Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/15/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Through a Life Insurance Agent, On 6/2022 I purchased a 20yr $700,000 Term Life Insurance policy that was approved and $151.00 monthly payments started immediately as an autopay. My payments are usually due on the 11th of each month. I noticed payment did not draft on 2/11/2024, which alarmed me to reach out to my Life Insurance Agent. My Agent contacted SBLI and was told that my policy was cancelled due to some medical history they just found. I was never notified via email, mail, or by phone of this change. I just so happen to go into my account and found my policy to be inactive. My agent mentioned SBLI is to refund me $3100, however, I do not have this in writing. I am concern why I was not notified of the cancellation and if I had never been attentive to my bank account this would have slid by. Please explain why I was never contacted?

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/16/2024

  Dear **********,
  
  Thank you for reaching out to us and expressing your concerns regarding your Term Life Insurance policy. Upon reviewing your account, we have identified that a notice regarding the cancellation of your policy was issued on January 24, ****. We realize that this communication may not have reached you as intended. To ensure you are fully informed, we have emailed you the document dated January 24, ****,outlining the reasons behind the policy cancellation.
  
  Regarding the status of your refund, we would like to clarify that the original check (No. *******) was voided due to a change in your address that we were made aware of. We sincerely apologize for any confusion this might have caused. To address this matter swiftly, we have voided the original check today and are pleased to inform you that a new refund check will be reissued and dispatched to your updated address within the next 3 business days. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to rectify this situation and ensure that you receive the refund you are ***********. Should you have any more questions or require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************, SBLI
  **********************************
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/16/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/26/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This company has persistently called my cellphone, which is on the Do Not Call List, trying to telemarket me life insurance, even after being told to stop. I have never given it permission to telemarket me, and have no interest in their services whatsoever. I have made several attempts to reach out to the company to rectify the matter, and have been ignored. At this point I need to speak to the company's ATTORNEY or LEGAL REPRESENTATION to resolve this matter. Simply "removing my number" will no longer suffice. If I do not hear from their legal rep, I will be contacting an attorney that specializes in TCPA matters for litigation.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/04/2024

  Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry to hear that you were unhappy with your experience, as our customers concerns are very important to us.
  

  We have reviewed this matter and determined a request was received from this phone number because there was an interest in procuring life insurance from SBLI.
  

  We have taken immediate action by removing this number from *********** lists and will not call this number in the future. 
  

  Thank you. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/04/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Absolutely NO interest was ever given by anyone in this household or the number in question. We also never gave any express written permission to be telemarketed to. As stated iny complaint, I need to speak to the company's ATTORNEY or LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE to resolve this matter. Simply "removing my number" will NOT suffice. If I don't receive the requested contact, I will move forward with legal action as allowed by 47 U.S.C. 227(b)(3) and ******* State Law. I am open to resolution, however if none is possible, I fully intend on moving forward with this matter to it's legal conclusion.

  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *****

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/28/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I had a 15 year term life with SBLI that expired on November 3, 2023. Earlier in October I called SBLI and told the customer service representative that I'm not interested in any renewal after the expiration, so she stopped the automatic payment, but she said the system would send me one more paper bill. "It's just how our system works", she explained. But since then they have harassed me with multiple Premium Reminder Notices, which is ridiculous. I feel they are trying to trick people into paying unwanted life insurance. The policy number was *********. SBLI must stop this harassment ASAP.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/28/2023

  As mentioned in your complaint,your policy with us is limited to a 15-year ******. Due to state regulations, we are contractually required to provide you with a 30-day grace ****** beyond the premium due date. Our intention in sending billing reminders applies to all billing situations throughout the life of the policy,reminding our customers that they may have forgotten a payment.

  In a situation where a policy is at the end of its guaranteed level ******, the billing reminder no longer applies. However, by not cancelling the policy on the exact end of term ****** date, you gain an additional 30 days of life insurance protection.

  Based on your request, we will immediately cancel this policy, waiving the ****** of extended coverage associated with the additional grace ******. We apologize if this created confusion and frustration for you, it was not our intention.    

   

   

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/28/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/21/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have been a customer of ********************** for almost thirty years. In that time, communications have generally been done in a very acceptable manner. Over the last few months, however, I receive marketing emails from them that are impossible to stop. Every one of their emails offers and "unsubscribe" link that has been configured wrong and each time I attempt to unsubscribe from their marketing list, the page says that my email address of ********************* has been unsubscribed and I continue to receive their mailings.They are in violation of Federal Law by not providing a valid, working link to unsubscribe from lists that I never agreed to being added to in the first place.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/27/2023

  Re: Acknowledgment and Action on Your Email Opt-out Request

  Dear ******************,

  We appreciate your reaching out to bring to our attention to your issue concerning the email opt-out request. Please be assured that adhering to the CAN-SPAM Act is a priority for us, and we diligently work with our compliance team to ensure that all communications are in alignment with these standards.
  

