Maybe it’s a sign of “newer” thinking. Seems like folks expect everything to be perfect wherever they go—including the weather. For them, this idea may be a winner. If rain spoils your trip, you can get a campground refund. No joshing, no joking, it’s the latest offer from Hipcamp, a campsite booking company.
Reimbursements “when it rains during a trip”
Hipcamp now offers a Weather Guarantee powered by Sensible Weather, the leading weather protection provider for travel and outdoor experiences. How does it work? The Weather Guarantee provides Hipcamp campers proactive reimbursements when it rains during a trip or experience.
Campers will now be able to add a Weather Guarantee to their bookings across more than 120,000+ private land campsites in the U.S. Sensible Weather quantifies and manages weather risk for campers, using cutting-edge satellite imagery and climate analytics.
If rain spoils your trip, you can get a campground refund—no haggling
Each Weather Guarantee is customized to the experience, location, and date of the trip, and communicated clearly with campers before they purchase. Proactive reimbursements are then made if the thresholds for the guarantee are met, which means no haggling, cancellation, or claims process is needed.
Most common cancellation reason? Weather
“Our mission is to provide peace of mind and enhance the outdoor experience by mitigating the uncertainties of weather. Through this collaboration, Hipcampers can now plan their trips with confidence, knowing that if inclement weather impacts their plans, they’ll be reimbursed,” said Nick Cavanaugh, Ph.D., Sensible Weather CEO and Founder.
“This partnership aligns perfectly with our commitment to empowering adventurers to embrace the outdoors without fear of unexpected weather disruptions. We look forward to making outdoor adventures more enjoyable and stress-free for everyone.”
“While campers cancel trips for a variety of reasons, the most common by far is bad weather. According to our data, about a third of all cancellations are weather related,” said Alyssa Ravasio, Hipcamp Founder and CEO. “By launching Hipcamp’s Weather Guarantee, we hope to inspire confidence in campers by making the decision to book their weekend getaway just a little bit easier. The guarantee is also great for Hipcamp hosts, as campers can now be more confident in booking longer trips. Next time the weather turns, we want campers to know that we have their backs.”
And the other side of the coin?
If rain spoils your trip, you can get a campground refund. What’s the other side of the coin? How much will you pay for this “good weather insurance”? The company will provide specifics, apparently based on your plans and, no doubt, based on the weather predicted for that area and dates.
They did post one “example.” In this case, those opting-in for the weather guarantee would be reimbursed $266.45 per day. The optional plan would cost them $23.98. Frankly, the example seems a little nebulous. How much will the camper be paying for their site? For How many nights? How bad is the weather projected to be? Plenty of questions, but an interesting offer. Get more information here.
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Hmmmm, weather warranties 🤔 ? What’s next?
Selling warranties and guarantees must be the most lucrative businesses even over Health Care. I’m selling a NO BUGS on you trip guarantee. (Fine Print: Bugs are VW Beetles).
Thank you, Russ and Tina! 🙂 Uh, … I guess the unbelievable part of this is that they are serious; people really want a refund if it rains?!?!? Hmm, … they may as well give them a huge, so-big-that-it -must-be-shipped-home trophy for taking a risk and reserving a camping spot. 🤔😯😉😆😅😂🤣 I am incredulous that anyone would buy this type of insurance. Do they get their money back from the laundry if their starched shirt wrinkles? 🤔😯😉😆😅😂🤣 I am officially an old geezer. 🤔😯😉 🙂 Thanks again and safe travels! 🙂
It’s a different story if you’ve got the family in tents instead of an RV. It might be worth it.
Trip insurance has been available for rentals, excursions, etc. for quite some time.
Profitable business if enough people sign up and payouts are infrequent. Same as other insurance policies.
Hmmm. Having the mosquito as the state bird – I wonder if one can get insurance against a bite? (The state would probably have to sponsor or sell it!) HA HA
As Colonel Sherm Potter would say: Horse Hockey! It’s camping! Get over it, or get out of it. Don’t gentrify it!
Whatever happened to enjoying a rainy day curled up with a good book, and sharing a blanket with your wife?
A cool feature for sure. Expecting it is another matter. I guess I’m officially “old school”. I figure when it comes to camping “Ya’ pays yer’ money, ya’ takes yer’ chances!”