Additional Notes

Complaint: I believe that Nationwide is using bait and switch tactics: offering a low quote price so that you choose them, and then increasing the price under false justifications once you accept the offer. My cars were originally insured with Nationwide (6-months policy #***** ******) on 10/1/2012 for $1420.70. On 12/14/2012 Nationwide increased my insurance by 5% to $1493.60 with explanation that I am not a **** ****** member and therefore am not due that discount. I have never heard of **** ******, was never its member, and certainly did not claim that when asking for a quote. For the 6-month renewal policy starting 3/27/2013 they charged me $1854.20, a 43% increase, with an explanation that they did not know of an accident I had on 1/23/2010. That was a false statement since that accident was listed, as one of the bases for the insurance price, in the original policy issued on 10/1/2012. Nationwide representative refused to accept that my insurance price increases were based on false reasons, and that their practices were at best misleading, and at worst fraudulent

Desired Settlement: I request that my current policy is charged at the original level of $1420.70 for 6 months, and that I get a refund for the baseless increase in policy renewal price.

Business Response:

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Your inquiry of April 30, 2012 has been referred to me for review and response.

*** ******* contacted Nationwide Sales Solutions (NSS) on September 25, 2012 to obtain a quote for auto insurance. The NSS agent he spoke with provided a quote and stated that he included the discount for the *** **** **** ****** (****). The NSS agent failed to advise *** ******* that a membership with the **** was required to be eligible for the discount and a membership fee applies.

*** ******* called back on September 27, 2012 to purchase the policy and spoke with a different NSS agent. The NSS agent advised the policy premium would be $1,429.70 for 6 months. *** ******* made a payment of $243.28 to start the policy. The payment was 1/6 of the policy premium and $5.00 installment fee. However, there was no discussion about the **** discount or the payment needed to become a member.

NSS requires all agents to review discounts prior to releasing a policy. This is intended to ensure the new member is aware of any trailing documents or requirements needed to maintain the discount(s). The NSS agent that set up *** *******’s policy failed to advise of the included **** discount and the required membership.

Our underwriting department reviewed the policy set up to ensure accuracy and compliance. They were unable to find *** *******'s **** membership information to validate the discount. Because the membership information was not available, the **** discount was removed from the policy to maintain compliance with our filed rating plan with the state’s Department of Insurance. This caused a premium increase of $63.90. The necessary feedback has been provided to our leadership team and will be addressed with the agents that made the error.

The policy was written with a *** ****** license number for both drivers. On October 26, 2012, the named insured obtained a *** **** driver’s license. The new license number was given to Nationwide on February 4, 2013. The MVR was run on the new license when it was added. This resulted in the Violation 035, Unsafe Operation of a Motor Vehicle, being added to the policy effective March 27, 2013.

In review of the date the violation occurred versus the date it was added to the policy, it was noted that the violation should not have been added to *** *******’s policy. Nationwide is removing the charge effective March 27, 2013, when it was added to the policy. Nationwide apologizes for any inconvenience or concern this has caused the insured. Nationwide will take this experience and use it to improve our processes and procedures.

Nationwide takes great pride in providing world-class service to our members and agents.  It is very apparent that the insured did not experience this level of service. Nationwide accepts full accountability for the incorrect charge and the confusion and frustration it caused on the member’s part.

If you have further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Nationwide Sales Solutions at ****************.

Sincerely,

***** ********

Customer Resolution and Response

Nationwide Mutual Fire Insurance Company

**************

Consumer Response: I have reviewed the response made by the business  and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.  From the response I understand that incorrect charges will be removed and that the cost of my policy will be reduced to the original amount of $1429.70.  I will check with Nationwide customer whether the issue was resolved in this manner, and reserve right to complain again if the promised resolution does not come through.

Regards,

***** *******

BBB's Final Determination: Consumer accepted resolution offered by the business.

Additional Notes

Complaint: This is complaint against the practices of Nationwide Financial, annuity division.Without proper warning, they have blocked my internet-fund-reallocation access. They claim that I made too many fund transfers, however, the record shows that for the year 2012 I made only 14 re-allocations of the 21 allowed me. Since the beginning of this year, 2013, I have made only 2 of the 21 allowed.My letter to Nationwide Financial, dated February 25, 2013, has still not been answered nor has my internet reallocation access been restored.Their sanction on my account has caused me financial harm by not allowing me to adjust to market fluctuations.Please intervene on my behalf.

Desired Settlement: I need my Nationwide Annuity internet-fund-reallocation service immediately re-instated and further explanation of their actions taken.

Business Response:

Please accept this letter in response to your concerns submitted to the Better Business
Bureau regarding the trade restrictions imposed on your Nationwide annuity contract. I
trust you'll find this information helpful in addressing these concerns.

I have enclosed copies of previous communications sent to you explaining why
Nationwide upholds the online trade restrictions ******** has implemented on your
account. Please review the enclosed letters from Nationwide noted below:

1. A letter dated February 15, 2013, notifying you ******** reviewed your account

and restricts you from making online transfers until May 13, 2013. It further

instructs you how to submit a mail transfer using the Frequent Trader Exchange

form (Attachment 1).

 

2. A letter dated March 6, 2013, providing further explanation of the imposed

******** trade restrictions and a copy of the prospectus (Attachment 2). We

referenced the section in the prospectus explaining why Nationwide and any

affected contract owner do not receive advance notice of such transfer

restrictions from an underlying mutual fund company.

You may contact ******** directly for additional information on these restrictions at ****** ********* If you have any further questions for Nationwide, please feel free to contact
**** ****** via telephone at ###-###-####, option *, extension *******.

Sincerely,
***** *****
Nationwide Life Insurance Company

BBB's Final Determination: Business offered a resolution. Consumer did not pursue further with BBB and the matter was assumed to be resolved

Additional Notes

Complaint: I signed up for insurance with Nationwide online, set up my policy and paid for my policy with automatic payments being debited from my account. It was not until a month later that they contacted me stating now after taking my money and a whole month goes by that all of a sudden i do not qualify for their insurance? i contact them and wait another month to hear back from them stating i had a lapse in coverage - untrue i had a car that did not work and i was not driving any vehicle so why in the world would i have insurance if i was not driving? then i waited again another 24 hrs after talking to them to find out that indeed they are cancelling me - i have now been insured through them from january and paid them as such and therefore am not lapsed in coverage? i was told by christine over the phone that it unfortunately took their underwriters longer to "catch" this mistake? so now i am paying for it literally.

Desired Settlement: i want my insurance to be kept in force as it stands.

Business Response:

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to *** ********’s concerns regarding her Nationwide automobile insurance policy.  After careful review we find that this policy was obtained on-line through the Nationwide web site with a policy effective date of January 30, 2013. At the time of the on-line application under insurance history *** ******** indicated that her prior carrier expiration date was January 30, 2013 and that she had continuous coverage with no lapse in 6 months.  On February 5, 2013 an e-mail request was sent to *** ******** requesting proof of 6 months continuous automobile coverage for the period of 7/30/2012 to 1/30/2013.  We received a reply from *** ******** stating that in fact she did not have proof of previous coverage due to not having a working vehicle and that she had been without a vehicle for almost one year and therefore did not carry automobile insurance.  On the auto application *** ******** should have entered the correct date in which her prior automobile insurance cancelled. There is a drop down box for continuous coverage. The choices under the drop down are: No Coverage lapse, Lapse of 1-30 days or Lapse of greater than 30 days. 

At new business, an applicant must satisfy the requirement of six months proof of continuous prior insurance for the immediate six month time period preceding the effective date of the policy.  Had *** ******** selected the correct drop down box of lapse of greater than 30 days she would not have qualified for our preferred company and would have been placed in one of our other companies.

In accordance with our underwriting guidelines and as documented in the automobile application, we have a discovery period of 59 days to review information and take appropriate action.  Since *** ******** does not meet our eligibility guidelines for prior insurance at new business a letter was sent to her on March 25, 2013 which is within our discovery period from the January 30, 2013 policy effective date. This letter advised *** ******** that we will be cancelling her automobile policy effective April 28, 2013 due to failure to provide proof of prior insurance.

Sincerely,

 ******** ******** ******** ***** ************ *******

Consumer Response:

I selected the appropriate box - I did not have any lapse in coverage on my previous vehicle.  I had insurance the entire time.  Once i received the notice from Nationwide I contacted them immediately.  I contacted them more than once because of the delay in the response i was receiving.  On the final communication i was told it took the underwriters an unually long time to "catch" this error.  I do believe i did everything i was told to do to recitify this issue.  I did not have a lapse in my coverage.  IT does not state in the drop down box that it meant you must be insured even if you do not own a vehicle?  i dont even know why someone would have insurance if they do not even own a car?  Upon speaking with the last customer service representative i was told that because i did not have insurance on myself? not a car but on myself i did not qualify for their good insurance - that i only qualified for their cut rate insurance?  I cannot for the life of me understand why after decades of having insurance and never having a lapse except for when i did not physically own a vehicle that i am being punished by having to not have adequate insurance?  the website options are very decieving and misleading!

Regards,

****** ********

Business Response:

Our position stands as stated in the first response letter to *** ********.  *** ******** misrepresented the facts on the policy application regarding her prior insurance coverage.  Specifically stating that the expiration date of her prior carrier was January 30, 2013 when in fact she had not carried automobile insurance for almost one year.  Please reference the first response letter dated April 5, 2013. 

Consumer Response:

I understand what the company is saying however I never Misrepresented any facts - it had not been a year since i had insurance. At this point it is just not worth going back and forth with this comany - I have never known a company to take 4 months worth of payments from someone they did not want to insure?  I spoke to their representatives on many occassions and gave them the information on my former insurance and told them exactly what i have said here that when the online application asked for information i checked the box that stated i had not lapsed in my former insurance for my previous vehicle.  The company then informs me after two months of going back and forth that "the underwrites just didnt catch it" really? I believe it is a bad business practice to punish someone for not having a vehicle by making it harder to get quality insurance?  I have had insurance on every vehicle i have owned for over 20 years and i have an impeccable driving record and i have to come up against big companies like this basically telling me that i am not good enough for their insurance but my money was good enough to take?  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ******** and find that this resolution is just going to have to be what it is.

Regards,

****** ********

BBB's Final Determination: Consumer accepted resolution offered by the business.

Additional Notes

Complaint: I think the insurance company should pay for what I pay for insurance; I don't see how they made their determination of wear & tear when no one looked at the job, damage etc: No one saw the job - ever! I took picture of the from day one to the end of the job: I replaced the old water line with the best available to do the job right: I, and the plumber, ****** Plumbing, were as honest about the job as we could Of three bids, ****** was the lowest and best: inclosed is the paper work for this job. Thank you

Desired Settlement: I think my claim should be honored: I had a leak at 689 ****** ***** ** in ***** ********, I did the work and ****** paid for new Carpet and bathroom floor. I think they should honor my expences of the plumber that did the work minus my $500.00 deductable and the water bill.

