Writing a Travel Insurance Cancellation Letter (with Sample)
Use this sample travel insurance cancellation letter as a template for your formal cancellation letter.
Last updated on July 17th, 2022
When traveling far from home, especially to a foreign country, it is recommended to buy travel insurance if it is not part of another insurance policy the person has. It will protect the traveler from such emergencies as lost luggage, cancelled flights, and lost wallets or credit cards.
It will pay for emergency hotel rooms, health care their regular medical insurance does not cover, and in some policies it will pay for emergency helicopter transport from a skiing accident.
Unforeseen Events
Travel insurance covers travelers for unforeseen events such as emergency transportation or evacuation, the airline goes out of business before the departure date, bad weather, stolen, lost or damaged luggage, a terrorist incident at the destination, cruise ship sickness and a plane crash.
There are other things that can disturb a trip that are not covered under regular travel insurance. If the traveler has purchased travel insurance, but find they must cancel their trip, they’ll need to send a travel insurance cancellation letter. Travel insurance will reimburse the policy holder for any non-refundable travel expenses that they lose.
If they hope to get most or all of their money back, they need to have purchased Cancel for Any Reason Travel Insurance. These plans are usually about 40 – 50 percent higher cost that other travel insurance plans. Otherwise, their insurance policy will give have conditions for canceling.
There are many reasons why a person may want to cancel a trip that are not included in a regular policy such as:
Travel Insurance Policies
Most travel insurance policies need to be canceled at least 15 days before the departure date. If the person has already departed on their trip, they will not be able to cancel the policy.
To write a travel insurance cancellation letter, the person will need to have all the information about the policy. This includes the policy number and its effective date. They should also see if there are any conditions for cancellation because they should adhere to these conditions if they want a positive outcome.
It is important to write a letter because an insurance policy is a legal contract and usually requires a request in writing for any cancellation or other change.
The letter should state that the policy holder wants a full refund if this is allowed in the contract. Most contracts offer a refund of 70 – 75 percent of the total cost of the trip.
Here is a sample travel insurance cancellation letter. It should be written in formal business style and sent by certified mail, so the sender will have proof of when the letter was sent and received.
It may be important to have this information if there is any dispute about the cancellation date. A copy of the letter should be kept by the sender as well as any other communications from the insurance company.
- They may simply change their mind and not want to go on the trip
- Their travel documents are expired or they are denied a visa
- They may start a new job and not have time off
- A business meeting may be canceled
- The weather at the destination is undesirable for example excessive snow or tornado
- A family emergency arises
- Their travel destination becomes dangerous because of a coup or political uprisings
- There is an epidemic at the travel destination
- Other reasons such as a traveling companion got sick and can’t travel
Travel Insurance Policies
Most travel insurance policies need to be canceled at least 15 days before the departure date. If the person has already departed on their trip, they will not be able to cancel the policy.
To write a travel insurance cancellation letter, the person will need to have all the information about the policy. This includes the policy number and its effective date. They should also see if there are any conditions for cancellation because they should adhere to these conditions if they want a positive outcome.
It is important to write a letter because an insurance policy is a legal contract and usually requires a request in writing for any cancellation or other change.
The letter should state that the policy holder wants a full refund if this is allowed in the contract. Most contracts offer a refund of 70 – 75 percent of the total cost of the trip.
Here is a sample travel insurance cancellation letter. It should be written in formal business style and sent by certified mail, so the sender will have proof of when the letter was sent and received.
It may be important to have this information if there is any dispute about the cancellation date. A copy of the letter should be kept by the sender as well as any other communications from the insurance company.
Sample Travel Insurance Cancellation Letter
Policy Holder’s Name
Policy Holder’s Address
City, State, Zip Code
DATE
Insurance Adjuster’s Name
Insurance Company Name
Insurance Company’s Address
City, State, Zip Code
RE: Cancellation of Travel Insurance Policy Number: NUMBER
Dear Name of Insurance Adjuster:
This letter is to formally inform you that I need to cancel my travel insurance that was to begin on DATE. I am informing you 18 days in advance as per the instructions in my policy for cancellation at least 15 days before departure.
I have a Cancel for Any Reason policy, and according to the terms and conditions I am allowed to cancel for a family emergency and receive a full refund.
My wife was recently diagnosed with cancer and cannot travel for a few months. She is being treated in Name of Hospital, by Name of Doctor, and I have enclosed a copy of her medical record as well as a letter from her doctor explaining that she cannot travel for at least three months.
I’m sorry if I have caused any inconvenience. I hope to take the trip when my wife is allowed to travel by her doctor. If you have any questions, I can be reached at 555-123-4567 or at [email protected]. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I hope to receive a positive reply from you within 30 days.
Sincerely,
Signature of Policy Holder
Printed Name of Policy Holder
List of enclosures: Medical Report, Letter from Doctor
By Andre Bradley
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