To wonder why people don't buy travel insurance?

[EveningHare]

If you can afford a holiday then you should not look at travel insurance as an optional extra

It's vital that you have it, anything could happen and if you don't have lots of money in the bank, how would you pay for it? Go fund me?

Credit cards are much more widely used in the US

Last month DH and I went to New York on a package deal that we'd prepaid with British Airways. When we arrived at the hotel, we were informed that we would not be given a room without paying a $250 deposit and the women on reception were absolutely baffled that neither of us have a credit card. It was as if we'd just dropped into their reception from Mars or something.

Ok fair enough I stand corrected. I was under the impression you get whatever a local is entitled to, but in some EU countries I know that's very little unless you can pay up. I've been in hospital in Poland for example and unless you can pay it's extremely basic.

A lot of us will be screwed however if EHIC basically no longer applies due to Brexit.

Given how many car hire companies require a credit card and they, and hotels usually take hundreds of pounds or equivalent in security deposits, most people would be severely inconvienced without credit and debit cards.

My credit card allows me to make purchases and withdraw cash at the bank rate, not the tourist rate and with no bank charges, anywhere in the world. It's saved me hundreds, if not thousands of pounds.

Credit cards are also useful to pay for day to day spending like food and fuel while earning cashback and without having to keep track of what is in the current account and it's just paid off in full every month by direct debit like every other bill.

Of course CCs are not a 'must' but life is definitely more expensive and inconvenient without them.

If ehic goes the effects will be catastrophic for anyone with a serious preexisting condition. Unless they have serious cash to spare, they'll effectively be stuck in this godforsaken island!

Yes you get the same as a local, so for France, that's pretty damned good!

Given how many car hire companies require a credit card and they, and hotels usually take hundreds of pounds or equivalent in security deposits, most people would be severely inconvienced without credit and debit cards

Some people can't have credit cards, so they just don't do things like hire cars. Its not necessary. No problem with hotels.

I don't find life any more expensive or inconvenient than when I had a credit card, in fact I find the exact opposite.

I think credit cards if travelling to the us is much like insurance. Of course it’s not a mist but you’d be in big trouble if the worst does happen and you have no other means to pay up front. As for ehic it would be useful to know the individual healthcare system of the country you are travelling to before making a decision. After brexit i suspect insurance companies will benefit if no similar arrangements are made.

I will retract my statement about credit cards being a must and revise that they are advisable.

Of course CCs are not a 'must' but life is definitely more expensive and inconvenient without them

I agree with this ^^

I think credit cards if travelling to the us is much like insurance. Of course it’s not a must but you’d be in big trouble if the worst does happen and you have no other means to pay up front

And this ^^

I had to get emergency dental treatment in the USA a few years ago, $1000 dollars had to go on my credit card and then claimed back.

Those who don’t have a credit card, what would you do if you had a large unexpected expense, would you have enough cash available?

I think credit cards if travelling to the us is much like insurance. Of course it’s not a must but you’d be in big trouble if the worst does happen and you have no other means to pay up front

If the worse happens, that is what the insurance is for. Its not large amounts you have to pay up front. It's not like people have unlimited credit cards, is it?

Those who don’t have a credit card, what would you do if you had a large unexpected expense, would you have enough cash available?

Depends just how large, but yes. Certainly more than most average credit card limits. Just because we don't have cc doesn't mean we don't have any money.

down I wasn’t implying you didn’t have money, I was just curious. We had to put 6k on our credit card two years ago while on holiday then claim that back. I certainly didn’t have the free spend for that.

I'm just pointing that it doesn't make sense to say you have to have a cc. What I'm saying is that since the average UK person will have an average credit limit of 7.5k over 2 cards (and a great deal will have far less) its hardly the difference between sink or swim when it comes to extra expenses.

I didn’t say you have to have a credit card, that was another poster.

I can’t remember who the poster was that said she doesn’t have a credit card so I was curious if people could get access to 6k instantly. I certainly couldn’t and I doubt that’s unusual.

People are a bit daft in my opinion not to get it for medical issues - unless you have lots in the bank why would you take that risk on your solvency (however small the chances of an issue materialising)? However, on their heads (and the heads of their relatives) be it I suppose. It's a risk analysis for each person to take. Personally I suck up the risk of not being able to go on a holiday and losing the deposits.

I agree from my limited experience there is not apparently the same mentality in Britain around insurance as eg in the States. For example, it does not seem usual for families to be insured against death / ill health here - at least from what I have seen on threads.

@DownWithThatSortOfTing Its not large amounts you have to pay up front. It's not like people have unlimited credit cards, is it?

A GP consultation in Canada is around $950 if you're not registered with them (for which you would need permanent residency). On top of that you may need to pay upfront for xrays, blood tests, prescriptions...

If you follow the procedure, your insurance should reimburse pretty much 100%, but it can take several weeks before you receive the payment!

Those who don’t have a credit card, what would you do if you had a large unexpected expense, would you have enough cash available?

No. However, I'm paying back £14k of personal debt from my frivolous, selfish early 20s via Step Change and I'm not allowed any credit while the plan is in place. I also don't want any credit.

amused Not sure what you would do if you had a medical issue then, like I said I have twice had to use my credit card up front.

So as I said vitaminC, not large amounts! Just over 500 quid for your canadian dr.

Fair enough not having a credit card if you're absolutely loaded, or are paying back debt (been there, done that, come out the other side) but for the majority in the middle, I still believe they are a very useful tool for travelling and consumer rights.

If we're talking about paying a bill for a few thousand, I'd much rather just stick it on a credit card while I waited for reimbursement, hopefully before the CC bill is due, than have to go scratching around several savings accounts, possibly from the other side of the world, when all the account numbers are safely hidden away at home.

Even if you have insurance; if they ask for an upfront payment (which insurance will reimburse later) - what do you do if between all your cards, credit or otherwise, you just don't have enough?

Fair enough not having a credit card if you're absolutely loaded, or are paying back debt (been there, done that, come out the other side) but for the majority in the middle, I still believe they are a very useful tool for travelling and consumer rights

There are plenty of other people in the middle who can't have or don't want a credit card for whatever reason. I'm not paying back debt, I'm not loaded, but I can no longer have a credit card. It really makes no difference to my life in any way.

I have no idea. It always seems mad to me.

@DownWithThatSortofTing
Not much to you maybe, but we often have students stuck in Canada or the US, who went out there with no idea that a broken ankle or an infected cartilage piercing could easily run to several thousand dollars!

My mum lives part of the year in Italy, last year we went with some friends, first time they'd been abroad, they had no insurance because "well it's your mums house isn't it?" Right...

After witnessing a horrific RTA on a Greek island and the ensuing chaos, no hospital on the island, people getting helicoptered out, visiting a poor young British guy in hospital, he was about 21, in absolute agony with a broken femur and they wouldn't treat him until his parents paid up front £11,000, they paid, but then couldn't afford to fly out to him, it was horrible.

I wouldn't go on any holiday, england, Europe or further afield with no insurance.

Not much to you maybe, but we often have students stuck in Canada or the US, who went out there with no idea that a broken ankle or an infected cartilage piercing could easily run to several thousand dollars!

That maybe, but the point was in relation to credit cards. Those same students are unlikely to have credit cards with several thousand dollars credit, so you are actually agreeing with me that it would make no difference if you think about it!

Of course having a credit card isn't necessary. However, when you are under stress and worried about either you or you family being treated before you claim it back it can help lessen that stress.

All I will say is those that take the risk and go abroad without insurance I hope you don't go running to friends and family to bail you out if it goes wrong. You take the risk so should own it.