Business Response:

This letter is in response to the inquiry received from your office on March 14, 2013.

Mr* **** asserts that AMCO Insurance Company improperly denied coverage for damage to an underground water supply line.

This claim occurring on January 26, 2013 was received by us on January 28, 2013. Our claims associate made contact with Mr* **** on January 28, 2013. Mr* **** advised there was a broken plumbing line located under the driveway to the home possibly related to freezing. There was no interior water damage to the home. Mr* **** was advised that an investigation would be completed by an independent adjuster who would report the findings to our associate for a final coverage determination.

On January 31, 2013, a representative from ******* Claims Service inspected the damage to the property and discussed the loss details with Mr* **** and his plumbing contractor, ****** Plumbing. In lieu of repairing the damage water supply line, Mr* **** decided to reroute a new line in the vicinity of the old line after conferring with the plumber on anticipated repair vs. replacement costs.

The damaged supply line had not been excavated that would have allowed for a full investigation into the cause of breakage and the plumber was unable to provide a definitive cause of pipe failure. However, the plumber advised that he had not seen freeze breaks on plumbing lines located under driveways in this area of Colorado. In addition, it was estimated that this pipe was located approximately 4 ½ feet underground which is below the typical depth water lines freeze in our area.

Since there was no evidence of freeze damage to this plumbing line and the failure appears to relate to normal wear, tear, deterioration, ground movement or possibly a defective product, a coverage denial was sent to Mr. & Mrs* **** on February 6. 2013.

Upon receipt of this communication from your office, I contacted Mr* **** to further discuss the coverage determination and whether he had any additional information on the cause of the pipe failure. We discussed claim situations on pipe failures, including underground pipes and the possibility of freeze damage. Mr* **** agreed that there this pipe did not break due to freezing, however, he felt we should provide coverage for all pipe failures. After discussing this further, Mr* **** accepted that the pipe repair would not be covered by our policy due to the probable cause of failure. 

In order to attempt an amicable resolution of this matter, I proposed to Mr* **** that I would consider an allowance for costs that could reasonably be considered investigative fees to determine the cause of pipe failure. Although, the pipe was never excavated, I felt this was an appropriate concession based on the circumstances.

Mr* **** and I agreed on a satisfactory resolution on this claim and we’ve issued payment for the agreed settlement.  

If your require further assistance in this matter, please contact our Customer Relations Coordinator, ****** ********, toll-free at ###-###-####, Ext. **** or by email at *****@nationwide.com.

Consumer Response: BBB received phone call from consumer stating the issue has been resolved to his satisfaction. 

Consumer Response: A quick note to you guys for doing such a bang up job of helping me settle this complaint, you guys are great. If it wasn't for the BBB, I think there would be no justice. Again I really appreciate what you've done and your time.

BBB's Final Determination: Consumer accepted resolution offered by the business.

Additional Notes

Complaint: I was in a minor accident with **** ****** and after both our ins. co. reviewed they determined that each party take responsibility for their own vehicle. Over 2 months later I received a call from my ins. informing me that **** had retained a lawyer and he had found a traffic code that i was supposedley in violation of. Therefore I am at fault and Nationwide will pay his claim. I strongly disagreed and investigated the codes myslef since they obviously hadn'. They would disregard everything that I found. On 11/27/12 I went to the St. George Police Dept. and described the entire scenario, even what the lawyer said. the officer stated that **** was at fault as he FAILED to YIELD RIGHT OF WAY. Nationwide paid his claim anyway. I want that accedent (at fault) taken off my record. Another agency will have to raise my rate, $17.00 per mon. more!! *Check my driving Record over 20 years. Thank you

Desired Settlement: I want that accedent (at fault) taken off my record. 

Business Response: This letter is in response to the inquiry received in our office on March 12, 2013. We have reviewed our file and determined that the claim was reported on August 28, 2012 by the claimant carrier, ****.   The file was assigned to ***** ******* with Nationwide Insurance Company on August 29, 2012.  She attempted to reach both parties on August 29, 2012 and was able to obtain recorded statements from each driver on August 30, 2012.  Our insured, Ms. *******, indicated she was stopped at the intersection on 300 Road at the intersection of St. George Blvd.  She was waiting at the stop sign for traffic to clear when she proceeded to make a right turn onto St. George Blvd.  Ms. ******* stated the 300 Road has enough width for two lanes, however; the line on the roadway is marked for one lane of travel.  Ms. ******* indicated that another car was beside her to the left waiting to either turn left or go straight through the intersection.  After traffic had cleared she pulled up to make a right hand turn when she was struck by the other driver.  Ms. ******* did not see the other driver until impact was made with her passenger side rear quarter panel. The other driver, Mr. ****** stated that he was also on 300 Road attempting to make a right hand turn onto St. George Boulevard.  He indicated Ms. ******* was in the middle lane of 300 Road.  Mr. ****** indicated that both of them had stopped at the stop sign waiting for traffic to clear.  He said the other driver, Ms. ******* proceed to make right turn directly in front of him with no signal.  Mr. ****** was not expecting her to make a right hand turn from the middle lane of 300 Road. In the course of our investigation we did obtain photos of the intersection at 300 Road and St. George Boulevard.  The scene photos do show one lane of travel for each direction with a center line.  The width of the roadway clearly shows that the lane of travel is wide enough for two vehicles beside each other when approaching the intersection of St. George Boulevard.  The width of the roadway could not support three vehicles across the intersection. Before we made our final liability decision, we did follow-up with Ms. ******* for clarification on where the accident occurred on the roadway.  She did indicate she was unsure on how close she was to the curb before making her right hand turn.  Ms. ******* could not explain how Mr. ******’s vehicle could have gotten between her car and the curb.  Upon further review of the photos received from Mr. ****** regarding damage to his 2006 Honda Pilot show the point of impact to the driver’s side corner of the front bumper.  Ms. ******* indicated she sustained scrapes on the passenger side rear quarter panel.  It was evident that she was not near the right curb to have right of way when making her right turn.  Ms. ******* indicated in her statement along with follow-up conversations she never saw the other driver.  This file was also reviewed with the prior claim manager, *** **** who also spoke with Ms. ******* on November 27, 2012 concerning the liability decision.  Mr. **** also indicated to Ms. ******* the liability decision was based upon improper lookout and improper right hand turn when not making a turn closest to the curb. We also verified the Utah Traffic code, Section 41 -6a - 801.  This section does state that the operator of a vehicle shall make right turn and an approach for a right turn shall be made as close as practical to the right hand curb or edge of roadway.   Based upon all evidence as indicated above we found Ms. ******* to be negligent for improper lookout, as well as improper turn by not making a right hand turn from the right side of the roadway. Please contact me if I can be of further assistance to you.

BBB's Final Determination: Business offered a resolution. Consumer did not pursue further with BBB and the matter was assumed to be resolved

Additional Notes

Complaint: I opened up a claim on a RV Camper that we have had with Nationwide for years. (Note I have never had any claims on any thing with the company) I went and got an appraisal on the RV. Then the Nationwide Insurance adjuster came out and looked the camper over and denied the claim stating that there was water damage to the camper. Which was correct due to the fiberglass coming out from the under the molding in the corner from the camper flexing.

The camper is 38' with the tongue its 41'. They don't recomend you pull these type of campers much. They call them Park models now and are built to leave on site due to the camper flexing. So when you insure them they will not pay for any damage, but they will take you money for the insurance for 8+ year. 

Desired Settlement: Replacement Repair my camper or give me a settlement.

Business Response: Our review showed that Mr. ********'s Nationwide policy covers for direct and accidental loss to his covered vehicle. Direct means the immediate loss and the resulting damage caused at the time the loss occurred. The damage to his vehicle includes Wet Rot and/or Deterioration due to a leak from a seal or seals. Wet Rot and/or Deterioration occurs over a period of time and is not considered a direct loss. Due to this issue we have determined that the loss was not direct and accidental and are not affording coverage for this loss at this time. We expressly reserve all other rights, defenses, or contentions, which are available to us under the policy of insurance, by law or otherwise, and do not waive any such rights or defenses which we now have or which may become known to us in the future

BBB's Final Determination: Business offered a resolution. Consumer did not pursue further with BBB and the matter was assumed to be resolved

Additional Notes

Complaint: I am currently a nationwide client and have been for a very long time, but i am currently very disappointed in the company and will be seeking another insurance carrier for my family and I. I was in a wreck Jan. 2012 where i was standing still at a red light in a Chevy Van. A small truck hit me from the back causing damage to the small truck. The person behind the wheel of the small truck is also a nationwide client. Nationwide has offered to pay for my emergency room bill and give me $500 in pain and suffering but not willing to pay for my chiropractor bill that address pain and discomfort from the wreck.

Desired Settlement: I ask for nationwide to pay both the emergency room, chiropractor bill, and payment for pain and suffering.

Business Response:

This letter is in response to your inquiry regarding the above referenced claim. Please accept the following response to the concerns outlined in Ms. *****’s complaint to the Better Business Bureau.

This complaint involves an accident that occurred on January 5, 2012 where a vehicle driven by **** ******** insured with Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company struck the vehicle Ms. ***** was driving in the rear that was owned by the state of South Carolina. This was a very minor impact accident, as supported by the attached vehicle photos.

On January 25, 2012, the claims associate handling this claim made an initial settlement offer of $ 250 and offered to pay for the initial emergency room visit. The claims associate increased the settlement offer to $ 500.00 plus the initial emergency room visit.  Based on the minor nature of this accident, the settlement offer appears to be very fair and reasonable.

Ms. ***** is now represented by attorney ******* *****; therefore, we are unable to speak with her directly regarding this complaint. We will continue our efforts to resolve this claim in a fair and appropriate manner based on the facts surrounding this accident.

Should you have any additional questions, please feel free to call me at ###-###-####.

BBB's Final Determination: Business offered a resolution. Consumer did not pursue further with BBB and the matter was assumed to be resolved

Additional Notes

Complaint: On April 7th, 2010, a patient entered my Chiropractic office following an automobile accident. I immediately called Nationwide and spoke with insurance adjuster ***** ****, who was located in Statesville, NC. It was at this time, Mr. **** acknowledged my assignment of benefits and stated that he would honor it once the case was resolved. He then sent me a letter stating so. The policy number is ***********. The patient was seen in my office for the course of her treatment. I treated the patient while maintaining contact with Mr. ****, and when the treatment was completed and the patient was released, Mr. **** informed me to send a copy of all of my notes, records, and my final report to **** **** PO Box 6832 Statesville, NC 28687. The package was sent on June 25, 2010. I was notified by telephone by **** **** that they had received my records and that it was currently being reviewed. It was at this time that **** ALSO acknowledged (via fax) that my assignment of benefits and assured me that her company would honor it and I should receive a check 'very soon'. I telephoned **** **** on November 19th 2010, and left a message. I then called ***** **** and had to leave message that same day. I continued to call once a week for the next 8 weeks, leaving messages for both Mr. **** and **** ****. On December 18th I sent a certified letter to ***** **** demanding a formal update on the claim. ***** ****'s certified letter #********************. I also sent another letter to ****, who responded by telephone in late March of 2011 and told me that she was no longer involved in this case and referred me to their supervisor named ******** ******.I then sent a certified letter with return receipt to ******** ****** in Statesville, NC #********************.I never received a formal response. I have called ****, ****, and ****** weekly for over a year now and I have never received a response from any kind. I called the corporate office and it was futile. They instructed me to call **** and ******.

