Travel Guard is a travel insurance company that provides medical, emergency and other forms of assistance to travelers around the world.
Multiple VERIFY readers, including Gail, reached out to ask if notices they received about a Travel Guard insurance settlement are real.
THE QUESTION
Is there a Travel Guard settlement?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
Yes, there is a Travel Guard settlement.
WHAT WE FOUND
There is a Travel Guard settlement worth more than $23 million. Customers alleged the company made them pay for “non-insurance assistance services” in order to gain access to insurance plans, court documents say.
The customers alleged the “hidden fees” violated laws in California and Washington. Travel Guard has agreed to a settlement to address the case.
To be eligible for the settlement, customers with a billing address in California or Washington must have been charged assistance fees after purchasing a Travel Guard travel insurance plan between Dec. 17, 2017 and Jan. 18, 2024.
The plans were most commonly purchased through the websites Expedia and United Airlines, however, Travel Guard also sells plans through “other airlines, websites, and various travel agents, as well as directly to consumers through www.travelguard.com and through its call center,” the settlement website explains.
Eligible customers must file a claim online or by mail by Aug. 13, 2024.
Payment amounts depend on the amount of assistance fees applied when the Travel Guard plan was purchased.
Cash payments will go out after the final approval hearing, which is currently scheduled for Oct. 1, 2024.
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