Indranil’s phone was stolen during Rio Carnival.
We reported the incident of theft by force, and raised a claim with our travel insurance provider, Heymondo.
Throughout the entire claim process, we had moments of relief, and moments of anxiousness. There were things we liked, and there were things that we thought could have been handled better.
So, let me share an honest review about our Heymondo Travel Insurance claim, detailing the experience, starting from the first hour after the incident to the final decision and payout.
‼️ Disclaimer: We are affiliate partners with Heymondo. This is NOT a promotional or sponsored post.
For a few years now, we have been purchasing Heymondo Travel Insurance policies for our own trips.
In all these years, for that one unwanted case of theft and claim, this is our candid review of Heymondo Travel Insurance claim, sharing everything from what happened to what we liked and what we did not.
During the entire claim process, we never mentioned our affiliate partnership with Heymondo.
Our Heymondo Travel Insurance Setup
For our long-term travels in Latin America, Indranil and I purchase and renew our Heymondo Long Stay travel insurance. We were active on this policy at the time of the incident.
To cater to the needs of different types of travelers, Heymondo offers 3 different travel insurance options:
✅ International Travel Insurance: Travel insurance for single trips, for leisure or for business.
✅ Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance: One insurance for all international trips (of duration up to 60 days each), taken during the year.
✅ Long Stay Travel Insurance: Flexible travel insurance coverage for stays of minimum 90 days. Renewable after 90 days for longer travel periods.
On this particular trip, we had also chosen to purchase the optional extension on electronics coverage, because this time, our destinations included Rio de Janeiro, that too, during one of the craziest periods of the year in that city, that is, Carnaval.
When it comes to traveling in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, unfortunately, phone theft and phone robbery is a story we hear a little too often.
➡️ If your phone was just stolen in Rio de Janeiro, these are the steps you need to follow now.
➡️ If you want to know how Indranil’s phone was stolen, here is the story.
Heymondo Travel Insurance Claim: Our Experience
Indranil is the primary buyer for our Heymondo Travel Insurance for 2 people, his phone was stolen and he is the one who opened the incident under claims management.
I (Pubali) was present at the time of the the theft by force, and was actively involved in the communication with Heymondo for this claim process, particularly when it required a bit of toughening up on our part.
So, let me break down the details of our Claims experience with Heymondo.
Actions We Took Right Away
Filing a Police Report
Our first step was to file a complaint with the local police station. Indranil and I went to the Tourist Police Station in Rio and followed the process to get our copy of the complaint.
We knew that there was no hope of getting his phone back, but still this was an essential step we had to follow, even if it took a few hours.
❗️ Without a police report, an incident of theft is not eligible for Heymondo insurance claim.
When narrating any story to anyone, I have the habit of getting into too much details. So, while filing the police complaint, I insisted Indranil to mention every minute detail of the incident.
Turned out, this was an essential step.
❗️ Theft is covered in the Heymondo policy ONLY if it involves intimidation or violence or force.
Lesson: Read the policy document, including the fine print.
Indranil filled out the form with pen in English. But the electronic police report, that was generated by the Tourist Police in Rio, was entirely in Brazilian Portuguese. However, for the claim, we did not face any issues due to this.
In the police complaint, Indranil also had to mention the value of the object stolen. Thankfully, I had a copy of his phone purchase invoice in my email inbox and could provide the exact value.
❗️ Remember to retain copies of electronic invoices of all your valuables in email, so that you can access them from any device, when needed.
Opening an Incident for Claim
Indranil opened an incident under Claims Management on the Heymondo app. It was fairly intuitive and easy to use.
From the Heymondo app, you have the option to choose which kind of incident you want to report, and then follow the instructions on screen.
In our case of Theft, Indranil wrote the detailed explanation of the incident, and attached the police complaint report in the box provided on the app.
❗️ To activate the coverage on theft, it is essential to submit the police report to Heymondo within 48 hours of the theft.
Heymondo Summary and Passing to IRIS
The next day, someone (lets call her Sophia) from Heymondo contacted Indranil by email.
She summarized the entire incident, our policy coverage including the add-on for electronics, our claim details and the conditions under which the coverage for theft can be activated.
This summary helped us see the complete picture, and was also in line with our expectation. For example, our electronics theft coverage was 1200 USD and they would apply a depreciation factor on the actual price of the phone. So, we anyway did not expect the recovery of full amount.
According to Heymondo’s evaluation, this was indeed a theft by force or violence, so we had a case for the claim with all necessary documentation.
Sophia informed Indranil that they would forward our claim to IRIS Global, the insurance underwriter for assessment and processing. The estimated time given was 20-30 days.
Heymondo partners with insurance underwriting companies such as IRIS Global and AXA.
For your Heymondo Travel Insurance policy, the assigned underwriting company will depend on the country of your residence.
In our case, with our country of residence as Costa Rica, it is IRIS.
