Testimonials

Lillian and Harry Hall, Ontario – November 18th, 2022

“We have for many years worked with Isabelle at Firstrate Insurance to organize our Travel Medical, and Trip Cancellation/Interruption Policies with TuGo whether we travelled within Canada or overseas and registered with TuGo’s MyFlyt App. We have made claims on all three policies and received MyFlyt reimbursement. We are very pleased with the politeness and attention to detail from both, as emails and phone calls are always promptly answered and if there is an uncertainty more information is researched and forthcoming quickly. March 2019 Lillian was out of province and sustained a broken leg for which all Medical claims were covered. In early 2020 a trip was cancelled as Lillian needed unexpected surgery.

2022 has been our catch up year of travel for several trips that were booked 2 and 3 years ago. We donned our masks and packed our patience as we embarked on two trips overseas being aware of the doomsday forecasting of crowded airports, delayed baggage and flight delays. We experienced all of these and a hiking injury was added to the mix. TuGo’s MyFlyt was a welcome text at the Dublin airport in June where within 15 minutes past the 2hr. flight delay we received the message $80.00 had been deposited into our bank account. It sure came in handy as our delay ended up over 6 hours. Our second trip was to France for a prepaid 2 week hiking adventure that moved to a new location every 2-3 days and Lillian sustained an injury on Day 1. We phoned TuGo for advice and explained we did not want to return home as Larry was still able to hike and Lillian was mobile enough to go by bus or train to meet up with the group. Once home we claimed under the Trip Interruption Policy the expenses for the additional transportation costs as well as an additional hotel and meals that was needed to get back to a major city for medical attention and we have been fully reimbursed. With all claims TuGo was quick to respond to phone calls and give advice of what was required. Our two tips are always phone TuGo as soon as possible from wherever you are and to keep all your receipts. If possible always pay with a credit card as your statement is a backup and will have the currency changed to CAD.”

 

John and Sue Duffy, Mississauga, ON – November 29th, 2020

“After several unsatisfactory, and expensive, experiences with other insurers our Travel Agent suggested FirstRate Insurance. Best advice ever! Isabelle and her staff are experts in all areas of travel insurance and have given us total satisfaction with our travel insurance needs, whether international or domestic. We have no hesitation in highly recommending FirstRate Insurance for all your travel insurance requirements. John & Sue”
 

John and Sally W, Guelph, – May 30th, 2020

“My wife and I recently submitted a claim for trip interruption as a result of an accidental injury that my wife suffered during a trip to Mallorca, Spain, in February 2020. Despite the fact that the injury was only fully diagnosed after we returned to Canada, TuGo accepted our claim in full.  Related to the same injury, TuGo also accepted our later claim for trip cancellation for a trip to Central Europe planned for in April 2020. TuGo also accepted another trip interruption claim related to delayed/changed flights and resulting hotel accommodation en route to Mallorca. Although part of the latter claim was initially denied, it was later accepted after we provided further information and explanation.  We were more than satisfied with TuGo’s service, including acceptance of all our claims and promptness of payments”.

Obviously, we would purchase trip interruption/cancellation insurance from TuGo again

John and Sally W

Samy Marzouk, Mississauga, ON, – June 1st, 2019

“Dear Mrs. Beaudoin, it was nice talking to you today and thank you very much for your prompt response, your professionalism and clear explanation as well as your honest advice. Best Regards. Samy Marzouk”

Ken, Alliston, ON, – March 7th, 2018

“Hi Isabelle, Just a note to say thank for arranging the refund of the premium on the insurance policy which turned out not to be needed. The entire matter was handled expeditiously, both by First Rate Insurance and Tugo Insurance, who were very prompt in crediting my visa account. I was particularly impressed with the refund of the full premium which I gather was based on my statement that I had not been out of the province. To be honest, I would not have been surprised if they had only refunded half of the premium as half of the term had just passed. All that has just reinforced my view that First Rate Insurance should be the broker of choice for everyone. When I first talked to your late husband, Bruce, I immediately concluded that he was an honest man who really did have the interests of his clients at heart. Clearly, your firm continues to operate in that manner. Should I have the need for travel insurance in the future I will definitely contact you and I will continue to recommend your firm to my friends.”

