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Call Kurtis: Does Trip Interruption And Delay Coverage Protect You?

STOCKTON (CBS13) – Every chance he gets, Robert Byers hits the road on his Harley motorcycle.

But during a recent trek up to Washington state, Robert said he felt the back tire give out.

"[The tire] started wiggle-wobbling a little bit," he said.

It was a flat tire.

As a AAA member, Robert called for a tow.

He said a AAA representative told him over the phone that he was covered through the company's Road Trip Interruption and Delay Coverage.

Robert said the AAA representative told him the company would reimburse him up to $1500 for accommodations, meal expenses and the cost of substitute transportation.

"I didn't know I had [that coverage]." He said.

Robert said he had to wait three days in Washington to get the flat tire fixed. So, he submitted receipts to AAA for his hotel and meal costs – a total of $695.

But AAA rejected his claim.

Despite what Robert claims AAA initially told him over the phone, the company now says flat tires are not covered. AAA said only mechanical issues are covered under the policy.

"They shouldn't've told me I had insurance," Robert said.

The Department of Insurance's Nancy Kincaid said when dealing with insurance reps on the phone you should document everything, including who you spoke to and the date and time of each call.

"An insurance company is responsible for the representations or information given by their agents or their employee," Kincaid said.

She suggests checking your insurance policy to see what is excluded from coverage.

We reached out to AAA. They told us: "After further researching the incident, AAA has found no evidence that any AAA agent offered Mr. Byers reimbursement for travel expenditures. We understand the inconvenience Mr. Byers experienced when his motorcycle road trip was interrupted by a flat tire. His AAA Premier Membership did provide service to Mr. Byers by towing his motorcycle to a repair facility. However, the terms and conditions of the AAA Premier Road Trip Interruption and Delay coverage provides reimbursement for expenditures when travel is interrupted for mechanical breakdown only. Normal wear and tear or damage to the tires is an exclusion from this benefit."

After we got involved, AAA agreed to renew Robert's $200 a year Premier Membership for free.

What companies offer trip interruption and delay coverage?

AAA offers its upper tier members the protection.

Some travel insurance companies offer it, and certain credit card companies offer the coverage for free.

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