Desired Settlement: I have attempted to bypass litigation on this case. Although I have spoken with an attorney and he assured me that I am entitled to a great increase in what my bill actually is; I would be satisfied to be paid for the work that I did. I request that Nationwide pay the amount of the bill that was approved by their insurance adjuster. ***** ****, Nationwide adjuster, and **** ****, Nationwide adjuster agreed to pay the full sum of the bill and approved my services. The sum of the bill is $3,975

Business Response:

The claimant involved in this automobile accident is ***** *****.  At the time she treated with Mr. *******, she was not attorney represented.  She later became attorney represented by Attorney ***** ******* Jr.  The claim was settled with the attorney on January 28, 2013.  The attorney is on notice of the lien asserted by ******** Chiropractic Center.   

Attorney ******* has advised in writing that he and his client, ***** *****, will deal with the claim of lien and settlement proceeds in accordance with the provisions of N.C.G.S. 44-49 and 44-50 for disputed claims.  The notice of lien was from ******** Chiropractic Center and not ****** ******* as an individual. 

We have forwarded copies of all notices, medical records and other documents pertaining to the treatment of Ms. ***** to the attorney. 

It is our recommendation that Mr. ******* contact Attorney ******** ** ******* Jr. at ###-###-#### to discuss the lien asserted by ******** Chiropractic Center. 

Although Nationwide disputes many of the allegations contained in the complaint, it is Nationwide's position that Mr. ********'s remedy lies with the attorney's office in this matter.

BBB's Final Determination: Business offered a resolution. Consumer did not pursue further with BBB and the matter was assumed to be resolved

Additional Notes

Complaint: This complaint is regarding a service I received from Nationwide General Auto Insurance. I cancel my insurance on 07/22/12 and received an invoice from the stated company informing me, if I cancel prior to 07/27/12 that they would be able to adjust or eliminate any amount owed and they would determine if I qualified for a reduced payment. I met the cancellation timeframe and had made a payment by way of E-Pay on 07/01/12 from my local bank which was the monthly payment for July, I had no past due account with Nationwide. Nationwide frowarded to *** ********* Systems indicating that I owed them a balance of $175.00 which is now appearing on my credit report. I made contacts with *** ********* Systems on 10/09/12, mailing them a copy of the letter from Nationwide along with a copy of the new insurance Declarations Pages which had previously been mailed to Nationwide. Recently, upon applying for credit I was made aware that this account *********** from Nationwide was appearing on my report.

Desired Settlement: Removed from my credit report and if I am due a refund to be made within ten days.

Business Response:

BBB's Final Determination: Business offered a resolution. Consumer did not pursue further with BBB and the matter was assumed to be resolved

Additional Notes

Complaint: After filing bankruptcy, my wife and i talked to a nationwide representative. We were told at that time not to pay our bill because it was like all other utility bills and was protected under the stay act. Come to find out they cancelled our policy due to non payment after we were told not to pay! If they would have told us we still needed to pay we would have and there would be no issues!

Desired Settlement: Reinstate our coverage and drop all associated fees to do so, like i said if they would have told us to pay we would have!

Business Response:

This letter is in response to the complaint filed with your agency by ***** ******** regarding the handling of his billing account and cancellation.

In review of the account, on November 21, 2012 a bill generated for $311.44 that included $272.86 installment for policy ***** ******, $33.58 installment for policy ************, and a $5.00 installment fee.

As a payment was not received, on December 22, 2012 a Notice of Cancellation was sent for the Auto policy in the amount of $287.86 (included $10.00 late fee and a $5.00 installment fee) due by January 2, 2013 or the policy would cancel effective January 3, 2013.  On December 22, 2012 a Notice of Cancellation was sent for the Home policy in the amount of $33.58 (installment from the November 21, 2012 bill) due by January 2, 2013 or the policy would cancel effective January 3, 2013.

On December 27, 2012, Nationwide customer services received a phone call from ***** ******** to review the billing account.  Per notes on the account, stemming from this phone call, customer service representative ****** ******* reviewed the bankruptcy guidelines with Mr. ******** and requested a copy of the bankruptcy notification.  ****** set a follow up for himself for December 28, 2012 to review if the bankruptcy documentation had been submitted.  ****** also set a follow up for himself for December 31, 2012 to contact the policy holder back to review billing options for the current bill.

On December 27, 2012, notes from the agency indicate agent **** ******* called the policy holder and left a voicemail message indicating the last day to pay is January 3, 2012 and the amount due is $321.44.  This amount included both the Auto and Home policy warning notices, which was the total amount due on the billing account to keep both policies active.

On December 31, 2012 ****** ******* worked his follow up and made an outbound phone call to ***** ******** to inform him the last day to pay will be January 8, 2013 by noon.  A five day money hold was approved to be placed on the account to allow more time to pay.  ****** informed ***** that he had not yet received the fax with the bankruptcy notification.

As we do not have the phone calls recorded from ****** *******, he provided a summary of the phone call to provide further details.  ****** advised that the insured told him that he was going through bankruptcy and that all his other bills with other companies were waived.  ****** reviewed Nationwide’s guidelines with a servicing help desk, who advised no exception could be made as far as clearing the active account bill.  ****** advised the insured he would only be able to place a five day hold.  ****** provided the information he reviewed with the insured that came from a Nationwide knowledge database which lists guidelines and standards for our company practices.  ****** copied the information he read to the insured and it is shown below in italics.

Bankruptcy Notification Procedures - All Products - Legacy Servicing
Description:
When a policyholder declares bankruptcy, the processing centers must be notified so appropriate actions are taken. The bankruptcy could involve an active or cancelled policy and one with or without an outstanding balance. 

Guidelines:
A "bankruptcy court document" must be received in order to process the bankruptcy. The document is issued from the bankruptcy court and includes the name of court in which the bankruptcy is declared, the date of the bankruptcy and the case number.
Clarify for the customer what information is required in the "bankruptcy court document". Even if the required "bankruptcy court document" is not received, forward any bankruptcy related documents to the processing center. 

****** stated he told the insured we could not clear the bill but we would still want to have the bankruptcy notification on file, based on the guidelines he was following. 

On January 3, 2012 the five day money hold was placed on the account.  On January 8, 2013 the hold was mechanically removed by the system.  As the hold was removed and no payment had applied, both Auto and Home policy cancelled effective the date on the Notice of Cancellation, January 3, 2013. 

The next notes on the account indicate ***** and ***** both called in on January 17, 2013 to review their billing information.  We have the January 17, 2013 phone call recorded from when ***** called into services and spoke with ******** *****, which is summarized below.

Mr. ******** advised ******** that he didn’t remember exactly what the guy told him when he called in last month (documentation points to him referencing his phone call with ****** in December) but his attorney told him not to pay until he had talked with his creditors, which just happened.  ******** advised the policy can be reinstated indicating the amount to reinstate the Auto policy was $453.05 and $44.42 on the Home policy.  Mr. ******** asked for some sort of payment arrangement to be made because they won’t get paid until a week later, but he has no problem paying that amount.  He advised they need to get caught up because they just paid $1,100.00 for the bankruptcy.  ******** asked if he could pay and when could he pay.  Mr. ******** advised he could pay the whole thing next Friday as they get paid on the 25^th but wanted to have his policy reinstated now.  ******** placed Mr. ******** on hold to discuss an exception with her supervisor.  ******** returned to the conversation advising that since the policy is cancelled we would need payment in full to reinstate on today’s date.  The policy would not be reinstated until the full amount is paid.  Mr. ******** then asked what happens next Friday when they can pay, does the amount go up?  ******** advised the amount stays the same, $453.05.  Mr. ******** then stated this was not something they chose to happen, and that they aren’t at fault, and that they were told not to pay by their attorney.  ******** advised again we can not reinstate today without full payment, we do not do that type of payment arrangement when activating policies.  Mr. ******** then asked ******** to send him an email (provided his email address to her) with the amount due. 

******** repeated the email address and the phone call ended.  The amounts due to reinstate both policies were emailed to Mr. ******** after their phone call on the same day.

We have determined based on the notes on the account and the recorded phone call, that the policies will not be reversed as there is no record or documentation that Nationwide advised Mr. ******** or his wife to not make a payment due to their bankruptcy status.  The Auto policy and Home policy qualify for reinstatement with a lapse in coverage until February 2, 2013.  The amount to reinstate the Auto policy with a lapse in coverage is $453.05, and $44.42 is due on the Home policy to reinstate.  The policies can not be activated until a valid full reinstatement payment is submitted to each policy, which Mr. ******** was advised of during his January 17, 2013 phone call with ********.  Mr. ******** would need to contact his local ***** ******* agency at ###-###-#### to submit reinstatement payments and start new policy renewals, which can be done until February 2, 2013.

If you should have any other requests or questions regarding this matter, please contact ***** ******* at ###-###-####, Ext. *******.

BBB's Final Determination: Business offered a resolution. Consumer did not pursue further with BBB and the matter was assumed to be resolved

Additional Notes

Complaint: At ten time of the accident nationwide was my insurance company. They paid for damages to my vehicle but refused to pay for my medical and other cost. Also the other party who was found to be at fault for the accident also had nationwide as his insurance company. So both persons involve in the accident had nationwide. I have since stop using their services. Things of this nature needs to be reported so other consumers can make the right choice when choosing an insurance company. How can nationwide claim to be "on your side" when intact they don't pay for your medical and other bills when the accident happen. Please respond. Thank you for your time.

Desired Settlement: Medical and other expenses

Business Response:

Consumer Response: this was before I found out that the bills that were left unpaid by my work comp has been waived. Now, nationwide knows the accident aggregated my back injury and.as a result am living with this constant back pain. I think it will save us all time if nationwide would make a decent offer for my pain and suffering and call it a day. I am thankful for life and I pray this do not happen to not even a worse enemy. It's all about money. Am glad I don't use them any longer. Considering that I no not have to pay the medical bills now, am willing to take a decent offer so I can get some chiropractor treatment at least.

Business Response:
1.  The offer is still good. 
2. The offer will remain on the table.  We do not intend to take the offer off the table at this point.  Of course, the offer will expire when the statute runs.   
 
