity of the amounts i am claiming for, but that always seems to get ignored.
If you choose travel insurance companies based on the expected level of service you'll receive from both customer service and claims, you should definitely look elsewhere. There are also other companies who provide better prices. Based on my research, TID prices are only remotely competitive because they always offer discount coupons. But, their service definitely falls short of their prices!

Attempted to make a small claim ($500) my son slipped and smacked his head in Whistler and got concusion , very scary he couldn’t stop throwing up. Went to emergency and got him sorted. Put in a claim , we don’t seem to have enough evidence, I don’t think they believe we were there! Even though I have my credit card receipt , accomodation details , boarding passes seriously they just want you to give up.
Be prepared to jump through more hoops that a Circ de Solil performer.
12 or so trips in the past six years , around 10k of premiums for what ? Thank god we never had a serious claim on the other trips, I don’t feel like we were covered at all.
Looks good on paper, Scmick APP, but they are only as good as when you make a claim.
Shop around

I made a clam over a month ago every time they email me wanting some information I email back straight away with the info then a week later they want something else now after only receiving 4 emails the most recent one is the same as the first on. They just can't communicate.

My flight was delayed and I therefore missed my connection and resort I’d booked that night.
I had to repurchase another flight and hotel for the night. All up around AU$600 I was out of pocket.
The amount of information you need to attach to the TID claim form would take someone like me hours to complete as I’m not computer savvy like most. I ended up a frustrated mess and gave up as I don’t know how to attach receipts, emails and notifications to a form.
I made a claim years ago with another company and received my money back without any of this difficulty. I can’t imagine how the elderly cope.

I cannot speak highly enough of these guys. I was hospitalised with a broken wrist on the second day of my 11 day snowboarding trip to NZ. After being told that I needed to return home for surgery, I called the TID emergency assistance line and told them what had happened.

From start to finish they went above and beyond to ensure that I got home safely and quickly for surgery. They even made sure I had a window seat on the flight home that they booked me so as I could rest my injured wrist on the window and wouldn't have people pushing past me to get to their seat.

After submitting my claim with all documentation, it was approved within a week and I was refunded for everything, including unused accommodation and ski lift passes.

I will definitely be using them for all future trips.

First claim with TID over 7 policies. Unhappy with discounting on what were serviceable belongings. But worst part was being lied to. TID asked for an extension because a review had not been completed because of staff leave. Until I realised that I had been deceived by the Claims Officer I was prepared to accept the inadequate offer, chalk it up to experience and move on. The truth is that the letter of the decision had already been prepared and was dated the day before the email asking for an extension. Never dealing with TID again.

Have been a TID client since 2009 and always trusted on good online ratings.

Now, I tried to claim some medical costs incurred when I had an allergic reaction and had to go see a doctor in New York. The treatment cost about USD 200 (AUD 284), which I claimed. The claim process is tedious and time consuming. The website did not recognise pdf documents and refused to upload them. The system also asks for documents that are not relevant and if you do not upload them you have to explain why you do not upload a document. Overall very time consuming.

Ultimately TID agreed to pay AUD 84 (after excess which is okay).

However, before they pay out the AUD 84, TID wants me to pay another USD 100 (AUD 140) to the doctors surgery for an arguably outstanding amount. This additional USD 100 were not agreed with or communicated by the surgery on the day of the treatment.

I pointed this out to TID and asked to either include the additional USD in the claim or juyst pay out the AUD 84. Haven't heard back.

If you put value on your own time don't bother to make a small claim, you better of moving on. This whole exercise has taken me hours so far and at best I get AUD 84 back.

Patrick

Put in a claim after my girlfriend was rushed to hospital after lacerating her hand and required emergency surgery. This meant we missed our flight home and had to stay in Bali a further 5 days until she was fit to fly. Had appalling customer service, were offered little to no assistance and will never go through this company again. Still waiting for them to get back to me re: the claim months down the track..

We've had policies with these guys a few times over the years but never had to make a claim...until now. While travelling in China last month we both ended up having to seek medical treatment for a nasty chest infection at the local doctors which allowed us to continue our trip. We made sure to get a doctors report and a copy of the receipts. Upon our return we lodged a claim with TID and I'm happy to say that the money was reimbursed to our account no problems. Total time was 16 calendar days from the time we lodged the claim to the money showing up in our account. I was a bit concerned after reading some of the reviews here but it all turned out just fine. We will use TID again in the future.

(I was not offered anything for this review nor am I associated with TID in any way other than as a customer)

Had been with TID for at least 15 years but this year a quote for worldwide policy the price was increased 55%. I am no longer with TID as there are other companies around that want my business. I am a regular traveller as I am retired. The new company I am with allows multi trips of up to 62 days whereas TID is only 38 days. Shop around as TID has lost its way

I had some moderately bad ear issues for 3 months of my policy. I had to contact numerous times and make several claims. The emergency medical assistance team is super quick and productive in their responses. Their claims team is likewise very professional. There is a reason why their reviews are so high. Very appreciative of their modus operandum. Special thanks to Margaret Marko who was superb in emergency assist, and, Dylan Copeland in claims. 10/10 operators. Policy# TIDAUS19524699

We had taken out insurance with tid for our trip to sri lanka but when terrorism hit that country we made the decision not to travel there. Tid accepted our request for a cancellation of the policy even though well out of the cooling-off period and refunded our money. You can't ask for more than that! We've used them previously many times and on the one time I had a small claim there was absolutely no issue. Will continue to use them.