671 reviews
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AI reviews summary
Freely Travel Insurance is highly regarded for its competitive pricing and user-friendly digital interface, particularly among seniors and travellers with pre-existing medical conditions. While many users praise the seamless application process and the unique "daily boost" feature for activities like skiing, feedback regarding the claims process is polarised. While some travellers report fast and hassle-free payouts, others highlight significant frustrations with documentation requirements, long delays, and rigid policy exclusions.
Pros
- Competitive Pricing for Seniors: Frequently cited as one of the most affordable options for travellers over 70 and 80, often accommodating pre-existing medical conditions that other insurers reject.
- Highly Functional App: The mobile application is praised for its intuitive design, making it easy to store policy details, contact support via chat, and manage coverage on the go.
- Flexible "Daily Boost" Coverage: Users value the ability to add specific cover (e.g., snow sports, scootering, or cruise cover) only for the specific days they are participating in those activities.
- Efficient Sign-up Process: The online application and medical screening questionnaires are described as straightforward, allowing users to obtain a policy within minutes.
Cons
- Polarising Claims Experience: While some claims are settled within days, a significant number of users report a slow, bureaucratic process involving repetitive document requests and long wait times for responses.
- Rigid Policy Exclusions: Multiple users expressed dissatisfaction after claims for flight delays due to weather or specific medical incidents were rejected based on strict fine-print interpretations.
- App and Technical Glitches: Some users encountered issues with the app, including difficulty receiving certificates, login codes expiring too quickly, and accidental policy cancellations due to a lack of confirmation prompts.
- Communication Silos: Reports indicate a lack of information sharing between the emergency assistance teams and the claims department, forcing customers to resubmit sensitive medical documents multiple times.
Verdict
Freely Travel Insurance is an excellent choice for tech-savvy travellers seeking affordable, customisable coverage, especially for those in older age brackets or those engaging in specific adventure sports. However, prospective users should meticulously review the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) regarding exclusions and be prepared for a potentially rigorous documentation process should they need to lodge a claim.
I Have used Freely a few time but never again I Have used Freely a few time but never had to claim, but I will never use them again. We had our Jetstar flight to Japan from Brisbane canceled the night before we were leaving and Jetstar said they can put us on another flight 2 days later, but this would not work for us, so they Jetstar gave me a… Read more
full refund within 14 days. but I had allready paid for hotel and rental car. It was only $500 I was asking Freely to pay and its now been since the 11th of June and they still are asking for extra things and will not pay.
This was the first time I had used Freely Travel Insurance. It was also the first time I have had to ever claim on my travel insurance. I had booked a 4 night domestic cruise. The morning of the cruise, I woke up with gastro. I was in and out of the bathroom all morning. There was no way I could go. I was able to call the TA to cancel the cruise,… Read more · 1
as well as do a telehealth appointment in between visiting the bathroom.
After recovering sufficiently, 5 days later, I arranged all my paperwork and submitted my claim. I wasn't sure if I had completed the claim form properly (ie the TA and Doctor filling out their parts which I wasn't able to do - I just had a Doctors certificate and emails from the TA) and was actually thinking I would be knocked back. I submitted my claim on the 18th July and it was approved on the 29th July. The money was deposited to my account the next day.
I was very impressed with Freely (and Covermore). I highly recommend them and will use them again for sure.
If ur ever going over seas Please dont use Freely travel insurance When we got stuck in bali for a while Flights cancled ect with 4 kids 2 whom were very sick ambulances ect Once back home Thay are hopless with helping with any reimbursement for medical bills ect And have gone around double handling all information and documentation around and around in circles Dont use them Show details
Hi Kurt, Thank you for taking the time… Read more
Reviews with attachments
Reasonably priced travel insurance, this is the second time I have purchased it, although I have not had to make a claim yet. Show details · 1
Easy and very competitive prices, great customer service when I contacted with a question Show details · 1
- +2
My Policy was as good a value as I could source. It became especially good value when, for the first ever, I needed to lodge a claim. The claim form didn't fully cover my needs but when I rang Freely, the customer service was very kind and helpful. Response to my claim and subsequent payment was so prompt and fair. I will definitely use Freely again. Show details · 2
I broke my ankle in Bali, the experience I receive from Freely Travel Insurance, under writer's World Travel Insurance was outstanding. They were quick to answer when my son was calling them on my behalf speaking with hospital staff and making sure I was constantly ok. I highly recommend. When I got home I finished my claim. It was quickly dealt… Read more · 3
with I was reimbursed with in a week.
