I always get travel insurance when I go abroad. Kakao is the easiest way to sign up, so I've only used Kakao, and I usually sign up quickly about a day before departure. It's convenient because you can sign up directly within KakaoTalk. Honestly, the terms and conditions are too long, so I don't read them in detail. It was just a matter of thinking, "I have insurance, so if anything happens, it'll be resolved well."
But before my trip to Japan with my girlfriend in August, I decided to look into it properly this time and was surprised by some claim rejection stories. It turns out there are surprisingly many cases where claims are rejected even if you have travel insurance. And it often comes down to details like receipts, incident reports, and policy clauses that we frequently overlook.
My trip is still some time away, but since it's on my mind, I've organized this information to remember. I'm sure there are many people like me who just quickly sign up with Kakao and don't read the terms and conditions, so please pay attention from now on!
5 Cases of Claim Rejection
1. Lost luggage → Rejection if you don't get a PIR (Property Irregularity Report) from the airline.
This is said to be the most common reason for rejection. If your luggage doesn't arrive or is damaged, you must immediately get a PIR (Property Irregularity Report) from the airline counter. Without this, your claim will be rejected. If you report it a few days later, it won't be accepted.
You need to get it before leaving the airport, but many people unknowingly just leave. If your luggage is missing or damaged, you must go to the counter first.
2. Flight delay → Usually no compensation for delays under 4 hours.
Flight delay compensation varies by policy, but usually, compensation begins for delays of 4-6 hours or more. Kakao had a similar standard. Delays of 1-2 hours are not eligible for claims.
And even if you are compensated, you need receipts for hotel and meal expenses to make a claim. If you just wait at the airport, you won't have anything to claim. Receipts are key.
3. Medicine bought at a pharmacy → Rejection without a hospital prescription.
This is a real trap. Sometimes, when you're not feeling well during an overseas trip, you buy medicine at a pharmacy. A pharmacy receipt alone is not enough for a claim. It must be accompanied by a hospital prescription to be recognized.
Simply put, if you catch a cold during your trip to Japan and buy cold medicine at a drugstore, even if you keep the receipt, the insurance company will reject it, saying, "Compensation is not possible without a hospital diagnosis." To actually get compensation for medical expenses, you need to get diagnosed and prescribed at a local hospital.
4. Theft → Rejection for "theft from an unattended state."
This is also a confusing point. You leave your laptop at a cafe table to go to the restroom for a moment, and it's gone. Or you leave it in your hotel room and go out, and it disappears.
In such cases, it can be classified as "theft from an unattended state" and your claim may be rejected. If someone snatches a bag you were holding, or you are pickpocketed, those are covered. Do you see the difference?
5. Loss → Rejection if you "don't know where you lost it."
Theft and loss are handled differently. If you "don't know where you lost it," the loss itself cannot be claimed. The insurance company requires a "theft report (police report)," but since you can't get a report for a loss, it's rejected.
Many times, if you lose a bag, wallet, or phone, it just ends up as a loss, and you won't get compensation.
What Kakao Users Should Know
There are two additional details that people who have only used Kakao, like me, should know.
No-Claim Refund System: With Kakao, if you make even one claim during your trip, you are excluded from the refund. If you don't make a claim, 10% of the premium is refunded, but as soon as you make a claim, the refund is forfeited. So, for small incidents, it might be more beneficial not to claim.
Pre-existing Condition Exemption: Illnesses that existed before you signed up are not covered. If a chronic condition worsens during your trip, it's likely to be rejected as a "pre-existing condition."
So, what should you look at when signing up?
After learning about the 5 rejection cases, it became clear what to look for when signing up.
Exclusion Clauses: These are the rejection conditions written in small print at the back of the policy. They will likely be marked separately as "Items Not Covered." There are separate exclusion conditions for each item like lost luggage, theft, and medical expenses, so you should definitely skim through them at least once before signing up.
Coverage Limit: If the premium is cheap, the coverage limit is also low. For example, 500,000 won for lost luggage, 1,000,000 won for medical expenses. It's good to consider the value of your belongings and adjust the limit accordingly.
Claim Procedure: Receipts and incident reports are key. If an accident occurs, it's a good habit to collect receipts first, just in case, to increase your chances of getting a refund.
This is how I'll prepare for my upcoming trip to Japan.
I've organized what I learned into a checklist.
Before signing up: Review Kakao's policy exclusion clauses once. Especially the difference between theft and loss, and the handling of pharmacy receipts.
During the trip: Always get receipts. If luggage is damaged, get a PIR report before leaving the airport. For theft or loss, go to the police station immediately and get a police report.
If you get sick: Don't go to a pharmacy; go to a hospital first. Get a diagnosis and prescription.
Conclusion
Just signing up for travel insurance doesn't guarantee you'll receive compensation.
The 5 rejection cases → PIR for luggage, flight delay criteria, pharmacy receipts, difference between theft vs. loss, unattended theft → it's essential to know these in advance.
Until now, I've just quickly signed up for Kakao travel insurance and never read the terms and conditions. After looking into it this time, I realized there are too many cases where you can't get compensation due to a single receipt when a claim arises.
Before my trip to Japan in August, I'm going to review the terms and conditions again and make sure to write down a checklist in my phone's memo. For those of you who don't properly read your travel insurance policy! Don't regret it overseas; please take a deep look at it at least once.