Thank you ******** 

Consumer Response: MRI and X-ray are there to prove the injury caused to my back as the result of the accident. My employment as an RN with ********** ******* was terminated because I could not performed the essential duties of my job. I cannot stand on my feet to work at acute care( bedside) nursing due to constant back pain.  I have developed insomnia related to pain. I have consulted Drs who specialized in treating back injuries. Based on the estimated number of days per week multiple of number if weeks of treatment, I am requesting $9,000.00 from nationwide insurance as final settlement. This will enable me to get treatment for my back injuries caused by the accident that they failed to offered.

BBB's Final Determination: After reviewing the position of all parties, BBB determined that the business made a reasonable offer to resolve the complaint. However the consumer did not accept the offer.

Additional Notes

Complaint: Nationwide dropped my Comprehensive and Collission coverages without any intimation. When I called they said the underwriter needs spouse information and since it's not provided they had to drop these coverages. But I provided my spouse information when I first took the policy. I even have email confirmations of that from Nationwide. Somehow they missed that information and dropped my coverages.

I made repeated calls to them but it didn't help. They say they will take care but they never did. Finally I went with a different insurance provider and asked the nationwide to cancel my policy and refund the premium for remaining period. I asked them on 12/31/2011. They sent me a form asking to fill it up which I did right away but so far they haven't cancelled my policy and haven't refunded my premium. When I call they say will take care but they never do that.

This is not even a claim but just cancellation and they are so pathetic in handling this. First they missed my spouse information and dropped my coverages without even asking for the information again. When I asked them to cancel, they are not even doing that.

Desired Settlement: Refund Please have my policy cancelled as of 12/28/2012 and the premium refunded based on the prorated basis as of 12/28/2012.

Business Response: This email is in response to a recent inquiry that we received from our Office of Customer Advocacy regarding *** ***** *****************, a former Nationwide member.   

We reviewed the case and the desired resolution from the insured is to have the policy cancelled effective 12-28-12 with a refund issued to them.  We have received the signed form needed to cancel the policy on 1-23-2013, and it was processed for the requested cancel date of 12-28-2012.  A refund of $149.79 has been generated and I have issued the check to their home address.  The time frame to receive the refund is 3-5 business days. 

We also researched further in to the case for the comprehensive and collision coverages being ceded from the policy.  This was actually worked through another case and was found to be an error on our behalf by the sales agent.  Feedback was provided for the agent and we were working with underwriting to be able to backdate and add the coverages back to the policy for the insured.  During this process, the insured opted to cancel his insurance with us.  This is when the cancellation form was sent to him via email and the process began to cancel the policy. 

Please feel free to contact me if you need any further assistance.   
Thank you and have a great day. 

Consumer Response: I have reviewed the response made by the business  and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 

BBB's Final Determination: Consumer accepted resolution offered by the business.

Additional Notes

Complaint: My wife called to get an auto insurance estimate from Nationwide. She talked to agent, ********  His estimate was $82.00 per month. He said once it went through it could be more or less, so she had him put it through. Once it went through, it increased to $121.00 a month, which was still manageable, so we took it. This was Nov. 26, 2012. We paid the $121 for insurance and *** ******** said our next bill would be due in Jan. 2013. He emailed my wife a copy of the policy, which included a break down of the costs. About a month later we received a bill saying our policy will now be $180 per month. My wife called Nationwide and asked why our bill went up. She talked to different people, including a manager and no one could tell her why it increased. All of our information was the same - so there was no reason for it to increase. That was a $60 increase without an explanation. So we decided to change back to our previous company, **** ******. We changed companies Jan. 7, 2013. My wife called Jan.8th to cancel our policy with Nationwide. Then we received a bill from Nationwide for $223.14, which says the due date is Feb. 5, 2013. My wife called them and asked what it was for. They informed her that the $121 that she had paid on Nov. 26, 2012 was only a down-payment and that the $223.14 was for insurance from Nov. 26 2012 - Jan 8, 2013. My wife was never told the $121 was only a down-payment. She was told that $121 was the monthly premium and we were expecting a new bill Jan. 2013 of the same amount. If they would have been honest with us, we would have NEVER changed insurance companies! I need to save money and this has cost me more. Nationwide has lied to us and never gives a honest explanation and now they are trying to cheat us out of money that I don't have. The only reason I wanted to change insurance companies was to save money - we are in a very bad financial situation right now. No one deserves to be treated this way.

Desired Settlement: I want Nationwide to eliminate the amount due ($223.14). The reason being is because we were lied to and I do not feel I owe them anything. *** ******** told us our monthly premium was $121 and when I paid him the first payment over the phone he said that was for our first months payment and our new bill would be for Jan. 2013. He NEVER said anything about a down-payment. I am not that stupid! Plus, our bill magically increased without an explanation.

Business Response:

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to review your concern. We researched your complaint and found that a system error occurred during the policy set up. Our system incorrectly applied a discount on the policy that you were not eligible for under our current underwriting guidelines. Once the policy processed the discount was removed causing the premium increase.

Since this was our error, our underwriting department has agreed to remove the remaining balance on your account of $223.14. This will leave you with a $0.00 balance on your prior policy/account with Nationwide Insurance for policy - ***** ******. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has called. Please contact us directly with any additional questions or concerns.

Consumer Response:
I have reviewed the response made by the business  and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. Thank you for your help. You are appreciated very much!

Regards,
******* *****

BBB's Final Determination: Consumer accepted resolution offered by the business.

Additional Notes

Complaint: My wife and I have had Nationwide Insurance on both of our homes (**** ********** *** ********** ******** and **** ********** **** ********** ********* for at least 30 years. In recent years we have had to file several claims due to damage in our homes. This insurance company dropped both of our homes without our knowledge from insurance after this. I know that we have been paying the same amount for our home insurance for years and they dropped our policy because of that amount because our policy is an older policy. Honestly, that is completely unfair and insurance is supposed to be there for emergency damage, etc. When we called to try to resolve or talk about this we feel we where mistreated by customer service as far as trying to satisfy our compliant about dropping our insurance. After all this time with a company and then they just drop you complaining of too many claims when we have two homes insured, I feel that the contract was not respected after we have made payment on this. Also, I can not predict when a damage or incidents occur that cause damages to my home. I don't believe that I should be penaltized for something out of my control exspecially when I have done the responsible thing to have insurance to cover.

Desired Settlement: I feel that the company should honor the contract as it was and insure our homes as before. Plus, I want a print out of every claim that they are saying was made and contract rules surrounding these claims. I feel that this is poor business practice at the expense of the consumer after being with a company for 30 years. I really don't appreciate this.

Business Response:

I have reveiwed the complaint submitted by *** *******.  In review of policy *********** (property located at **** ********** ****), I have found the policy cancelled due to a hazard. The cancellation was not relevant to any claim activity.  An inspection revelaed the porch/deck had damage and needed to be fixed. We sent 2 notices about this condition. The first was sent on 08/09/11. The second notice was the actual notice of cancellation which was mailed on 06/15/12.  Nationwide did not receive proof that the repairs were made; therefore, the policy cancelled on August 6, 2012.  The only claim submitted on this property within the three year look back period occurred on April 22, 2011 and Nationwide paid $776.  Again, the cancellation was not relevant to claim history. The home was eligible for renewal had the insured remedied the hazard.

*** ******* also mentioned the cancellation of his other homeowner policy (************). This policy did not cancel due to claim activity either. I am not sure where *** ******* obtained that information.  The policy cancelled for non-payment of premium. Nationwide sent a statement and notice of cancellation to the address on record. When *** ******* did not pay, the policy cancelled for nonpayment on November 28, 2011.  *** ******* has 2 claims on this property within the three year look back period.  The first loss was on January 1, 2011 and Nationwide paid $7674.  The second loss occurred on May 30, 2011 and Nationwide paid $3102.  Again, claim activity is not relevant to the cancellation. The policy was eligible for renewal.

In final review, Nationwide gave proper notice and applied our Insurability Guidelines uniformly and consistently; therefore, we are not able to reactivate the policies.

Sincerely,

***** *********

Personal Lines Underwriting

Consumer Response:

I am rejecting this response because: The statements made on both properties are totally incorrect and untrue. Policy  ************ * **** ********** *** (porch / deck)

was repaired in the time manner and I talked with one of the agents as usual practice stating that the work had been completed and she assured me that was exceptable because

we had establised a long trustworthy relationship over the years with Nationwide. (Homeowners policy of the 2 homes, auto insurance of 2 cars and Life policy on ****** ******* ***

for over 30 years. On the second property, policy - ************ when we occured loss on May 30, 2011. After the assessment of Nationwide claims person, ****** ******* ** and

myself - ****** ******* were told not only by the adjuster but also by ******** *** herself , that if we filed the claim Nationwide would more than likely cancelle our Homeowners

policies. My husband and myself had to think about that but with us not having the income to repair the damage - 5/30/11. and honestly we felt the reason we took responsibility in

paying for insurance, was so we could and would be covered for damages. I really feel bad in my heart that I had to file against the only Insurance company that we have had such a

long and lasting relationship with, but because we are older, we are wiser, we have less money and the quotes for ******** *** agency -(Nationwide) gave us to cover both houses in

the end were in the thousands, we just can't afford that. So now we are on pins and needles praying to God that no damages or fire come near our dwelling, so far God had been faithful.

I hope I have made my complaint more clear and I pray that all concern search your heart's knowing the fact's and truths about this case, Thank you,  **** ****** *******



Regards,

Marvin And Brend Redding

BBB's Final Determination: Business offered a resolution. Consumer did not pursue further with BBB and the matter was assumed to be resolved

BBB Comments: BBB Note:  BBB asked for documentation/clarification from consumer, which was not received.

Additional Notes

Complaint: The insurance adjuster for this insurance company refuses to pay my claim. Without compensation I had to get two estimates and two sets of pictures for the adjuster. After I completed those requests almost three months as passed.Now the adjuster refuses to compensate my claim and my cost for the estimates and wants additional photos.I have to hire a lawyer now at my cost and my claim needs to be reviewed by everyone that is interested in this insurance company. I will not ever refer this insurance to anyone.

Desired Settlement: I want my claim paid for the full value of my camp trailer that was totaled.