Garry, London, ON, – December 8th, 2017

“I can attest on 2 different occasions the positive results I have experienced. Firstly, upon returning from Florida last March 2017, I ended up in the Hospital in Powell, Tenn. with a mini-stroke and 2 seizures. I was airlifted back to Canada after spending 3 days in the hospital. All claims for hospital and medical necessities were handled immediately by Tugo Insurance and without question. Secondly, when planning to travel back to Florida in Dec. 2017, Isabelle Beaudoin went out of her way to assist Me and my wife to insure I had the proper coverage given the medical issues I experienced in 2017. I can not thank Isabelle, Tugo and First Rate Insurance enough for the first class way we were treated. I would definitely recommend First Rate Insurance and I have recommended them to several of my friends, if they are planning on traveling out of the province or Canada. Thank You again Isabelle for all your help! Garry”

Ken and Victoria N, , – May 27th, 2016

“Hello Bruce C and Tugo Claims Department. I received reimbursement for the additional costs we paid to Spring Valley Hospital when Ken was admitted in March 2016. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS! Dealing with ken’s illness and his hospital stay was stressful beyond belief. It was even a bigger shock when we received a copy of the hospital bill. I could not believe the charges from the hospital – some of which were 1000% of what we would have paid for the medications in Canada Tugo, you helped us every step of the way and took such a worry off my shoulders. Second to the stress of Ken’s hospitalization was the worry about filing the claim properly and again, Tugo Claims answered every question I had, and assisted me to make sure I had completed the necesssary documents. I am so thankful that I saw Bruce’s article and made the inquiry. You can rest assured that First Rate Insurance is our #1 travel insurance broker and I will sing your praises and recommend to everyone I know that is travelling to contact you for their insurance needs. So again, thank you so much for your care. .”

Wilbur, Toronto, ON, – May 24th, 2016

“Your timely and informative article “Insurance Coverage Even When You Make A Mistake”, recently published in the “Moneyville” section of the Toronto Star, has proved most helpful in  my review of “Out of Country Medical Coverage” for an older senior with a few current medical problems. The article let me  contact First Rate Insurance Inc. and obtain useful data and advice from Mr. Bruce Cappon. Most medical coverage sellers now  require very complete personal questionnaires, covering past and pre-existing medical conditions, to reduce or quantify their risk, and many seniors are caught by the preexisting clause. Any information covering such insurance is most useful in helping seniors enjoy the pleasures of a warmer winter climate and the health benefits that go with it, as well as providing our province with the decreased costs while away. Of course, much of this problem would be resolved if our federal and provincial governments would honour our “Canada Health Act” which is supposed to provide medical coverage for citizens…Again thank you for the article!”

Pattie, Toronto, ON, – May 24th, 2016

“Dear Bruce, I am writing to thank you and First Rate Insurance Inc. for providing my  daughter with a policy from TUGO (formerly Travel Underwriters/OneWorld Assist). To provide some history – two years ago I read an article in the Toronto Star about the services First Rate Insurance provides for Canadian’s travelling out of country with an existing medical condition. I was very impressed with your advice. To fast forward a year and a half later…. my daughter was returning to Canada after a lengthy absence abroad and was no longer covered by OHIP.
As this was very disconcerting, I remembered the article about you and contacted you for assistance. You advised to me purchase a plan which provided 90 day medical coverage for traveller’s returning to Canada without medical coverage through TUGO (formerly Travel Underwriter’s/OneWorld Assist). I am so grateful for your advice. Three weeks after arriving back in Canada my daughter developed a severe ear infection which required emergency medical treatment at a local hospital. She returned to the emergency dept. for 4 consecutive days (she did not respond to antibiotic therapy) and was then referred to a specialist in London, Ontario where she was treated with an ear drain tube and more antibiotics. This necessitated a return visit to another ENT specialist. The total cost was over $2,000. I submitted a claim to OneWorld Assist and 6 weeks later received a full refund for our out of pocket expenses. The cost of our policy was $350.00 so it was a very wise purchase.
Thank you for providing both excellent advice and an emergency medical package that more than met our needs. Happy to say that our daughter has now fully recovered and again covered by OHIP. I am so grateful that I stumbled upon the article about First Rate Insurance in the Toronto Star and received such excellent advice from you!”

