BEWARE: AIG Insurance and Tiger Airways Trick

by **mattnsuzi** » September 8th, 2007

[Sorry to post this in both the Asia and Australasian sections but it is relevant for both]

In a cheap and thoroughly disrespectful way of making money from their customers, AIG Insurance with the obvious blessing of Tiger Airways has commenced fooling people into taking out insurance that they may not want.

Here's how it works: contrary to expected practice, best practice, fair trading practice and the law as it relates to insurance, the Tiger Airways site requires you to actively opt-out of the insurance option. So if you miss clicking the button which says "No, I don't want insurance" then you pay. What a sad little scheme this is. Having missed (as I think many will) the necessity to click the button and having realised that I had purchased something that I did not want, I immediately contacted Tiger Airways and AIG. This was a mammoth effort in itself as they seem to be intentionally hiding their contact details. And don't just try replying to their confirmation e-mail. It bounces.

Once you locate an email address, do not expect anything close to reasonable service or response. I have asked them to forward the letter to the AIG and Tiger Airways Boards but they refuse to confirm that they have done this despite 5 requests. One can only assume that they have not forwarded my complaint.

On the substantive issue of tricking people into insurance, their eventual response denying my right to cancel the unwanted policy included the utterly disingenuous "The insurance option check box is pre-checked in order to maximize convenience for our customers". It is only really convenient for the companies involved. I am having difficulty in establishing where I experienced the "convenience" in all of this.

I, personally, won't be booking any more flights with Tiger Airways until they and AIG insurance change their internet sales practices. Additionally, I am pursuing the matter with regulatory authorities in Singapore and Australia.

You have been warned.

by **Eppyboy** » September 8th, 2007

thanks for the heads up, I am actually using TigerAirways to go to Australia next year, now I will most certainly double check on that. It is unfortunate what happened to you, but just think how many people you are helping out by your caution.

by **mattnsuzi** » September 8th, 2007

Thanks Eppy,

Please note that you wilol only find this sharp practice when trying to book through the Singapore portal on trips that depart from or arrive to Singapore.

Regards.

by **static** » September 8th, 2007

Please do not post the same thing in two forums.

by **MikaL** » September 11th, 2007

We've been contacted by the company discussed in this message, and would like to offer the additional input on this thread, since this is the one that they referenced specifically. Please see their email below, and our response below that.

quote:

From: Abdul-Rahim, Anisah
Date: 10-set-2007 23.09
Subject: Travel Forum
To: boards@bootsnall.com

PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL

11 September 2007

To: Bootsnall Administrator

Dear Sir

RE: Request for immediate removal of posting

One of your members has been posting messages on your site which make reference to American Home Assurance Company or American International Group Inc (AIG). We consider these statements to be defamatory to our company. The relevant posting which was posted on 8 September 2007 can be found at http://boards.bootsnall.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/424098755/m/17600014416 and the poster goes by the username "mattnsuzi".

As we are currently seeking advice on legal options concerning the person in question, we respectfully request that any related current or future postings which make defamatory or offensive reference to American Home Assurance Company or AIG, whether directly or indirectly, by this individual be removed from the forum. Your co-operation is appreciated, if there are any questions please let me know.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely

Anisah Abdul-Rahim
Associate General Counsel &
Assistant Vice President
Legal Department
American Home Assurance Company
Singapore

Important Notice

The information in this email (and any attachments hereto) is confidential and may be protected by legal privileges and work product immunities. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not use or disseminate the information. Receipt by anyone other than the intended recipient is not a waiver of any attorney-client or work product privilege. If you have received this email in error, please immediately notify me by "Reply" command and permanently delete the original and any copies or printouts thereof. Although this email and any attachments are believed to be free of any virus or other defect that might affect any computer system into which it is received and opened, it is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure that it is virus free and no responsibility is accepted by American Home Assurance Company or American International Group, Inc. or its subsidiaries or affiliates either jointly or severally, for any loss or damage arising in any way from its use.

Dear Anisah,

Thank you for contacting us with your concern over with a dispute between you and the person you suggest is making "defamatory" statements about your company.

As you are probably aware, freedom of speech is a right granted to US citizens are granted and many have died to protect. We at BootsnAll also uphold this right for our members and offer them the ability to discuss travel providers in an open forum with other travelers, and live by this right as a US company run by US citizens.

If you find that you have not been able to come to a resolution about the dispute between you and this person who is unaffiliated with BootsnAll in a private manner, may I invite you to do so publicly, as our guest at the BootsnAll Boards to show other BootsnAll members and anyone else reading this forum that you, as a company are concerned about the travel and booking experience you provide, so much so that you can offer a fair and satisfactory response and resolution to the occasional public complaint, especially over something that appears to be only a small amount of money.

I think many people will find that your request to remove or censor information that may be construed as negative shows that AIG is more concerned about the image projected and hiding negative information rather than dealing with it to resolve the issue brought forth. I believe most people do not respect this as an open and honest business practice.

Should you wish to accept our invitation to discuss this matter here on our boards, please register for an account and email boards(at)bootsnall.com with your chosen username and we will make sure that your application is approved, subject only to the conditions that you have filled it out completely and honestly.

Thank you,
Mika Lepisto
BootsnAll Travel Network

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BEWARE: AIG Insurance and Tiger Airways Trick

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