Business Response: This letter is in response to the inquiry received from your office on December 28, 2012.  Thank you for your inquiry regarding the complaint you received from Mr. *********.  As an ****** Property and Casualty Claims Manager, I have reviewed this claim file and would like to address Mr. *********’s concerns.  If I do not provide the information you need for this matter, please do not hesitate to let me know. Concern 1:  Denial of claim Concern 2:  Delay of claim The claim was reported to us the day after the loss.  An assignment to appraise the damage to Mr. *********’s utility trailer and travel trailer, both damaged, was sent to my associate the same day as the report of loss.  We left a message for Mr. ********* on that date, October 5, 2012.  We made contact with Mrs. ********* on October 8, and sent a photo assignment to identify the damage.  We received those images and completed an estimate on the utility trailer in the amount of $557.26, and for the travel trailer in the amount of $4849.79.  We mailed the estimates and drafts to Mr. ********* on October 12, 2012, along with a letter explaining our process in the event additional damages were to be found in the repair process.  No denial of coverage nor delay in payments has been discovered by ******. We received a copy of an estimate from Mr. *********’s shop of choice.  We contacted Mr. ********* and advised of the need for a follow up inspection.  To date, our request for reinspection has not been permitted.  We left messages for Mr. ********* on December 3, 4 and 5.  We sent letters to Mr. ********* on December 4th and December 20th,  requesting he contact us about this matter. To date we have paid Mr. ********* the undisputed amount for the damages we have identified.  We maintain we have the right to reinspect the travel trailer to determine whether or not the additional damages are related to this claim and what effect these damages may have on the claim settlement.  We stand ready to reinspect the vehicle when Mr. ********* will allow, and will address further damage after that inspection is complete. Please contact me if I can be of further assistance to you.

BBB's Final Determination: Business offered a resolution. Consumer did not pursue further with BBB and the matter was assumed to be resolved

Additional Notes

Complaint: I signed up with Nationwide in September for car insurance. I receive a notice on November 2nd that my policy was being cancelled as of November 19th because they didn't receive a driver exclusion form from me for my daughter who doesn't live with us and has her own car and insurance and she has never driven my or my husbands car in the 4 years that we have owned these cars. Anyway I had no problem filling out the form and sending it back to them, but this is the first I had been notified of this.

So on November 3rd I submit the signed form electronically back to them. About a week later I receive a notice that my final payment will be due on November 16th, so on November 16th I called them to pay my final payment and I inquired if they had received my signed exclusion form and they said yes, on November 3rd, so I ask if my policy had been reinstated and they said no, so I made my final payment and told them that I will be getting another policy by the 19th so my coverage won't lapse. So I sign up with another insurance company that day to start on the 19th.
 
On November 27th I receive a letter from Nationwide that as of November 20th they had reinstated my policy, so I call them that day and say, I already got another insurance that started on the 19th, so then I am told I need to fill out a cancellation request form, so I do that again electronically that same day. On December 4th, Nationwide took $150.04 out of my bank account, so I call Nationwide that same day and at first they say that I haven't contacted them in 2 months and then as she researches she does find that I contacted them on November 3rd with the exclusion document, then on the 16th with my final payment and then she discovers that they received my cancellation letter on the 27th. 

As of today, December 11th, I still don't have my money back, and I am furious because this has put my account to almost zero and it being Christmas time, this really hurts. Nationwide is NOT on your side.

Desired Settlement: I want my money back now! I want an explanation of why this all happened, they seem so disorganized. I have had continuous car insurance coverage for 32 years and I have never had a problem with an insurance policy like I have had with this one. You can't tell someone that they are cancelled and then wait a week to tell them they are reinstated, or even a day for that matter, if I had waited to get coverage and then found out that I wasn't reinstated I would have had no coverage for that time

Business Response: Dear *** *******,

I am responding to your complaint to the Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio which was received in our office on December 12, 2012.

In your complaint, you stated your frustration with the handling of your ***** Personal Automobile Policy, including the billing and payments on the account. I appreciate the opportunity to respond.

First, I apologize for any inconvenience caused by our handling of your account. We strive to provide outstanding customer servie to our members, and we will use this example as an opportunity to improve our processes.

According to our records, we processed the requested cancellation of your policy on December 9, 2012. A refund check of $150.48 was generated on December 12, 2012 and mailed ot your address listed above.

If we may offer any further assistance in t his matter, please contact our customer advocacy coordinator, ****** ****** tol-free at ************* **** ******** ****** ** ************, or by email at *********************** 
Sincerely,
****** ** ********** ****
Personal Lines Underwriting Manager
Phone ************, or e-mail **********************
 

BBB's Final Determination: Business offered a resolution. Consumer did not pursue further with BBB and the matter was assumed to be resolved

BBB Comments: BBB Note: BBB asked for documentation/clarification from the consumer, which was not received.

Additional Notes

Complaint: Anyone with Nationwide Insurance might want to leave the company before you have your information stolen!!! Don't worry they tell you that they will give you a $15 service so you can monitor your credit to see what people are doing with your social security number, drivers license, date of birth and all of your other information that was taken from their system. However, if you go to use the code you get an error message that the promotion is not valid. So, thanks Nationwide for letting someone have all of my information so they can steal my identity and providing with an unusable code!! So I get to pay to monitor my credit or pay to even freeze all activity on my credit because of Nationwide not having a strong enough security system. They won't compensate me for paying to freeze my accounts, or give me a new promotion code, or even give me a discount on my monthly insurance payments. Nationwide and any of their subsidiaries have to be the WORST COMPANY EVER!!!

Desired Settlement: I would like to have my Social Security number changed and have them pay for all of the work that it will take to make me feel secure again with my information prior to them allowing an intruder into their network and access to all of my personal information!!

Business Response: I am responding to your letter received on December 5, 2012 regarding the complaint file dby ******* *****.

We are very sorry that the situation has occurred. Protecting the privacy and security of a person's information is a top priority fo rus, and we want to assure you that we have taken steps that will prevent this type of attack from happening again. We do not have any evidence link this attack to any instances of fraud and we do have any reason to believe that any information stolen in the attack has been misused.

We apologize that Mr. ***** has had trouble enrolling in the free one year 3:* ******* credit-monitoring and identity theft protection product. This product prvides free credit monitoring and one year identity theft coverage up to a $1 million. We advise that Mr. ***** should call Nationwide Support number at ###-###-#### to assist him in enrolling in the product. If he needs a new promotion code, he can call ###-###-#### option 1 ext. ***** for assistance.

Generally, we urge individuals to closely review and monitor your bank statements, credit reports, and other financial informaiton. If suspicious activity detected, individuals should report it to local enforcement authorities immediately and file a police report* ******* can also be contacted through their prescribed porcess for filing claims once an individual is enrolled.

If you  have any additional questions, you may contact ***** ******** @###-###-####, or at *******@nationwide.com.

BBB's Final Determination: Business offered a resolution. Consumer did not pursue further with BBB and the matter was assumed to be resolved

Additional Notes

Complaint: I purchased a used car in April 2012. I chose Nationwide as my insurance provider. On the first statement I was double charged with auto draft on. I called and complained to Nationwide and at that time they refunded the double charge and I had them remove autodraft. I thought that I had paid in full for 6 months from that date in May. This was the last that Nationwide had contacted me. The first letter I received was from the DMV stating that Nationwide had canceled my insurance and I had no insurance. I called Nationwide to find out what had happened. It turns out that they had only full paid me for 3 months instead of 6 and that they had canceled it because they couldn't get in touch with me (This was their statement to me). Since I had neither received an email nor a regular mail from Nationwide requesting my payment I escalated it to their senior customer service rep who then requested the underwriter to allow payment and resolve this issue.

"This was the response from the underwriter. Hi there, If the address and all information in record is correct, then there was no NW error in which lead to the cancellation of this policy; this was merely due to the insured's inability to pay his renewal billing. The fact that the cancellation went back to the renewal date of 9/13/2012 is not a new circumstance. As the renewal notice advises, if the payment is not made by the warned date, then the policy would cancel back to the renewal as his renewal installment was not paid. In this instance, as this matter clearly surrounds a billing/payment issue, I am unclear as to why further underwriting review was requested? This is not a matter in which Underwriting needs to make a final decision, as the policy has cancelled for nonpayment of the renewal installment eff. 9/13/2012; it is not eligible for reversal or reinstatement. In this respect, there are no other decisions Underwriting should make? Thanks."

Desired Settlement: Accept payment and make ending effective date 12/13/12. Since I will be going with a competitor as of 12/11/12. Money was never an issue and was explained to the underwriter from the customer service agent. If I had received a bill it would of been paid.

Business Response: Dear *** *******: This letter is in response to the complaint filed with your agency by **** ******* regarding his Automobile policy.   

Our records indicate the policy was a semi-annual policy that became effective on March 13, 2012.  The down payment for the policy was taken in duplicate and one of the payments was returned.  The policy billed on an installment account with payments due on the 13^th of each month.  Attached please find a history of the premium and payments for this policy and a copy of the inception Policy Declarations.

The renewal premium effective September 13, 2012, calculated on August 20, 2012, and the attached Policy Declarations were issued to the policy holder.  On August 20, 2012, the attached paperless bill was emailed to the policy at*****************  On September 21, 2012, the attached Notice of Expiration was mailed to the residence of the policyholder, indicating the amount of $95.07 was required prior to October 8, 2012, in order to prevent cancellation of the policy.

The policy cancelled, per the terms of the Notice of Expiration, effective September 13, 2012, due to lack of receipt of the renewal payment.

If you should have any other requests or questions regarding this matter, please contact ***** ******* at *************** **** *******.

Consumer Response:
There was never any mail or email delivered. That was the sole reason this complaint was issued in the first place. As stated in the phone call with the representive money was and still is not the issue. The ONLY issue is that it was never emailed or mailed. 

BBB's Final Determination: After reviewing the position of all parties, BBB determined that the business made a reasonable effort to address the complaint. However the consumer remains dissatisfied.

Additional Notes

Complaint: I had a previous issue in 2009 with Nationwide reporting an accident claim for someone that had a similar name that took 9 months of calls and finally a BBB complaint to correct my driving record. During this 9 month period, I have to The error had a significant fault associated of $10,000 that caused my rate with Nationwide to increase and I had no choice but to leave Nationwide and seek a low end coverage until my driving record was resolved. I greatly appreciate the resolution of the error and the ability I now have to obtain affordable insurance from a reputable carrier. I did not demand that Nationwide pay me the difference for this error and only wanted my driving record corrected. To my dismay, I recently pulled my credit reports and have collection from NCO for $61. I am not sure what this is for and am requesting the validity of this charge be validated.

Desired Settlement: I ask that this charge be validated. If found to be correct, I would like to pay Nationwide directly and have this collection account completely removed from my account.

Business Response:

This letter is in response to the complaint filed with your agency by ******** ******* regarding her former Automobile policy.

This is the only policy which was issued in Ms. ******'s name.  The policy insured a 2006 Ford Freestyle (VIN ending in 1298).  The inception date of this policy was May 23, 2004.  The policy canceled for non-payment, effective November 5, 2008; the policy was not in effect in 2009.  No accidents or violations were surcharged on this policy.  At the time of cancellation, a balance remained in the amount of $60.76.  Collection billing was mailed to Ms. ****** on November 11, 2008.  This balance was sent to independent collections on December 31, 2008.  Ms. ****** is welcome to make payment with Nationwide; upon reconciliation the item will be updated to 'paid' status on her credit report.

