PLYMOUTH, MASS. (WHDH) - “That’s Cape Cod Bay,” says Tony Pimentel, pointing out the beautiful sights from his Plymouth home.
Tony and his wife, Cheryl, love the ocean.
“We met in Wareham one summer,” says Tony. “I was just 17.”
Earlier this year, the high school sweethearts booked a cruise to celebrate more than 40 years of marriage.
“We were going to Russia, we were going to Holland,” says Tony, as the coupled ticked off Sweden and Finland as trip destinations as well.
They spared no expense. The trip cost almost $25,000 plus another $8,000 for airfare. But for Tony and Cheryl, it was worth it.
“We’re both in our mid 60’s,” said Tony. “We figured we’d never have this opportunity again.”
There was one concern. Tony’s 101-year-old mother wasn’t doing well, so he purchased comprehensive travel insurance – just in case.
“Anything at all,” he says of what the coverage promised. “It will get canceled; you will get your money back.”
“So the insurance would cover you canceling for any reason?” asks 7News’s Kris Anderson.
“Any reason,” says Tony.
It looked like smooth sailing until COVID-19 began to spread.
“All of a sudden we’re seeing the news that this is breaking out everywhere,” says Tony.
Cheryl’s doctor said she couldn’t travel because of an underlying health condition. The couple had to cancel the trip. Tony filed the required paperwork with the travel insurance company to get their refund.
“They said, ‘We’ve been declined,'” he says.
Shocked, he filed an appeal which was also denied. Then, Tony’s mother passed away. Dealing with the heartbreak of losing his mom and out more than $30,000, Tony called Solve It Seven for help.
We contacted the cruise line and told the representative about the insurance claim being rejected. She called Tony directly and suggested that he re-file his claim, citing his mother’s death as the reason for canceling.
“Three weeks later we had noticed that they were giving us all our money back,” Tony says.
More than $33,000 in all.
“Without Solve It 7, we know that we wouldn’t have gotten this money back,” says Tony.
Tony and Cheryl are hoping to cruise again once they’re confident it’s safe. They say they’d love to book the same two-week adventure next time.
Got a problem you can’t fix? Let us try and right the ship. Send an email to SolveIt7@WHDH.com or give us a call at 617-367-7777.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)