Ralph Lagergren’s cell phone “protection” won’t protect him when he tries to invoke a buyback clause. Is he out of luck?
INSURANCE
Travel insurance policy void without a ring — is that right?
When Scott Mitchell booked an airline ticket to fly from Austin to New York to see his girlfriend, he decided to play it safe. He bought the optional policy offered through Allianz Travel Insurance. He played — and he lost.
What should I do about “mandatory” car rental insurance in Panama?
After Mary Sue Conner is forced to pay an extra $79 for insurance on her Avis car in Panama City, she asks the company for a refund. It refuses. Now what?
Charged for insurance I never wanted — or needed
Question: I recently rented a car from Avis in Houston with a friend. A few weeks after we returned the car, I discovered a $260 charge for optional insurance that we never asked for. I need your help getting a refund.
Here are the details. We had pre-paid for the car using Priceline’s “Name Your Own Price” service, which covers the entire cost of the rental. When we got to the counter, my friend offered them his debit card — it’s all he was carrying — and an agent said they needed a credit card.
So I gave them my card. Before I handed it over, I asked if it’d be charged. The agent said “no.”
After coming home from the trip, I found out I was charged $260 and wonder where this amount was coming from. We looked at the paperwork from Avis, and that’s when I saw his signature to accept the optional insurance. I asked him if he knew he signed for it and he said “no.”