Also a week after breaking my ankle I then proceeded to break 1 of my screws in my implant from eating Ayum Statay Chicken. Had tooth fixed and Insurance company were quick to respond as with my ankle. Claim was reimbursed within the week.
I highly recommend never travel without insurance, you just never know when something might happen. I am 62yrs young and travel a lot. Have been using freely for the last 2yrs. I highly recommend switching, and I've tried various insurance companies. But this was the first time ever claiming. Freely gets 100% thumbs up
Would never use again. Airline cancelled flight two days prior to leaving for holiday. Had to stay an extra night. Was told on the freely app. chat prior to leaving, to keep all receipts and evidence and to submit it upon return from trip. Did so, only to be told nothing is claimable (see PDS!) and that it’s only covered in the event of a strike. … Read more
I read through the PDS before purchasing. But PDS is so complicated to understand, with 50 different points and events that won’t be covered and contradict and twist other events, they are a joke.
Insurance Regulator needs to seriously look into insurance companies and make it easier for Aussies to understand and be clear.
Honestly, don’t bother with insurance except for medical cover, it isn’t worth it.
Hi Jonathan, Thank you for sharing your… Read more
3rd time using Freely for a ski trip and couldn’t be happier. Bugs with the App from last year have been ironed out and this time was great. The daily boost concept, and flexibility it offers especially for skiers is, in my opinion, an industry leader. Only one comment for consideration is the use of Australian date/time for boost add ons and… Read more · 1
deletions. I was in Canada and wanted to cancel a ski day but because Australia was 18 hours ahead, I couldn’t cancel that day as that day had already commenced (just) in Australia, this is also a grey area, if I had to claim for an incident on the Canadian day, but it was not that same day in Australia i.e. it was one day later in Australia am I covered? If this type of situation could be clarified for the daily boost concept I would rate Freely 5 stars!
Thankfully didn’t need to use the insurance but it gave me real peace of mind Show details · 1
Latest follow-ups
Easy to set up thankfully didn’t need to claim but was peace of mind Show details · 1
Follow-up · Cost were very reasonable Policy was explained vey clearly And gave you different choices Set up very easy even for me
Although and fortunately I didn’t have to make a claim, Freely is well priced and provides good coverage. The app is easy to use and questions were answered promptly. Show details · 1
Follow-up · The app was easy to use. I was able to update options to suit activities I might undertake on the day. Any questions I asked were answered with in 24 hours. The options for inclusions or exclusions easliy allows the user to tailor their insurance to meet their needs.
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Ren was extremel helpful and explained my questions, she sent off emails to me regarding any concerns or questions. I believe it is good value and relatively easy to set up. I have never used Freely previously but definitely will recommend. We do not leave for our cruise in Europe until September Show details · 1
Follow-up · Everything sofar is going well, we dont leave until Sept, flying into Barcelona and cruising on small ship the length of the west coast Europe up to Finland and finishing in Denmark. The policy terms seem explained in the documentation which are always lengthy and set out legally.
Positive reviews
Due to numerous pre-existing medical condition declarations the process of obtaining a quote was slow and very stressful. The staff were very polite and helpful. I paid the premium a few minutes ago. As with any insurance, reviews in my opinion are of more value from people who have made claims. I certainly, hope that I won't have to. Show details · 1
Was not needed...But appreciated contact before and after our travel checking if we needed anything. Very personal response. It was good value and reassuring. I would definitely use again. Show details · 1
I have tried a couple of times to get the Insurance sorted. It has worked out excellent. Good Job to Freely. This will be my 6th Cruise with 2 others already booked and I will be using Freely for both of those. Thanks so much. Show details · 1
Negative reviews
Purchased a policy and then cancelled it after 21 days but before I departed on the trip. They charged an arbitrary fee and could not tell me how the fee was calculated. They said “it’s system generated”. Implies that no employee actually knows what the system does. Asked them to point to the section in PDS that says there is a cancellation fee… Read more
before I depart and they kept copying and pasting other sections that do not apply. Again this implies that no human employee actually knows how their insurance policy works.
