Have you got a flight booked for a getaway for the holidays?
Have you got your Christmas shopping done?
If you aren’t that far ahead of the game yet, then there is time for you to think about a couple of things for when you do get there.
Travel insurance, and Shipping insurance.
We often wonder where the stress that is so common during the holidays comes from. If you really think about it, you’ll probably find it either comes from travel arrangements or from gift-buying and shipping arrangements. To really be able to enjoy the holidays and remove some of that stress from our lives, it is a good first step to have these types of coverage, if needed.
Some people think travel insurance is only necessary for when you are going out of the country in the event you’d need medical attention which your American insurance will not cover. But travel insurance is much more than that. Travel insurance may cover you if:
- you need to cancel your trip or return from it earlier than expected. And there are wide variety of reasons why this may happen. Life is unpredictable.
- you miss your flight or is cancelled (apparently only 80% of all flights are on time.)
- a hurricane or a terrorist attack ravages your destination city.
- you lose your luggage or passport.
- your cruise ship company goes out of business between the time you book the trip, and the date you were set to embark.
As with anything, it is very important that you check your travel insurance policy to make sure it covers these things. Do not assume.
As for shipping insurance – which is just travel insurance for the gifts you’re mailing out when you think about it – most major mail carriers automatically cover damaged or lost packages for up to $100 just to provide you a sense of confidence in them. So there is good news! But with Christmastime packages, the loss can easily go beyond that, and like we said, not all carriers provide this complimentary coverage.
Interestingly, just a few years ago UPS reported an on-time delivery rate of packages which was just about exactly in line with the on-time rate of all US domestic flights cited above. About 80 percent. And the other 20% of the packages were not only misdirected or late deliveries. Some of them just disappeared.
Though many of the below hinge on your package actually reaching its intended destination, there are a few ways you can avoid the chance of mishap between the seller and your front door.
- Set up a camera at your front door to deter would-be thieves, or to catch them in the act should they be so bold.
- Have your packages sent to your workplace, or to a friend or family member’s home at a time you know they will be there to receive it directly from the delivery person.
- Some carriers will allow you to change the destination while your package is en route if your plans change.
- You can schedule delivery at a certain time when you know someone will be home. Also If you know you are going on vacation and assume there will be some packages coming to your door, you can request they be held for up to 14 days.
- If you have it shipped by FedEx, have packages sent to your local FedEx office. They will generally hold it for five business days, on the house.
- You can request that a signature is obtained upon delivery, so you can be sure your package is not left sitting out, at risk of being stolen. You can also request that the ring your doorbell or knock on your door rather than simply leave the package at your door.
Keep these preventive measures in mind, but also check if your carrier of choice does provide the package insurance and up to what dollar amount. If they do, and the contents of your packages are less than the amount they cover then you won’t need to buy any further coverage. Then all that will be left to do is enjoy the holidays with your loved ones.
Happy Holidays to all, from Horihan Insurance!