  In response to your request, we have undertaken the following actions:

  
  1. Your email address has been removed from our marketing communications list. The confirmation of this action is attached herewith for your reference.

  
  2. We have conducted a thorough examination of the unsubscribe functionality and confirmed that it is operating accurately.

  
  3. We remain committed to promptly honoring opt-out requests and will continue to rigorously adhere to the CAN-SPAM requirements in all our future communications.

  
  Should you require any further assistance or clarification, please feel free to contact us at your convenience. We value your feedback and are here to ensure your experience with our communications is satisfactory. Thank you for your continued business. 
  

  Warm regards,

  *******************************, SBLI 

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/27/2023

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  Mark

   

   My original complaint specifically indicated that the unsubscribe option was NOT working properly as clicking the option in the emails resulted in being shown a screen saying that ********************* was successfully removed. Here is the *** that the SBLI emails contain for the unsubscribe process for your own viewing: ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

  Additionally, my complaint requested actual proof of the corrective action, NOT a statement saying that it was corrected. No such proof has been provided, only a claim that the process was "reviewed" and that it is working "properly."

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/28/2023

  Dear ******************,

  Thank you for following up. The unsubscribe link was tested and is functioning properly. I am unable to send you further marketing emails as proof as we have honored your request to opt-out. 

  I have attached a screenshot of my personal test as proof that the opt-out link is functioning as it should. 

  Please feel free to reach out if you have additional questions or concerns.

  Regards,

  *******************************, SBLI 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/28/2023

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  Mark

   

  Screen shots are static and do not actually demonstrate the operation. This is part of why I pointedly stated that I wanted to actual proof of the issue being remedied.Your suggestion to add my email back to the marketing emails is completely unacceptable given that I never agreed to be on it in the first place.

   

  I do not, and will not, accept what you have offered as "proof" but do not have the time or interest to continue to try and debate the topic. For me, this will remain "unresolved" and any further contact attempts from any of the Centrian / SBLI / other companies under the umbrella will simply get marked as SPAM and ignored.

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/30/2023

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have a life insurance policy with SBLI of Massachusetts. I have been paying on this term life insurance policy for 11 years. They have billed me monthly by mail at my home address since I started the policy. Starting at the beginning of this year they started sending me letters in the mail soliciting me to renew my policy at a higher rate. I have declined. They have conveniently stopped sending the bill, hoping I forget to pay and the policy would lapse. This has almost happened several times. I do not have a computer so I do not want to simply pay electronically. I have spoken with my agent who assures me it was a mistake or lost in the mail. I do not believe this to be true, seeing as how this is the third time and I still keep getting solicitation mail from them 3 times a month. I have lived past the same address for 30 years and have never not received mail except from SBLI. I just want to receive my paper bill! Pretty crappy way to treat a customer after sending them money for 11 years and getting nothing for it other than peace of mind. If they didn't want to extend a policy for **************************************************************************************************************************** my policy you have agreed! I have read other complaints from people who have had the same experience as me, many of whom weren't as lucky and their policy lapsed, SBLI then refusing to reinstate. Be cautious when dealing with this company, very sneaky way of conducting business.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/03/2023

  Subject: Response to Complaint ******** - Addressing Concerns and Ensuring Continued Service
  
  Dear **************,
  
  Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention through the Better Business Bureau. We take all feedback from our customers very seriously as it provides us with an opportunity to improve and serve you better. We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused by the interruption in mail communication. Please allow us to elaborate on the steps we've taken to rectify this situation and ensure it does not recur in the future.
  
  Upon receiving your complaint, I personally reached out to discuss and understand the concerns better. It was never our intention to cause any distress, and any miscommunication was completely unintentional. Following our conversation, I have taken immediate action to rectify the situation:
  
  Your address has been re-activated in our system to ensure you receive all future communications without any hindrance.
  I followed up our conversation with an email, providing my direct contact information for any further concerns or inquiries you may have.
  A policy statement will be sent to you to affirm that you will now be receiving mail communications from us as expected.
  I have set a reminder in my system to personally check that your next bill is sent out in a timely manner.
  As a token of our appreciation for your patience and understanding, we will be sending a gift card to you for your trouble.
  
  We value your relationship with us and are committed to ensuring a smooth and satisfactory experience moving forward. Your satisfaction is our priority, and we appreciate the trust you have placed in us. We look forward to continuing to serve you and are here to assist with any further concerns you may have.
  
  Thank you for your understanding and continued patronage.
  