An Automobile policy was located as an associated policy to Ms. ******'s.  Automobile policy **********4 was written in the name of ***** and **** ****e.  On this policy was a driver by the name of ******** ******.  The structure of this policy did not affect Ms. ******'s policy.

If you should have any other requests or questions regarding this matter, please contact ***** ******n at ###-###-####, Ext. *****.

BBB's Final Determination: Business offered a resolution. Consumer did not pursue further with BBB and the matter was assumed to be resolved

Additional Notes

Complaint: Agent sold us homeowners insurance, knowing we had animals and building a new barn but was keeping it 'secret' from the ins. company unknown to us. they weren't renewing a year later due to animals. I emailed 3/26 panicked and said what do I need. He said he was going to save the policy and he was checking into it. On 4/13, I checked again worried and he was still checking. So I got worried and we contacted ****, got them in touch with **** who was working with them to get what we needed. He had private conversations with her even!! So he asked for a copy of the proposed dec page to forward it to my Allied insurance underwriter for approval on 4/17 and said he would find out immediately. 

On 4/19, I checked again. He said oops,just faxed it over, will check in the morning and contact you before COB on Friday. On 4/20, **** came back to our house again to take MORE pictures for you. On 4/20, **** and **** were emailing about coverage specifics. On 4/20, **** said he got the information from ***** and had forwarded it to Allied and pressure for an answer since we were nearing the 25th cut off date which is why we were in a panic. 

On 4/24 **** finally said he spoke to the underwriter and said too bad, they arent re-instating the policy but if that was an option with **** I could do it or to call **** *******. **** was facilitating the purchase with the other company solely in an attempt to re-instate my Allied policy. Then he emailed me to say they didnt approve it so I had no idea the policy was going on after that! I was in a panic because though I had called **** panicked on 3/26 about my insurance being cancelled. He told me they denied to cover me and referred me to another guy(****) whom I bought insurance from, not knowing that the sale he facilitated with another company that was conditional on being accepted by Allied was not cancelled. months later I was sent to collection for $193. Then Allied sends a letter -- I HAVE COPIES OF ALL. I WAS FRAUDED

Desired Settlement: At the minimum, the $193 collection fee needs paid. I don't know about the fraud issue. And then "customer service" sends a letter with a fake contact email, no phone, nothing so I can't get in touch,. I try for a month to find out what I need to do so I am not cancelled. He strung us along for a month and then the afternoon of the day my insurance was to be CANCELLED we were scrambling trying to get coverage even though he had been telling us for a MONTH he was handling it. Then he costs me!

Business Response:

**********************

Consumer Response:

PLEASE READ THE EMAIL TRAIL I GAVE YOU.   YOUR AGENT CAUSED THE PROBLEM AND THE COST.  the point was I was FRAUDED BY YOUR REPRESENTATIVE -- both in selling me the policy and "hiding" the horses from you AND through leaving me hanging for a month until the DAY BEFORE the policy ended to tell me "oops' they won't accept -- it was he who facilitated the other sale - it was he who said I should then try the other agent ****** whom i now have insurance with.  He had both ***** ******** and **** on the phone - he facilitated it.

And I want to know who I file an official insurance fraud complaint against?   He clearly knew I had animals here  and "hid" it from you in the beginning.

Also, what customer service?  You can clearly see me in email asking over and over and over again an entire MONTH trying to get insurance and him keep telling me he was "checking" until the day before.  HE was involved in that last minute, have to have insurance before 5pm and oh my gosh it is after 3pm -- he CAUSED that, he was in the MIDDLE of it, and in the end he arranged for me to meet **** through a conference call just before the deadline.  When he emailed me that his insurance would not accept ***** and got **** on the phone with us to make the sale, I did not know that the **** was purchased - he was trying to see if his company would accept it and then he said no they didn't so I thought that was the end of it, he put me on the call with **** and I bought the insurance from ****.  I had no idea that the **** insurance was in force EITHER WAY - we never discussed anything but if it company would accept it or not.  So he waits until two hours until my insurance is set to expire even though I called for a MONTH and heard lies, he put me in a position of duress by waiting until the last second.    If that is the case, then I need to know all of the particulars of the company because I am going to file suit. This is ridiculous.  They can then sort out the fraud because there have been horses here and he has been on this property many times and he hid it from you without us knowing.  So what would have happened if something had happened?  You would have denied us and we would have never known what happened!  I had no idea until I got your March notice you were not renewing and his emails after that say he was going to "save" the policy and outlined what we had to do.  I did all that was asked.  Then he refused to give me any info or let me talk to anyone.  Now this lady sends this email with no contact information, a fake email address.  What kind of customer service is that?   They don't even let me have someone to actually talk to? 

I want the particulars, president and counsel representative for this company as well as who to contact for a fraud investigation.



Regards,

****** *********

BBB's Final Determination: After reviewing the position of all parties, BBB determined that the business made a reasonable effort to address the complaint. However the consumer remains dissatisfied.

BBB Comments: BBB Note: BBB requested clarification/documentation from consumer, which was not received.

Additional Notes

Complaint: My name is ****** ******** and I would like to report this incident with Nationwide Insurance. On 08/13/2012 we were trying (me and my husband, ****** *********) to get a home owners insurance quote for our home at **** ***** ***** *********** ** *****. ******* *****, Sales Representative at Nationwide, after negotiations and giving her all the information about the property that she requested, she gave us a quote of $785 premium for a full year, that we did take and pay in full right away. It was for $399,300 dwelling and $39,930 other structures and $279,510 personal property and with $2,500 deductible. It was starting with August 22nd, 2012 through August 22nd, 2013. She told me to take pictures of the property and send them to her right away (I did) and she also told me that someone will come to take pictures of the property from Nationwide and property measurements.

We did ask other companies for quotes and the numbers for coverage were pretty much similar, but Nationwide came with a better yearly premium, and that was why we chose them. Then, ******* sent me an e-mail that I have a claim filled and that I need to send proof that it is not mine, or else they will cancel the policy starting with 12/23/2012 because they can not have claims on the new policies that they take in for the State of******** - and I did that right away. It was on a different property in ******* that I held in the past with my ex- husband and in fact I quit claim deed that property to him, but the previous insurance company did not take my name out of that particular policy (even if I sent them documentation and proof to do so).

So, I got the letter from the previous company to prove that.******* said that everything is good to go. This was on October 9th. A lady from Nationwide came one afternoon and took pictures and measurements. Then, we received no more e-mails, but one letter in the mail that: "based on the measurements we took and the other exterior features we noticed (????), our estimate of the cost to reconstruct 100% of your home is $605,790. Today your home is insured for $399,300. We wanted to let you know that this difference exists because your home is one of your greatest financial assets. Insuring your home to 100% of its estimated reconstruction cost is the best way to safeguard that the coverage limits would be sufficient in the event of a total loss of your home. Because we want to make doing business with us easy you do not have to take action. Your coverage amount will automatilly increase to this 100% level, or $605,790, effective August 22, 2012." So, they gave this property an outrageous value - there are no properties in this area at this time at this value or even close to it. It is almost double than what we paid in 2008 which was $330,000 and now the values are even lower then that, so it is double in value for coverage ... ridiculous and insane in amount. If you look for the property as market value is $245,000 or around there. So, they went in rear with something that we did not agree on ... with a fabulation in reconstruction cost to increase premium.

Then, we receive an e-mail on 10/25/2012 with a statement for an additional $235 due November 22nd, 2012, for our policy number ************. This made me and my husband really upset because it seemed that they were trying in any way they could to increase our premium after we were in a signed contract with them, thinking that we will just say nothing and pay ... because it is too much trouble to move again and again. We did everything that they asked us to do. My husband sent an e-mail to ******* ***** asking her to explain what is with this statement since we paid in full when we signed and how can they increase in rear the value of reconstruction and also to such an outrageous amount; he also told her that we will not be paying for this and if they do not fix this we will cancel the policy with them right away. Then how is their advertisement "NATIONWIDE IS ON YOUR SIDE" ... whose side . She practically said that there is nothing that can be done. We insured our home elsewhere right away for dwelling $399,000 effective October 31st, 2012.

We cancelled with Nationwide effective 10/31/2012. Now, they sent us a check for $589 which means that we paid more than what we agreed initially. So, they still owe us $45.44; because $785+$235 (what they added after) =$1,020/365 days a year = $2.79 per day, and what we signed for was $785/365 days a year = $2.15 per day. The difference is $0.64 that they owe us per day, for the days that we were insured with them: they were 10 days in August + 30 days in September + 31 days in October = 71 day. 71 days *$0.64 = $45.44 and this is what they owe us besides the $589 check. My husband called tonight Natiowide and the person by the name of ******** in Customer Services (what service for the customer) was super rude and had an attitude with us as their customers and told him that this is all that we are getting.

This is how we decided to write you, The Better Business Bureau, to know what is Nationwide doing and how they are misleading their customers till they sign up with them, and how later on they do change the home owners insurance premium on people. We are outstanding in paying for everything on time and with great credit and we never encountered anything like this till today. I thank you for reading and listening to us and I do hope that you will do something to take care of this problem.

With all respect, ****** ********

Desired Settlement: $45.44

Business Response:

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to **** ********** concerns regarding her Nationwide Mutual Homeowner Insurance policy number************. After careful review we find that **** ******** obtained her homeowner policy effective August 22, 2012 by calling Nationwide Sales Solutions at our 800 number. At that time, the reconstruction cost was estimated based on customer information and information pulled from the ******* County Auditor web site and the dwelling amount was calculated to be $399,300.

 As **** ******** was advised and in accordance with our insurability guidelines, all homes are inspected at new business in order to accurately determine reconstruction cost.**** ********** home was inspected by our vendor on September 10, 2012. Photos and measurements of the home were taken in order to determine reconstruction cost. The dwelling amount was calculated to be $605,790. Our guideline is to insure homes at 100% of reconstruction cost calculations.

 Reconstruction cost is what it would cost to rebuild the home from the foundation up with materials of similar kind and quality at the current construction costs. Reconstruction cost is not the same as market value, which is based on what a buyer is willing to pay for a home.

**** ******** was notified in writing on October 11, 2012 of the reconstruction cost of her home and our intention to adjust the homeowner coverage accordingly. All policy notification and action was taken within our 60 day discovery period.

 In reviewing the account and policy, the premium calculated at $785.00 for the August 22, 2012 policy term. Due to changes made on the policy to the Dwelling amount, the premium was increased by $235.00. The policy was cancelled as a request by the policy holder effective October 31, 2012.

 Nationwide charged $196.00 for coverage provided from August 22, 2012 to October 31, 2012. A payment of $785.00 applied to the account on August 15, 2012. Therefore, the $785.00 payment - $196.00 amount due for coverage provided = $589.00 refund. The refund was sent on November 5, 2012 and was cashed on November 14, 2012. At this time, no further refund amount is scheduled to be sent.

