BBB In Knoxville Revokes Membership Of Trip Assured

Tennessee travel assistance company, Trip Assured, has had its membership revoked by the Better Business Bureau in Knoxville. The BBB also put up a notice on its website that Trip Assured has faced government action and that its customer relations show a failure to meet the standards of conduct that are expected from a BBB member.

The decision by the BBB to revoke Trip Assured's membership follows complaints from people who bought policies from Trip Assured. A number of people have claimed that they bought what they thought was trip cancellation insurance from Trip Assured, but when their travel plans had to be cancelled, Trip Assured failed to honor the policy. There have been nearly 80 complaints about Trip Assured filed at the BBB Knoxville office. There have also been around 40 complaints filed at the Department of Commerce and Insurance in Tennessee. These complaints resulted in "cease and desist" orders issued against Trip Assured in the US states of Tennessee, Florida, California, North Carolina, Texas and Michigan.

Before these complaints, Trip Assured had a "satisfactory" rating from the BBB. Trip Assured owner, Edward McKinley Johnson, says he believes the BBB action is temporary and informal and that it can be revoked after he has communicated with the BBB. He also states that Trip Assured sells trip assistance services, rather than travel insurance.

California Insurance Commissioner, John Garamendi, who last month ordered Trip Assured to stop doing business in California, says that the product offered by Trip Assured meets the definition of insurance. Mr Garamendi also says suggested that the travel insurance company defrauds and intimidates senior citizens. Many of the complaints appear to be from senior citizens.

Trip Assured was not a member of the UStiA (US Travel Insurance). UStiA members subscribe to a code of ethics, including paying claims fairly and promptly. The UStiA has a list of its members at its website, which can be found at www.ustravelinsurance.org. The UStiA recommends that US consumers buy their travel insurance from a reputable company that has agreed to adhere to certain ethical standards.