Gerry, Calgary, AB, – May 24th, 2016

“Our efforts to secure reliable travel medical insurance was proving to be a difficult task. Finding insurance coverage for a senior couple was not, in itself, a problem but finding answers to specific questions that required more than a “yes” or “no” answer became highly frustrating. Then we had the good fortune of reading the article “Will That Be Swiss Cheese Or Travel Insurance” by Bruce Cappon in “Canadian Moneysaver” (January 2012) and help was at hand. We sent off our information to Bruce and in a very short time he replied by email and phone to clarify particular answers we had given. Over the next few days we were delighted with the personal service we received and the insurance coverage put in place for us. We are most grateful. Thank you for having such capable experts contribute to your magazine.”

Margaret, Toronto, ON, – May 24th, 2016

“Just dropping you a line to thank you and say how much I enjoyed your two articles  about health travel insurance. I am a cancer survivor and advocate. I try and alert people on the importance of the small print and the issues around “stability”. I thought I knew a lot but your articles gave me new new information. I too advise people to deal with an insurance broker who has experience of covering people with health issues.”

Joe, Orillia, ON, – May 24th, 2016

“Hi Bruce, Just wanted to thank you for all your time and patience discussing our  medical insurance options this afternoon. You are a very knowledgeable resource and we  are very happy that we came across your article in the Canadian MoneySaver magazine. I had already been extensively researching and comparing different medical insurance plans (reading the fine print), trying to find one which would provide me with out of country medical coverage while hoping my medical condition remained the same so I would still qualify after booking a trip. It was this unknown which was preventing us from moving ahead to plan for a trip and then worry than I might not be covered after visiting with my cardiologist in Sept. should he make any changes to my medications. Quest Insurance has solved this worry for us. I must say that I am very surprised that this company is not readily known. I know many people who travel and I have discussed med. insurance with them but no-one has ever mentioned or obviously known about an insurance company which provides coverage for existing non stable conditions. I will do my best to educate people whenever I have an opportunity to do so.”

Ford, Aurora, ON, – May 24th, 2016

“Dear Peter: Bruce Cappon published an article in the January 2012 MoneySaver. It was most informative. I would speculate probably a lot of your readers who have read it might not appreciate the seriousness of a denial of coverage and even payment when he/she was not careful with the Travel Insurance application or the policy. I would like to report to you since I read his article, I have used his service and obtained his advice. He is indeed a very knowledgeable and professional in this insurance matter.”

Valerie and Russell, Niagara-on-the-Lake, – May 2nd, 2016

“Bruce always gives a speedy response to our questions which is very much appreciated. Always very helpful with good advise. Excellent customer service.”

Denis and Thelma, Essex, ON, – March 29th, 2016

“My wife and I travel regularly into the US for family events and to enjoy RV’ing. We are finally able to travel at ease having secured TuGo travel insurance through First Rate Insurance. In our view, Bruce Cappon is the most knowledgeable travel insurance professional that we have ever had the pleasure of working with. His approach streamlines the application process, and at the same time, assures attention to details. The end result is that you get the policy product best suited to your individual needs. A high level of customer service continues once you are a policy holder, be it getting a question answered, or as in our case, a partial refund for an extended travel insurance rider that we were not able to use. Bruce and his First Rate Insurance team are highly recommended.”

Lynn and Glenn Philipp, Kenora, ON, – December 26th, 2015

“Since purchasing our travel insurance with Bruce Cappon at First Rate Insurance my wife and I feel very comfortable that we are fully covered during our winter stays in the U.S. I came to realize, after discussions with Bruce, that for the first 5 years we travelled I was likely not covered by the policy purchased from another company even though we felt, at the time, that we had responded correctly to their questionnaire. Had a problem occurred during that time we could have been left bankrupt. No one has spent more time with us than Bruce to educate us and to ensure that we had the right plan to fit our travel insurance needs.”

Mrs. Mark, Thornhill, – May 15th, 2015

“Re: Cancellation of Insurance: I was booked to go overseas from Canada fully covered by  First Rate Insurance. Unfortunately due to infection had to cancel ticket as well as insurance. Due to the fact I was covered with First Rate Insurance I was FULLY refunded. I am thrilled with the  Insurance coverage and will most definitely use same on my next flight. .”