So beware that if you have a situation that is not so straight forward they get all confused and don’t know what to do.
Hi Kevin, Thank you for taking the time… Read more (+2 replies)
Very cheap travel insurance for my 70 year old mother. Problem is, they have not emailed the certificate. Will need to contact them. The app is silly. Code takes longer than the 3mins expiry time permitted by the app before it expires. Tried 3 times and each time, waited longer than 3 minutes. Now I have tried too many times and will have to wait even longer before I could try again. Shame. Show details
Hi Kim, Thank you for your feedback, and… Read more
AVOID - Freely is COVER-MORE/Horrendous claims process Do not get fooled by their app. Yes, it's easy to purchase insurance from them. They're happy to take your money. But when it comes to honouring legitimate claims, they will try and find any excuse not to pay. Unfortunately, you have to go through their internal dispute process, which takes… Read more
months, before you can take to AFCA but they're counting on you not bothering and holding them accountable. I would encourage you to definitely take your case to AFCA so that there's a record of their deliberate and unfair bias and poor claims process. Please also be aware that Freely is owned by Cover-More. You're really dealing with Cover-More. Just read the reviews under Cover-More, which are horrendous for claims and youll understand why you shouldn't bother taking out a policy with Freely. Save yourselves the stress later. When it comes to paying, youll find out that they don't cover you for anything at all and you'll be out-of-pocket for thousands. Most of the travel insurance offered by the banks are also managed by Cover-More. It's worthwhile to do some research as to who the underwriters are and who will assess the claims as these are the companies that you'll ultimately be dealing with when something goes wrong and you need them to step-up. Freely/Cover-More won't. Wish I had known that Freely are really Cover-More as I would never had purchased a policy with them given the incredibly poor reputation of Cover-More.
Hi there, Thank you for taking the time… Read more
Recent reviews
Easy to take out, reasonable price and luckily we did not need to make a claim. Gave us peace of mind to know the insurance was there if we needed it. We will use Freely again when we travel overseas. Show details · 1
Contacted Freely via phone, had 72 hours to make our mind up and found Freely were the cheapest in comparison. Easy contract to fill out and good price, better than other Travel Insurance companies and a friendly staff member Show details · 1
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Buying insurance is always a nuisance as you hope you don't get your money's worth. With Freely, I buy peace of mind. They communicate regularly and that gives me the feeling that they will be there if I ever need them (hopefully, never!). Thanks Show details · 1
Freely offers a refreshing point of difference in travel insurance. During a recent trip to Greece I needed emergency dental treatment and feared the worst. However Freely's easy no nonsense process made it surprisingly easy to understand my policy and lodge a claim that was paid out without any drawn out enquiries or requests for more information. Highly recommended. Show details · 1
Thank you Charmaine yesterday and Ren today for your help. Both very patient and helpful and efficient. Thanks again! Very good service, thoroughly recommend Freely Travel Insurance. Show details · 1
Your customer service officers Renalyn and Rovi were exemplary in the thorough support, patience and understanding they showed towards us when sorting through an issue that arose. Great service when dealing with a large company! Thank you! We would not hesitate to take out travel insurance with you in the future. Show details · 1
I chose freely travel insurance as i had more options with winter sports and car hire. I had the ability to pay for the days only it was required not the duration of the whole trip. I will use freely again. Show details · 1
I wanted a basic no frills travel policy and Freely came through better than the others I looked at. Very simple form to fill out. Easy and quick. I had my travel insurance within several minutes. Show details · 1
The app was easy to use. I had a question when overseas about how to extend my policy and the person I contacted was very helpful and kind. I will use freely again for travel insurance. Show details
Follow-up · The questions I asked were through ‘chat’ from memory. The answer was actually in the app and they kindly directed me to find it.
I was really happy with the service provided by Freely on my recent cruise. I discovered at embarkation that i had made an error when taking out my policy and couldn’t board the ship until it was corrected. I phoned Freely, on a Sunday afternoon, and spoke with a REAL person who fixed my problem and had me on my way in less than 15 minutes. Awesome! Show details
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Hi Gavin, Thank you for taking the time… Read more