During our trip to the USA last year, we took a train journey on the Coast Starlight ( http://www.amtrak.com/coast-starlight-train ) from Seattle to San Francisco. It was supposed to be a 24 hour ride but we had the unfortunate pleasure to be caught in the worst storm in 30 years to hit the West Coast. ( http://www.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeednews/powerful-storm-pushes-across-california#.bvOlZe3ye ) 24 hours became 32 hours as our train got delayed by the fierce rains, landslides and other miscellaneous happenings including police arresting someone who had willfully pulled the emergency stop brakes and 1.5 hour wait for crew member rotation. Our train guide told us it was the most eventful train ride he had been since he started with Amtrak and indeed it was very amusing.
Fast forward a month later and back in Singapore, I decided to submit a claim to MSIG ( http://www.msig.com.sg/ ) for the train delay. We had bought a family policy with them prior to our trip because it was a lot cheaper than buying it individually. It proved to be a very good decision.
The claim procedure was fairly easy and straight forward. Submit all the documents online including flight itinerary and passport etc. After 3 days, someone emailed me with the following request:
> Dear Ms Chiong
>
> Your claim has received our notification.
>
> We wish to advise that you have purchased a family policy.
>
> Family policy means “A Policy issued to the Insured (named as such in the Schedule) in respect of the Insured Persons who are travelling as a Family. For the purpose of this Policy, the Insured Persons under a Family Cover comprise the Insured, his/her legal spouse and all their legal Child(ren)”.
>
> In order for us to assess the claim, please assist to provide us with the following:
>
> * A copy of the child birth certificate for the Chiong Zoey Aiko Koi
> * What is the relationship between all the claimants – Chiong Ling Wei Olivia, Chiong Ai Ni Irene and Chiong Zoey Aiko Koi (Please identify clearly for all claimants)
>
> Please quote our claim ref: 407472 on the claim documents.
>
> We will look into the claim upon receiving it.
>
> Thank you.
I replied to her email with the following:
> Zoey Aiko Chiong Koi Jen is our daughter. Her birth certificate is attached.
>
> Chiong Ai Ni Irene is my wife. We were married in USA last year. The certificate is attached.
>
> Do let me know if you require any further information.
>
And I attached Zoey's birth certificate and our marriage certificate along with the email.
A month went by without any response and I was just thinking about writing to her again today when I checked the letter box and found this:
I am extremely please right now as I was fully convinced they were going to turn down the claim and say our marriage is not legal. It is an awesome feeling to have our family validated in Singapore and I am very thankful to MSIG for not making this a painful process.
MSIG is now my favourite insurer so do buy their insurance the next time you are travelling!