Booking through a registered travel agent (Insurance)

In addition to horror stories we have read about, two people we know faced dropped bookings when they arrived at the airport.One had booked a flight and the other a whole vacation package and both were told that there was no record of payment (even with a confirmation number!) and they would have to pay for their trips again.

The details of their efforts to recoup their cash after the trip are a nightmare of frustration, inept and rude customer service and stonewalling. One story stretched over several months.

So we were not especially surprised when we saw the report by eMarketer (they sell market research and trend analysis about Internet commerce) about the decline in the number of people booking online and the increase of people booking through travel agents.

Their service is a cross between booking online and having a qualified travel agent help you. After you fill out a form with the details of your trip, you receive a no-obligation quote in a short time. (Note that if you book online through a non-B.C. travel agent, you probably will not be covered by the B.C. Travel Assurance Fund.)

Booking through a travel agent is some of the best insurance you can buy. When problems arise, you have someone to call. You can go and have a coffee while they sort out the problem. If they can't fix it right then, you'll at least know that when you return from your holiday, your travel agent will probably have fixed the snafu.

In British Columbia every travel agency must be registered with the provincial government that oversees the Travel Assurance Fund set up to reimburse you for travel company bankruptcies and non-performance.

You can check if your travel agent is registered by typing in the agent's registration number at www.bpcpa.ca/index.php?-option=com_licensesearch&Itemid-=138&task=ac tive_bus.

Surf in the air

Air Canada will start offering Wi-Fi inflight access to the Internet to customers starting next spring (pending Canadian regulatory approval). No idea yet what the cost will be but it will not be cheap. Still, if you must be contacted, someone will be able to grab you at 10,000 metres. Nowhere will be safe.

Finding Cheaper Auto Insurance Quotes Online

In the previous years, shopping for cheaper insurance could be a lengthy and time consuming process; however, today's Internet technology has allowed many insurers to provide their rates through websites such as OnlineAutoInsurance.com with the completion of only one single form. This benefits both the insuring companies and the consumers because it establishes a fast connection between the two in order to expose the possibility of a business relationship.

Carriers benefit from the efficiency of making their quotations easily obtainable by consumers without the need of completing unique questionnaires or make telephone calls to multiple agents. Automated web-based rating engines use information entered to generate estimated premiums from an array of leading insurers.

Consumers benefit from the fast access to different auto insurance quotes (Space For Company Name) and options from many carriers, allowing users to compare and choose to purchase a policy from the cheapest automobile insurance company. Within minutes, visitors may insure their vehicles via electronic applications and signatures to print out evidence of coverage.

Life Insurance Firms in Customer Respect Group Study Ranked

The Customer Respect Group, an international research and consulting firm that focuses on how corporations treat and respect their online customers, today released findings from its Third Quarter 2008 Online Customer Respect Study of Life Insurance Industry Websites.

Summary

Overall, the Life Insurance industry scored 5.9 on the 10-point scale. This can be viewed against a Cross Industry Benchmark (CIB) average of 6.4.

The life insurance industry traditionally has scored comparatively low on the CRI. This study reaches a similar conclusion, but did record a greater range of scores compared to previous studies, illustrating different online strategies starting to develop.

For the first time, a life insurance company has scored in the category that constitutes an "Excellent Rating." In addition, two other companies, MetLife and Nationwide, scored marginally below that rating.

Company CRI
Western & Southern Life 7.7
Nationwide 6.7
Metropolitan Life 6.7
New York Life 6.4
Principal Financial 6.4

Speeding ticket effect on insurance varies

In general, however, if you are over 25, chances are your driving record will not be as closely scrutinized as when you were younger. While one citation may have a negligible effect on your premium, the danger lies in your risk of receiving a second citation. At that point, your insurance will increase substantially. That is why it is simply a good practice to keep your driving record clear of any violations.

Q: I never really understood how car insurance works. Does car insurance cover the car or the driver?

- Ursula Grover, Rialto

A: The "liability" portion of your insurance covers the driver, the "comprehensive" and "collision" portions of your premium cover the car.

In California it is a requirement that drivers have at least the state minimum of liability insurance so that they are covered if they injure another person or person(s) or damage another person's property while driving. Liability insurance will cover a driver even if the driver operates different vehicles, as long as the vehicles meet coverage guidelines.

Optional comprehensive and collision insurance cover the vehicle itself and will only cover the vehicles specified in the policy.