Here’s Why You Should Always Read “The Fine Print”

Last month, St. Petersburg-based travel insurance company Squaremouth began printing a special paragraph in the fine print of the policy document for every Tin Leg travel insurance policy it sold. A section titled “Pays to Read” was sandwiched between legal terms on page seven of the nearly 4,000-word document. It said, “In an effort to highlight the importance of reviewing policy documents, we launched Pays to Read, a contest that rewards the individual who reads their policy information from start to finish. If you are reading this within the contest period … and are the first to contact us, you may be awarded the Pays to Read contest Grand Prize of ten thousand dollars.” The company planned to run the contest for an entire year, thinking it unlikely that anyone would notice the section. But the very next day, high school teacher Donelan Andrews, 59, who said she always reads the terms, whether it’s a software user agreement or a travel insurance policy, saw the message. The policy listed an email address to contact to claim the prize, which Andrews wrote to right away. She got a call back the next day to let her know she’d won the $10,000. Andrews, who is soon to retire, said she plans to use the prize money to fund a trip to Scotland for her 35th wedding anniversary.