The Gold cancellation Insurance will reimburse the entirely cancellation or modification fee if the reason for the cancellation or modification is covered under the terms of the insurance policy. The premium is 3,50 % of the total amount of the journey with a minimum of € 7,50 per person. In case of cancellation or modification, you pay the insurance premium, € 10 file charge per person plus € 20 franchise per person. If you take out the Gold insurance, the guarantee starts at the subscription and ends at the outward journey.
Upgrading the cancellation insurance is allowed up to 7 days after booking en 57 days before departure. Downgrading is not allowed.
The insurer will always guarantee reimbursement for:
• the total cancellation cost, except for the premium, franchise, and administrative fee, if you cancel before the departure date.
• the total modification cost, for modifying the departure date, except for the premium, franchise, and administrative fee.
In the following cases:
• Illness, accident or death of the person registered for the trip, his or her spouse or legal live-in partner, relatives or relatives by marriage up to the second degree, brother(s)-in-law, sister(s)-in-law, mother-in-law, father-in-law, half-brother(s), half sister(s), and minor children of the reconstituted family.
• Pregnancy, if the person registered for the trip (1) was not yet pregnant at the time of reservation and (2) the trip will take place during the last trimester of the pregnancy. Reimbursement is also guaranteed when unforeseen complications related to the pregnancy occur to the person registered for the trip and when unforeseen complications related to the pregnancy occur to a partner who is not participating in the trip.
• Layoff with termination of an open-ended employment contract of the person registered for the trip, except for summary dismissel.
• New employment contract of at least 3 months, if the person registered for the trip is known to be seeking employment through the competent institutions.
• Significant damage to the real estate of the person registered for the trip. This damage must be such that the person's presence is required.
• Convocation of the person registered for the trip or his or her spouse or legal live-in partner (1) for an organ transplant (the medical certificate must mention the inability to travel), (2) for the adoption of a child (the child must arrive to the family one month before, during, or one month after the trip), (3) for an unexpected military mission, (4) as a member of a jury for a jury trial.
• Disappearance or kidnapping of the person registered for the trip, of relatives, or relatives by marriage to the second degree, or of the spouse or legal live-in partner.
The grounds mentioned above also apply to traveling companions who registered for the trip at the same time.
The illness and/or accident must be diagnosed by a licensed doctor. He or she must determine whether the contract signed must be broken for medical reasons.
• Illness: health impairment
• Accident: bodily lesions
The reimbursement of the cancellation or the modification cost will not be covered if you are forced to cancel or modify your trip for the following reasons:
• Illnesses due to alcoholism or drug use.
• Tuberculous diseases.
• Illnesses requiring psychological or psychiatric treatment.
• Illnesses or accidents that cannot be diagnosed by a medical examination or that do not have objective symptoms allowing a formal diagnosis to be established.
• Illnesses already known or that have already given rise to complaints at the time of reservation.
• Epidemics (also during travel).
• Consequences of nuclear attack or radiation.
• War, strikes, riots, civil war, or acts of collective violence, unless you can demonstrate that the cancellation has no relationship to these events.
• Deliberate acts such as suicide.
• Natural catastrophes.
• You must take all steps to limit cancellation fees wherever possible. Inform your touroperator as soon as something occurs that might be grounds for cancellation, modification, or the interruption of your trip.
• Send a written declaration within 7 days to Westservice NV, Ezelstraat 43 in 8000 Brugge. Telephone +32(0)50 33 52 49. Fax +32(0)50 33 12 17. Email: info@westservice.be.
• Follow the instructions from your claims manager and provide all information and/or documents that the claims manager requires.
• Agree that your insurer may subject you to a medical examination and access your medical file in case of accident or illness.
• For any potential claim, send it first to your policy manager. You may find his or her address in the correspondence from the claims manager. If that is not sufficient, you may then also contact the insurer's customer service department, which, in Belgium, is represented by Westservice NV, service de gestion des plaintes, Ezelstraat 43 in 8000 Brugge. Telephone +32(0)50 33 52 49. Fax +32(0)50 33 12 17. Email: info@westservice.be. Always mention your reservation number in your claim. This will help us serve your more rapidly.
• We will examine your claim upon receipt. You will receive a response within two weeks of receipt. If we are unable to respond to you within this period, we will inform you as to when you should expect our response.
• If you are not satisfied with the handling of your claim, you may contact the Insurance Ombudsman using the standard form on the Internet site www.ombudsman.as, or by email at the address info@ombudsman.as, by fax at+32 (2) 547 59 75 or by letter sent to Ombudsman des Assurances, Square De Meeûs 35, 1000 Brussels. Be sure to mention your reservation number.
• This claims procedure will in no way prejudice the right to legal action.
• Cancellation insurance is governed by Belgian law. Only Belgian courts have jurisdiction. The insurer will automatically defend you and obtain reimbursement of fees from any responsible third party. The statute of limitation for any legal proceedings stemming from the insurance policy is three years.
• The statute starts from the date of the event that led to the legal proceedings.