Review by IRIS and The Drama
Indranil had to fill out an online form from IRIS to continue with the claim settlement process. From our side, we had provided everything and the only thing we needed to do now was wait.
Or so we thought.
It had been a month since we heard from IRIS. They had not shared any assessment, neither had asked for any additional supporting documents.
So we reached out to our Heymondo point of contact, requesting for a followup with IRIS and a status update for us.
A day later, Indranil got an email from IRIS, stating that they cannot cover the claim because the theft was not by force.
Indranil was disappointed. I was furious.
If this had to be the assessment from IRIS, why did they take a month to send this two liner email?
How can an incident where 4-5 men surrounded the two of us and pushed us apart and shoved us, and stole from Indranil’s pocket, is not a theft by force?
Heymondo had already evaluated our cases and determined that it was indeed a theft by force. Then why did IRIS come back to us with a different evaluation, that too after a month, and without even making any contact in the meantime?
This was the time to toughen up.
I drafted a strongly worded message for Indranil (he is the kinder one) to send to Heymondo support, expressing the frustration with all of the above.
Heymondo Support and IRIS Decision Revision
Sophia from Heymondo were patient and kind to consider our contest, and she confirmed that they would circle back with IRIS to see what happened.
A few hours later, Indranil received another email from IRIS. This time, it said that their supervision department had authorized to cover the theft if he could send 3 additional documents:
- iPhone cancellation request
- New SIM request
- Phone bill from the month of theft
However, they would apply a depreciation % on actual iPhone purchase value before the reimbursement, based on the current valuation.
A depreciation on an used electronic product is fair and expected. We did not contest the amount, as we found that the depreciation % was reasonable.
We were happy that the claim case progressed, in the direction of our satisfaction.
Indranil responded at the earliest, providing all the requested documents. He also kept Sophia from Heymondo in the loop about this new development.
❗️ In case you do not have all the required documents, try to provide alternative supporting documents that can help build your case for the claim.
Final Decision and Payout
2 days later, IRIS informed Indranil that the claim had been approved and the reimbursement would be realized in a few days. There was no specific date.
Indranil received the reimbursement amount in his bank account within 2.5 weeks.
We did have to reach out to Heymondo one more time to followup on the payment status, or to get an idea of the expected payment date. But we are glad that this was finally settled!
❗️ For the claim settlement reimbursement, your bank may charge a small fee for incoming international transfer.
Heymondo Claim: Our Learnings
From this Heymondo claim experience, we had a few learning reinforcements: some we were already aware of, some we happened to do it right by chance, and some we learned in the process.
Summarizing our learnings here, so that you are better prepared than us, in the event you need to file a travel insurance claim with Heymondo.
- Read your policy document carefully, including all the fine print.
- Save electronic copies of invoices for your valuables and electronics.
- File a police complaint and submit to insurance provider within 48 hours.
- Expect depreciation on electronics.
- If you lack a supporting document, offer alternative proof.
- Keep your timeline consistent across forms, reports and emails.
- Do not hesitate to follow-up.
Heymondo Claim: What We Did Not Like
The things we did not like about our Heymondo claim insurance are primarily to do with IRIS Global (as you can imagine), such as:
- The delay in first assessment verdict from IRIS Global
- The initial rejection by IRIS with a questionable justification
- The need for follow-up on payout from IRIS, even after
We weren’t quite satisfied with how IRIS handled our claim, but were happy with how Heymondo served us.
Heymondo Claim: What We Liked
Here are what we liked from our Heymondo Travel Insurance claim process and experience:
- Heymondo app is excellent and easy to use with all information available at your fingertips
- Claim can be raised directly on the Heymondo app
- Dedicated human touch point with Heymondo support
- Heymondo support team’s excellent and prompt communication, both proactive and reactive
Heymondo team stood by us like a strong support system throughout the claim process, from the incident opening to the reimbursement.
No, Sophia had no idea that we are affiliate partners with Heymondo.
Final Thoughts
We continue to use and recommend Heymondo as our preferred choice for travel insurance provider due to their:
- Competitive pricing
- Flexible travel insurance plans
- Easy to access information on app
- 24/7 medical chat
- 24 hour free assistance calls
- Excellent customer support with human touch points when needed
- and in our case, a 100% claim settlement rate
As affiliate partners with Heymondo, we are also able to offer you, the readers of Paradise Catchers, a 5% discount on any Heymondo travel insurance policy. When you go to the page from our link, the discount is automatically applied, however it is not applicable for US residents.
Paradise Catchers Readers: Get 5% off on Heymondo travel insurance (discount automatically applied)
* Discount not applicable for US residents
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Travel Resources
- Flights: Skyscanner
- Hotels: Booking.com | Expedia
- Tours: Viator | GetYourGuide
- Travel Insurance:
- Heymondo (get 5% off)
- SafetyWing Nomad Insurance
- eSIMs:
- Transfers: Bookaway. Code PARADISE5 for 5% off
Disclosure: Please note that this post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase or a booking through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you.