  Warmest regards,
  ***************************, **************** and Imaging Manager, **********************
  *********************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/07/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  SBLI established a pattern of sending an email the month before my annual payment was due, and had done this for many years. Ive always paid the yearly premium on time. In November of 2022, however, they failed to send the annual email stating my payment was due. I received no notice until a mailed letter arrived in March of 2023, stating my plan had lapsed because I hadnt paid. This was the first notice I received. As its a yearly payment, I cant be expected to remember when its due and look up the information to pay it. Im convinced that SBLI is trying to kick people off their term life insurance plans. They agreed that they never emailed me the usual notice. They established a pattern then broke it. They claim to have sent a letter prior to March saying I had to pay, but I never received it. I doubt they sent one at all - theyre not to be trusted. They lack integrity. Theyre now making me resubmit medical information and basically sign up all over again to reinstate my plan. I should not have to deal with this, as I bought a 20-year term plan just seven years ago. I just want to pay the premium and get my policy reinstated, none of this hassle. Its completely their fault. Im having to jump through hoops with fingers crossed that my plan will be reinstated at the same rate after 7 years.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/19/2023

  Dear Ms. ********************** you for reaching out and Im so sorry that you have had a frustrating experience.
  
  Id like to reach out to you,listen to your concerns and find a solution to make it right. Ill be in touch this week and look forward to working with you.
  
  Warmly,
  ***************************, SBLI **************** Manager
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/14/2022

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  SBLI insurance thru Prosperity Life Insurance company: Company always mailed billing info quarterly; and we submitted quarterly payment by check promptly and uninterrupted for 15 years. June 2021 company failed to send billing info, failed to send late notice, failed to send termination notice. We (my wife and I ) were unaware of missed payment or policy termination. As in past practice, we relied on company to mail billing to us in a timely fashion. After some time we noticed bills have not been received we contacted the insurance provider. We, following their instructions, mailed all funds currently due. Company then required a medical exam. Company now refused to reinstate policy. I believe they were negligent in failing to communicate billing and termination issues, and negligent in not reinstating my policy after I made payment current.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/18/2022

  Dear Mr. *************** have reviewed this matter and determined that it is likely that you have misdirected your complaint. We are The Savings Mutual Life Insurance Company of Massachusetts, headquartered in ******, **, and not the carrier referenced in the complaint. Therefore, it may be appropriate to check your records to verify the correct insurance company.
  
  Kind Regards,
  *************************, SVP, Chief ********************************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/13/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  8/1/2022 I submitted the online SBLI claim.8/1/2022 received an automated e-mail they received claim 8/11/2022 contacted **************** and they said I should receive a reply in **** days from the claims department 8/18/2022 received letter from *************************************** acknowledging death of *********************** and that I was the Personal representative. Request to complete the Maturity form. Sent e-mail back to ********* with a question on the maturity form- no reply- final reply was that she was out sick between 8/20-8/31 called customer service 3 times and hold times were longer than 10 min- could not reach anyone 8/31/22 - sent e-mail back to ********* asking for a reply No reply 9/19/2022 filled out the maturity form and sent to SBLI 9/19/2022 SBLI automated reply they received my e-mail 10/5/22- still no reply from ********* or from SBLI sent another e-mail to her 10/5/2022- receive a reply from ********* in regard to my question but nothing on the status of the claim 10/7/2022- called customer service, on hold for over 10 minutes. Left a message as their recording suggests and someone will call you by the end of the next business day. NO CALL BACK 10/11/2022- sent another e-mail to ********* that I sent in the maturity for on 9/19/2022 and have yet to receive a response from anyone at SBLI. Received another out of office notice and no back up listed, only the cutomer service number. 10/11/2022called back to customer service- after 4 min, ******************* picked up. He could not give me any information on the status of the claim. He asked me to send the death certificate, Personal representative form, maturity form to his e-mail, to ***************************************, the SBLI records department. ******************* confirmed receipt of the e-mail and attachments advising he would move the request along 10/11/2022 Received confirmation e-mail from SBLI records department of the reciept of the e-mail 10/13/2022 Still nothing from SBLI, from ***************************************, or Bill 8/

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/03/2022

  Dear ******************:
  
  Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention. Its disappointing that you did not get a timely response to your initial inquiry. We believe that this is an isolated incident, and we are taking action to ensure that this does not happen again. We are truly sorry that you did not receive the level of service that our customers should expect.
  
  In terms of your maturity claim, our records indicate that this matter has been resolved, however, your maturity payment does not appear to have been cashed. If you able to cash the maturity payment please do so, otherwise we may need to take additional steps to ensure that you receive your benefit.
  
  Please contact me directly at ********************************** or ************ to confirm receipt of the payment or to advise if I may be further assistance.  
  
  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/08/2022

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

    It took far too long to receive a response from SBLI  for the insurance claim and for response to the BBB complaint.   This should not be an acceptable response timeline considering the type of business SBLI is in.  When someone dies- that is HARD enough.  dealing with the claim should have been much easier. If I called today there would still be long wait times and non response.   There have been many online complaints as well. 
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *******

   

   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/16/2022

  Dear *******,
  
  Your happiness is my top priority. Im hoping we can connect,talk through your concerns and work to make this a more positive experience for you. I have left you a message and welcome your return phone call. Please feel free to reach out to me at ************** at your earliest convenience.
  
  I look forward to hearing from you.
  
  Warmly,
  *************************, SVP, Chief ****************************************