Norm, St. Thomas, – March 18th, 2014

“Hi Bruce, Thanks for your assistance in getting the premium refund for our unused travel time. We appreciate the great service that you provide and will be in touch for next year’s travel insurance.”

Mora, Niagara-on-the-lake, – March 2nd, 2014

“Hi Bruce, just wanted to let you know that we received the full amount claimed re our trip interruption due to bad weather. Our friends who had a similar delay received reimbursement for 2 days out of 3 claimed from a Manufacturers Life Policy.”

Greg, Toronto, – January 20th, 2014

“Hello Bruce, I want to thank you for your outstanding help every step of the way, especially all the prep work prior to actually buying the insurance that started about a year ago. Dealing with TUGO (formerly Travel Underwriters/OWA) on the actual claim was much, much easier than dealing with Dad’s second travel insurer. I’m still haggling with them months after the claim passed to them…. Bruce really understands travel medical questionnaires in depth. In our case, eligibility hinged on whether “dilation” in the aorta is the same as an “aneurysm”. Bruce caught this issue after I reviewed Dad’s medical files. Dad’s GP considered dilation medically distinct from aneurysm and suggested answering “No” to the question concerning an aneurysm. Bruce pursued this with the underwriting insurance company and they considered them the same. Some of Dad’s medical files from other practitioners used the term aneurysm as well. We opted not to apply for that insurance. Bruce also knows travel insurance policies in depth. He quickly sent Dad a medical questionnaire that Dad could complete, which avoided the issue of aneurysm entirely. When Dad unfortunately died of a heart attack on his trip, TUGO (formerly Travel Underwriters/OWA) insurance paid fully without any questions within approximately 8 weeks of submitting the claim. I expect the first policy we considered would not have paid or paid only after litigation, which is the last thing you need when settling an estate. I expected a lot of work on the estate, but it’s been even more than anticipated. I had hoped to get away this winter so when I am able to travel, I will definitely check back with you about travel insurance…thanks again and all the best for 2014.”

Mason, Wesley, Oakville, – November 25th, 2013

“My wife and I feel very fortunate to have been introduced to Bruce through his article on travel insurance in “Canadian Moneysaver” magazine in early 2012. Previously, I had never felt confident when purchasing travel insurance, as there seemed to be so many problem areas that one could encounter if a claim were necessary, and, of course, the many horrible stories from travellers about declined settlements. Bruce’s thorough explanation of the coverage appropriate for us was a tremendous enlightenment on the subject, and allowed us to purchase the correct insurance at a reasonable cost. In March 2013, due to concern over some chest pains, I spent one day in a hospital in South Carolina. I entered at 7:30 AM, and was out around 5:00PM. After a quick initial call to TUGO (formerly Travel Underwriters) I proceeded to have tests and excellent care by the medical staff. The hospital dealt directly with TUGO (formerly Travel Underwriters) and submitted the $6,664.00 bill to them. Shortly after I was advised by TUGO (formerly Travel Underwriters) that they had settled the whole account, including a follow-up appointment with the doctor. I paid the small deductible to the hospital. It was a pleasure to deal with Bruce, First Rate Insurance, Quest Insurance, and TUGO (formerly Travel Underwriters). We will certainly be using this service for all our Travel Insurance needs.”

Karen, Shelburne, ON, – November 20th, 2013

“It is more than 17 years ago that we contacted Bruce and signed our first life  insurance contracts. As clients we felt, he has our best interest in mind. His advice was always unbiased and very honest. Bruce helped us at renewal time to find the most suitable company with the best possible coverage. Recently when my husband passed away the claim was paid by Empire Life within two weeks. Thank you Bruce.”

Fay, Newcastle, ON, – November 4th, 2013

“Dear Bruce, Back in March of this year, my husband was hospitalized in Brandon, Florida for an emergency TIA, (mini stroke). We have been insured by TUGO (formerly Travel Underwriters) for three years, and this was the first time we have ever had to make a claim. We wish to express our thanks for the courtesy and kindness that was shown to myself by your company and the folks at Quest. Bill was in the hospital from 5 pm on a Friday and was discharged the following Sunday at 1 pm, and for that length of stay, including all the tests, the bill came to $39,900. Quest looked after all this from start to finish. Sincerely, Fay.”

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