 Once again, thank you for the opportunity to respond.

 Sincerely,

 *** *****

Personal Lines

Underwriting Manager

Consumer Response:

 I received the replacement cost from two other insurances; * ******** (the one that we were insured prior to Nationwide) and also the insurance company that we are insured with right now, which is***** **** (please see attached) ... I understand and I do know what "replacement cost" means versus "property value" and I do not need the explanation from the Nationwide representative for that. They should actually respond to the fact that ******** replacement cost was $399,000 and now ***** **** is $314,000 ... What was the base of theirs? ... Because it is impossible to come with such an amount.

 I want my money back, yes, that small difference. The check that they send back for $589 was the reason that I made the complaint with the BBB, because I felt cheated and betrayed with my trust in Nationwide 'is on your side" ... really are they on the customer's side!!??? - it was a scam from Nationwide to increase the premium; they had no other reason, so they made up one and that was this so-to-speak replacement cost super inflated to over $600,000.

Also, the builder that built this home (it is a Magnolia type home) is Ryland Homes and they are still building Magnolia's in the area right now and the are at start price: $229,990. *************************************************************************************************** So, let's say that with our upgrades, we are at $300,000 tops to build from the ground up and still we are far away from $605,790, what Nationwide quoted us.

Please review their response and see that we are right!

I do appreciate you looking into this matter. Thank you very much!


Regards,

****** ********

BBB's Final Determination: After reviewing the information provided by all parties, BBB determined that the business handled the matter appropriately, and no further action was needed.

Additional Notes

Complaint: My car was stolen on 9/28.I filed an insurance claim immediately.I even contacted the ******** (the parking deck it was stolen out of),in *********,to notify them of the theft.I contacted them within 24 hours of the vehicle being stolen.2 weeks later I was FINALLY contacted by a Nationwide investigator.She said the paperwork was turned in late to her(Nationwide error).She did not contact the ********** in time(2 weeks they keep the tapes)and the tapes from that evening were destroyed(Nationwide error).

The investigation was horrible.I have never felt so disrespected.I had a rental only thru 10/27 (30 days on my policy and they stated nothing could be done to extend it).The investigator DID NOT even look for the vehicle (which she feels strongly its not stolen and just "misplaced")until the end of October, beginning of November..why the delay?She didnt even have the epic center do a sweep until the end of October..4 weeks after the car was reported stolen.(Again Nationwide error)Now we are in the settlement process.

I have had insurance with Nationwide since I was 15 years old.16 YEARS.And homeowners insurance with them for 12 YEARS.The settlement is unacceptable.The adjuster stated at the beginning,he would contact the dealership in which I purchased my car for a window sticker for list of options..now he is telling me to contact them.Did he not contact them for a list of options on my car like he stated he would?If not how did he come up with a settlement offer?He has avoided calls us,not returned calls,and we always have to call him back to have a conversation.

The settlement would only pay off our car.We put $3500 down and have made 7 payments of $425.65.I understand the payments are gone but they are only offering me $289 after the payoff.I just want some fairness..They are leaving me with NO MEANS to get a new car.THE FACTS ARE..IF THE INVESTIGATION WAS HANDLED CORRECT,WE WOULD HAVE THE SURVEILLANCE TAPES FROM THAT EVENING,KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR, AND IT WOULD BE BACK IN MY DRIVEWAY!!

Desired Settlement: I would like an additional $3500 in settlement due to Nationwide's improper investigation that cost us my new car. If the investigator would have done her job correclty, we would have a lead on my car due to the surveillance tapes and I would not be suffering such a loss.

Business Response:


This letter is being written in response to your inquiry regarding the above referenced policy. After careful review of the claims file, please see our findings below.

*** *** **** ******* are upset with the value of their 2012 Honda Civic, which was stolen on September 28, 2012. The value of the vehicle was obtained by using an option sheet, which was completed by *** *******. The option sheet had a notation from *** *******, that he was unable to locate the sticker and to contact the dealership.

In reviewing the claims log, the vehicle option information was sent to CCC Valuescope for a value of the 2012 Honda Civic. Nationwide Affinity Insurance received the valuation from CCC Valuescope with the vehicle value at $ 20.511.00. The settlement offer of 21,081.33 was discussed with *** ******* on November 5, 2012, which included a conversation about the options, tax, title and deductible which were added. . *** ******* accepted the settlement offer and was also advised that payment of $20,792.05 would be issued to ***** ********* ********, for the payoff on the loan and the balance of $289.28 will be mailed to *** ******** Payment was issued on November 5, 2012.

On November 5, 2012, later in the afternoon, *** ******* called and spoke to the claims associate and advised he was not happy with the value. The claims associate advised he would send a copy of the vehicle valuation to him to review and if he found any discrepancies to contact him.*** ******* advised that he would contact the dealership for the sticker.

On November 9, 2012, the claims associate received a 2012 Honda Civic vehicle information sheet, which was pulled from the Honda website, by *** ******** The claims associate contacted CCC Valuescope and sent them the option sheets. CCC Valuescope advised all options were in the value and the value does remain at $ 20,511.00.

A market survey was also completed on three comparable vehicles. The vehicles were compared with the same year, make, model, mileage and options. The average value came to $19.348.00. Nationwide Affinity Insurance feels this is a fair value for the vehicle.

*** ******* states in his complaint, that he would like his down payment and his seven payments back, however, the policy covers the actual cash value of the vehicle, which we offered and settled with *** *******.

Unfortunately, the policy does not cover down payments or prior payments made on the loan.

Sincerely,

****** *****
Claims Manager
Nationwide Insurance
************ ******

Consumer Response:

BBB's Final Determination: After reviewing the position of all parties, BBB determined that the business made a reasonable effort to address the complaint. However the consumer remains dissatisfied.

BBB Comments: BBB requested clarification/documentation from the consumer, which was not received.

Additional Notes

Complaint: Policy number: ************DOB:********** In August, 2012 at the time of the policy renewal, Nationawide Insurance increased our rates due to an accident that happened in April, 2012. Due to higher rates we asked customer service to change the coverage from property damage liability/body injury 100K/100K/300K to 50K/50K/100K. We got a new quote for next 6 months and made a payment for the 3 months. After a month or so we got a letter from Nationwide asking for some additional money. I have contacted Nationwide several times to get an answer on "Why was the quote changed." What I was told is that Nationwide can make an adjustment to the quote any time they want to any amount they want as they obtain additional information. However, on the record I state that NOTHING has changed in our driving history since April, 2012. The last time I spoke to Nationwide they acknowledged that it was a human error. The quote I was given was, for some reason, for previous 6 month not for the next 6 months. We think it is unreasonable to ask us to make additional payment for the error that was made by the Nationwide representative. I called Nationwide 2 days before the renewal, asked for a new quote and made a payment for the next 3 months. There is absolutely nothing that we did is incorrect; therefore we strongly believe that Nationwide has to honor their quote and we should not be punished for their own mistake. Sincerely,******** *********

Desired Settlement: We request that Nationawide honor their initial quote and accept the payment for the next 6 months that we were asked to pay. We feel that it is unreasonable to change the quote with no change in driving history (even if it was a human mistake), and once the bill was mailed, and partial (3 months) payment was made.

Business Response: Thank you for the opportunity to review and respond to our customer's inquiry.  We apologize for the conflicting information provided when *** ********* called the service center to make a change to the policy.   *** ********* called on September 13, 2012, and was provided a quote for a change in coverage effective the September 15, 2012 renewal.  The quote provided was for the amount of $2322.00 for coverage provided from September 15, 2012 to March 15, 2013.  He told our representative he was previously quoted $1930.00 and wanted to know why the difference.  He was told the quote of $1930.00 was based on the rate charged for the March 15, 2012 policy term.*** ********** chose not to make the change in coverage at the time of the call.  He called later that day and was quoted $1930.00 at which point he chose to make the change. The change in reducing coverage was made with the effective date of September 13, 2012.  When the September 15, 2012 renewal term processed, the premium was established at $2322.00.  The reason for the change at the renewal was the surcharge applied to the policy for a April 19, 2012 at fault accident.  The policy is currently rated correctly for the coverage *** ********* elected for his policy.  We will be happy to review his policy with him to determine if there are any opportunities to save on the cost for coverage.   If you have any further questions, please contact me directly,  Sincerely,  ***** * ******Senior AnalystNationwide Insurance Company of America

 ************** *** ****

Consumer Response:

Facts provided by the Nationwide representative are accurate. Indeed, I called on Sep. 12 to renew my policy and was quoted $2,378 (not exactly the same as in the attached letter),  much higher compared to what I was paying before. So on that day (Sep. 12) I decided not to make a payment but to shop around. On Sep. 13 (next day), I called back and said I was now ready to extend my policy for another 6 months and to make a payment for the first 3 months. Was the quote given to me at that time lower than the one on Sep. 12 yes, did I question it? No. Why would I? I presumed that people working at Nationwide had enough intelligence to provide a simple automobile quote.

So, to sum up. These are the facts and cannot be disputed: I asked to extend my policy for another 6 months and was provided a new quote $1930. At that time I made a payment for the first 3 months. Unfortunately, I cannot accept Nationwide's apology in this matter and request Nationwide to honor their own quote.

From BBB I request an explanation of what did I do wrong.  Or if my claim is legitimate, I would like to ask BBB's help for enforcing the $1930 quote I got from Nationwide.
Sincerely,
********

BBB's Final Determination: After reviewing the position of all parties, BBB determined that the business made a reasonable offer to resolve the complaint. However the consumer did not accept the offer.

BBB Comments: BBB Note: BBB requested documentation/clarification from the consumer, which was not received.

Additional Notes

Complaint: Nationwide still charged me in April after I cancelled them in a letter I wrote April 17gh. They didn't want to compensate me for my loss. I told them I don't have recipets for the antiques and they were inherited from my Dad.

Desired Settlement: Unspecified by consumer.

Business Response: This letter is in response to the inquiry received from your office on November 5, 2012.

According to our records, there is no indication tht Ms. ******* requested to cancel the home policy in April of 2012. There was a review of her policy on February 8, 2012, then the next time she contacted us was on September 7, 2012.

The May 21, 2012 deduction was returned in the amount of $33.76. A $30 NSF fee was applied to the billing account. The home policy was cancelled effective June 19, 2012, for non-payment. There is a balance due of $61.82 for coverage through June 19, 2012. This amount also includes the $30 NSF Fee.

We have reviewed our claim file and have spoken to our member, ***** *******, regarding her concerns and our original coverage decisiion stated in our letter to Ms. *******, dated April 2, 2012.

