Are you active on social media about your plans before or while traveling? Posting that beach vacation selfie or pic of the family at that famous place while away could be putting the safety of your property at risk because it also shares that you are away from home. That could be very expensive.
What else puts you at risk? Not having travel insurance in place. That’s an even more expensive risk.
The risk of posting about your upcoming trip
Every year, most Canadians plan to leave home for at least a few days. It’s so tempting to share the excitement of your travel plans by posting online, especially if you are travelling with your kids, are Gen Z, or yes, are finally retired and excited for your new adventures! And while you are away, you might think it’s great to stay in touch with those at home by sharing your pics and content during your vacation. In fact, some people think sharing on social media is more of a priority than keeping their home safe from a break-in while they are out of town.
The problem is when you let people know you are away… you put your home at risk. And while the average cost of theft when a house is broken into can vary significantly based on the type of property and the extent of the damage, just the repairs of broken doors or windows can be thousands of dollars. What if you lose your jewellery, electronics, or collectibles too?
While technology like smart cameras and alarm systems may offer peace of mind, oversharing on social media can put your home and valuables at risk. Keep this in mind before sharing your travel plans and adventures online. This doesn’t mean keeping all the excitement to yourself but save posting about your vacation when you get back home.
The risk of travelling without travel insurance
When you travel out of the country, or outside of your home province, many emergency medical expenses are not covered by provincial health insurance plans. Whether you take frequent trips to remote places all over the world, or you are a homebody planning your first trip to visit a relative out of the province, you need to make sure your medical needs are covered in the event of an emergency.
Skeptical about the value of emergency medical travel insurance? The fact is it’s not just ‘one extra fee’ when you are planning your trip. It’s critical to have coverage in place because emergency medical expenses when you are out of country (or even out of your province) can be staggering.
Here are some real examples of just how much travelling without insurance can cost you.
Tip #1: Protect yourself online when you leave home
Here’s some advice that may help you when you are planning to travel.
- As a general rule, year-round, use your phone’s privacy settings to remove geolocation data from digital pictures and avoid sharing images of your street address or home number.
- Before a trip, avoid posting countdowns. If the itch to share online is too great, create a smaller trusted chat group to keep those closest to you informed of your plans.
- Setting social media accounts to “private” rather than public allows more control over who sees your content. Even then, keep dates and other travel plans vague.
- Delay sharing details about your vacation adventure online until your return.
- Tell all your family members to do the same, so they reduce their risks too.
Tip #2: Protect yourself with travel insurance
Travel insurance ensures you can enjoy your trip to the fullest and ensures that you don’t end up facing expenses you haven’t planned on.
Be protected before you leave with Trip Cancellation coverage
Instead of posting your trip plans online, go online to purchase travel insurance any time before the date of your departure. It’s best to purchase Trip Cancellation coverage as soon as possible after booking your trip. If you need to cancel your trip before your scheduled departure, trip cancellation insurance reimburses you for non-refundable, prepaid travel arrangements that can’t be recovered from another source. The insurance may also pay cancellation penalties that your provider may charge.
Ensure you are covered with Trip Interruption insurance
There is always a chance you might need to leave your destination early due to a sudden family emergency. Trip Interruption travel insurance may help you get home quickly and without worrying about additional costs for a new flight. With Trip Interruption coverage you may be able to file a trip interruption claim if you miss at least 50% of the length of your trip due to a travel carrier delay or other covered reasons. Plus, travel insurance provides important protection for other costs you may incur, such as refunds for costs such as a hotel room, meals, and transportation in the event your vacation is interrupted. Your trip interruption coverage may also reimburse you for expenses incurred to get home.
Put Emergency Medical Travel Insurance in place
Remember, when you travel outside your home province or territory there are limits on how much your government health insurance plan will pay – and they only pay a very small portion of medical expenses incurred abroad. Costs that may not be covered include air and ground ambulance, emergency dental treatment and prescription drug expenses, and fees charged by hospitals or medical facilities. That means injuries and illnesses can become expensive – fast. If you have a serious health crisis, emergency travel medical insurance provides coverage for transport to the nearest appropriate medical facility equipped to handle your emergency.
Ready to travel? Go online… to get your travel insurance!
Go online to SBIS to learn about how you can choose from multiple travel coverage options in minutes. When you book your travel plans, don’t wait – get your travel insurance right away. If you are travelling with family, packages are available for Emergency Medical coverage for every member. You can also purchase All-Inclusive insurance coverage for Emergency Medical, Trip Cancellation and Interruption, Baggage Loss, Damage and Delay, and Flight and Travel Accidents. Need help choosing the right plan? Call us at 1-800-667-0429 during our regular business hours or email us at [email protected] for prompt service.
And don’t forget, when you get home – post about SBIS.ca and how we helped you stay protected!