Coverage was denied due to Ms. *******'s failure to cooperate in the investigation of her loss. We spoke to Ms. ******* on October 31, 2012, to acknowledgte receipt of her complaint and to discuss with her further the information we had previously requested. Ms. ******* provided us with her mother's contact information on November 1, 2012. We attempted to contact Ms. *******'s mother on November 2, 2012, and left a voicemail requesting she return our call. We specifically stated that our call was in regards to her daughter's claim and that we are seeking further details on the furniture Ms. ******* inheritied from her father.

At this time, we have spoken with Ms. *******'s mother and received some of the required information. We will continue our attempts to collect the remaining informaiton that we believe is necessary to move this claim to resolution for our member.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at the number listed below.

Sincerely,

BBB's Final Determination: Business offered a resolution. Consumer did not pursue further with BBB and the matter was assumed to be resolved

Additional Notes

Complaint: Since Septmeber 11, 2012 I have been trying to retain a small dollar amount from the Nationwide Retirement Solutions that I have not contributed to since February, 2011. I have been evicted from my apartment due to the sale of the duplex I am living in & the new owners want my (lower) apartment. It has been a hardship for me to come up with the amount of money I have needed for a deposit, first month's rent & this month's rent at my current residence. My final date to be in the apartment is to be November 1, however I have managed to be able to move into my new apartment this Saturday, October 20, 2012. I submitted my request for emergency unforseeable circumstance to Nationwide Retirement Solutions on or around September 11, 2012, stating I would submit verification once I had it. I received an email from Nationwide Retirement Solutions stating I needed to submit an eviction notice and/or lease. It took some time to find a place that would allow me to sign a lease & not pay the whole deposit. Once I had the signed lease I faxed that along with my eviction notice. I received another email stating I needed to submit more verification. This time they wanted my current lease, which I had already packed away & had to find but was finally able to fax that to Nationwide. I called to confirm that they had received my documents, they had. Their representative told me it would be 48 hours, that was Monday, October 15 approximately 3 p.m. I just got off the phone with Nationwide Retirement Solutions telling me they were going to get back to me because my request had to go back to the review team because they had denied my request because my current lease is a month to month lease not a yearly. They did not read the lease because it is a yearly lease to end on March 1, 2013, however due to the sale of the duplex the lease has been broken because the new owner's are at their discretion to do what they want with the tenant(s) of the building. I have verification of all if you need.

Desired Settlement: Return to me ALL my money I have on deposit with Nationwide Retirement Solution.

Business Response:

To Whom It May Concern:

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the above referenced inquiry. 

The facts pertaining to Nationwide’s handling of this account are as follows:

• The complainant requested an Unforeseeable Emergency Distribution from her Deferred Compensation Plan in September 2012. The complainant requested $1,800.00. The reason for withdrawal indicated in the application was related to moving expenses resulting from an eviction. To be approved for this situation, the applicant must provide a rental/lease agreement for the new address (Address B), copies of bills and/or receipts for moving expenses, and a letter threatening eviction from the old address (Address A). The complainant did not provide any supporting documentation with her initial application.
• Nationwide sent a letter to the complainant via email on September 11, 2012, and via mail on September 14, 2012, stating that additional documentation was needed to support the withdrawal request.
• On October 11, 2012, the complainant faxed new documentation to Nationwide. The fax included a Notice of Eviction on Address A and a month-to-month Residential Rental Contract at Address B. She also included a screen print estimate from ****** showing $245.95 for moving expenses.
• The Nationwide associate who reviewed this documentation made an error in that she thought the month-to-month lease was for Address A, which we would not have been able to accept. As a result, Nationwide emailed the complainant on October 12, 2012, and requested a copy of the current rental/lease agreement and a detailed bill from the moving company, or copies of bills/receipts for moving expenses. The ****** information provided was only an estimate, not a bill or receipt, and did not reference the complainant’s name. Nationwide should have approved a withdrawal the $775 security deposit for Address B at this point.
• Nationwide emailed the complainant on October 12, 2012, and requested a copy of the current rental/lease agreement and a detailed bill from the moving company, or copies of bills/receipts for moving expenses.
• On October 15, 2012, the complainant faxed Nationwide a copy of the lease at Address A.
• Nationwide mailed a letter to the complainant on October 15, 2012, stating that Nationwide cannot approve for moving expenses when the lease agreement was month to month. Again, Nationwide should have already accepted the lease provided for Address B and released funds to cover the $775 security deposit.
• The complainant contacted Nationwide the same day and the application was reviewed again. Upon the second review of the application, Nationwide determined that the complainant had provided sufficient documentation to approve the security deposit at Address B, which was $775. The withdrawal was grossed up to $861.11 to account for taxes. The withdrawal was processed on October 19, 2012.
• At this time, Nationwide is unable to release any further funds using the documentation submitted by the complainant. Additional moving expenses may be approved if the complainant provides a detailed bill from the moving company, or copies of bills/receipts for moving expenses.

I trust this information is helpful in your evaluation. If you need any further information, please feel free to contact me at ###-###-####, option 8, ext. *****, weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, and I will be happy to assist you.

Sincerely,

******* *****

Nationwide Retirement Solutions

Consumer Response:

First & foremost: This is my money....not Nationwide Retirement Solutions. I feel they have not been honest & the process they have put me through added to my amount of stress due to moving.

When the representative from NRS came to the County originally he informed people (whom I have asked) & me that we could take our money out any time we wanted to without a problem. 

Upon applying for MY money I received an email stating they needed an eviction notice. I called NRS to find out what they were going to need besides the eviction notice & which lease they needed (a new lease or my most recent lease). The representative informed me that I would need to submit a lease for the new apartment. I couldn't do that for about a month because I had to save up the money to put a deposit on an apartment in order to get a lease. Once I did that I submitted the eviction notice & the new lease together. After that I received another email stating NRS needed another lease. Not sure what they meant by that I called NRS again. The representative told me they needed to see the lease from the old apartment. I faxed them the lease from the old apartment which was NOT MONTH TO MONTH BUT A YEAR LEASE.

I was also informed by one of their representatives that in February, 2013 I will be able to take out the rest of my money without a problem because it will have been 2 years since I have contributed to this fund.

I feel NRS has misrepresented themselves to me & many of my coworkers by stating I could take my money out anytime I wanted without a problem. That was false information. 

The reasoning NRS continually gave me for not approving my money refund was that they needed to stay within the IRS guidelines in case they were ever audited.

I am requesting the balance of MY MONEY, not just the $775 for my deposit. The only way to resolve this issue is to refund the balance of MY MONEY to me (minus taxes).


Regards,

Elrena Driscoll


Note: The text of your complaint may be publicly posted on the BBB web site (BBB reserves the right to not post in accordance with BBB policy). Please do not include any personally identifiable information in describing the nature of your complaint. By submitting your complaint, you are representing that it is a truthful account of your experience with the business. BBB may edit your complaint to protect privacy rights and to remove inappropriate language.

Business Response:

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the above referenced inquiry. I appreciate the opportunity to provide additional information regarding this case.

The facts in addition to Nationwide’s previous response dated October 30, 2012, are as follows:

• At this time, Nationwide is unable to release any further funds using the documentation submitted by the complainant. Additional moving expenses may be approved if the complainant provides a detailed bill from the moving company, or copies of bills/receipts for moving expenses
• The complainant signed a Participation Agreement on numerous occasions. The signature on this document confirms that the complainant had received and read the Memorandum of Understanding, which is a document that details the terms of withdrawal from the Deferred Compensation Plan. The terms of withdrawal are listed as follows:

“I may withdraw funds from the plan only upon separation from service, at age 70 ½ (if     deferrals have stopped), upon an unforeseeable emergency approved by the plan, or I           may take and in-service withdrawal if my account value is $5,000 or less (as adjusted)          and I have not deferred in two years and I have never taken an in-service withdrawal       from the plan before. All withdrawals of funds will be in accordance with Internal            Revenue Service Code and applicable regulations, some of which are expressed in the            Plan Document”

• One of the circumstances listed on the Memorandum of Understanding is the in-service withdrawal. This allows participants to withdraw funds if the account balance is $5,000 or less and the participant has not deferred in two years. According to our records, the complainant will qualify for the in-service withdrawal on February 15, 2013, if no additional deferrals are made

I trust this information is helpful in your evaluation. If you need any further information, please feel free to contact me at ###-###-####, option 8, ext. *****, weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, and I will be happy to assist you.

Sincerely,

******* *****

Nationwide Retirement Solutions

BBB's Final Determination: Business offered a resolution. Consumer did not pursue further with BBB and the matter was assumed to be resolved

Additional Notes

Complaint: While driving my bicycle, I hit a the right mirror of it and the mirror came off from the car. The insurance company of the car's driver sued me for 2800 to cover damages for the car. I called to my insurance agent in Nationwide from the emergency room the day of the accident (November 11, 2011), he had not notified the main agency. I received the notification from the car's insurance company about these charges in January when I went to the ************ office of Nationwide. They sent by fax this notification to their main office. A woman from the main office told me that I should not worry, and that they would take care of it. Although Nationawide said that they paid for the medical bills, just in 11/1/2012, they notified me that they will not cover the claim for the car damages. It took them 9 months to tell me that they will not cover this claim despite the fact that over the phone they assured me that they were going to take care of everything. They said that the insurance does not cover a person who is a bike, but that information was never given to me. They said that they will take care of everything and now they said that they will not cover the claim.

Desired Settlement: I just want them to do what they assured me they would do. They should pay the claim and also, and most importantly, they should not lie and mislead to their costumers. It seems that they knew that their insurance did not cover a person with a bicycle, but still they never told me. They should have that information written in the contract. Also, they should not say that they will take care of an insurance problem and then almost a year later say that they would not. Many thanks!Alina.

Business Response:
Medical claim***** ****** ******** was reported on 2-4-12 for injuries Ms.
Freire-Fierro sustained on 11-21-11 while riding a bicycle. Medical
benefits were paid and claim was closed.

On 10-3-12 a subrogation notice was received from **** ******** **********
on behalf of State Farm Insurance. An Auto Liability claim was opened and
investigated.

Ms. Freire-Fierro was advised on 11-1-12 and also provided a denial letter
explaining that the Nationwide Insurance Company Auto Policy V-*****, Page
D1, states:.

"Motor Vehicle means a land motor vehicle designed primarily to be driven
on public roads. This does not include vehicles operated on rails or
crawler treads. Other motorized vehicles designed for use mainly off public
roads shall be included within the definition of motor vehicle when used on
public roads".

It was further explained to Ms. Freire-Fierrour that since she was
operating a bicycle at the time of the loss there would be no coverage for
this loss.

Home Owner claim **** ** ****** ******** was opened on 11-5 for
investigation. Handling claims associate, Kahla Loper, has been in contact
with Ms. Freire-Fierro and has sent her an Accident Report form to
complete.


Please do not hesitate to contact our office, should you have any additional questions.