ComplaintsforColumbian Mutual Life Insurance Company

• Initial Complaint

  08/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I’ve been a policy holder on two polices since 8/2021. I never had to call the company for any questions until this morning. I called Columbian Life Insurance twice this morning to get further information from customer service concerning a few questions. When I called, their system advised me there was a wait and I was #34 in call queue. I hung up and decided to call back after my meeting if its online portal will not assist me with what I needed. Furthermore, their online services is not efficient to help consumer's, so I seen why the call queue was heavy. To make a long story short, I called back, I decided to wait, system again told me #34 in call queue. I was on hold for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Then, when I got to #1 in the call queue, the system stated they couldn’t take my call due to technical line issues with their systems and hung up on me. I called back to press an option to speak with another department. I received a Caucasian male in Commissions, who was not very helpful, proactive, or friendly and was very rude. Then he decided dry transfer me while I was still speaking to him. I was transferred to another department, I spoke with a representative who advised me that Customer service is the only ones that can help me. after telling her I was on hold waiting for them, over 1 hour and 30 minutes. Once she transferred me, I got the same recording acknowledging I was #34 in call queue again. This was very inefficient and grossly inadequate services; their communication skills are horrible. They didn’t help me. I’m an upstanding consumer that always pay, no issues and I get treated like this.. I will be pushing this issue of improper conduct because of what I experienced today. This is not being customer centric and it doesn’t sustain professionalism.

  Business response

  08/27/2024

  Dear Sir or Madame:Your inquiry received on August 26, 2024, addressed to Michael F****** regarding the above-referenced policies has been referred to me for a response. Policy ********** is a $25,000.00 Whole Life policy issued in the State of North Carolina effective August 2, 2021. Policy ********** is a $100,000.00 Term Life policy issued in the State of North Carolina effective August 4, 2021.First, we would like to apologize to Mrs. ******* for not being able to get through to a customer service representative to answer her questions regarding the above-referenced policies. We have been short-staffed over the past several months and unfortunately this has led to long wait times. We received an email request from Mrs. ******* on August 22, 2024, requesting a loan on her policies. We did respond to Mrs. ******* via email correspondence on the same day and advised her that there was no loan value available to borrow from for either policy. As requested in this inquiry, we attempted to contact Mrs. ******* by telephone on August 26th and 27th but were only able to leave a message for a return call as Mrs. ******* was not available. I hope this information is helpful; however, should the Better Business Bureau or Mrs. ******* have any other questions concerning this matter, please feel free to contact me at ###-###-####, extension 7455. We apologize again for the difficulties in contacting us.Sincerely,Christos D*****Christos D*****, ACS, ALMIAdministration Compliance and Quality Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  08/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have had an active life insurance policy with Columbian since April 2020. Before the inception of this policy, my wife and I spoke with Brandon H**l and gave explicit instructions on the type of policy we were seeking. Mr. H*** then came back with the current policy that we had and assured us it was exactly what we inquired about. Unbeknownst to us, it was not. We faithfully made timely payments on this policy between then and now. It wasn't until my wife's passing in April 2024 that I became aware that what we were paying on was not at all what Mr. H*** advised us we were entering into. I immediately contacted Mr. H*** in April 2024 and several times in May and June to express my frustration with the contradictory information he had given and how the policy actually read. Not only did Mr. H*** continue to lie to me by telling me that I would receive "death benefit payments" for the months of June, July, and August but also that he would meet with me to discuss my concerns face to face on either June 26 or 27, 2024. This was established by a phone conversation with "Crystal," who said she was with Mr. Hall's office and those were the dates he would be in my area and would meet with me. When I spoke with Mr. H***'s supervisor (Mr. B******) in June 2024, while he was immediately outraged, to my knowledge, no disciplinary actions have been taken regarding Mr. Hall's selling practices.

  Business response

  08/19/2024

  
  Your inquiry received on August 13, 2024, addressed to Michael F****** regarding the above referenced policy has been referred to me for a response. The policy is a $16,500.00 Whole Life Insurance policy issued in the State of Florida, effective November 27, 2021.
  
  Mr. *****’s concerns center around the sales process and interactions with agent Brandon H***. Based on Mr. *****’s concerns in this inquiry, we sent Agent H** a questionnaire to obtain some additional details about the sales process and address the concerns in Mr. *****’s letter. We have enclosed a copy of the questionnaire and response from Agent H****
  
  It is important to note that this policy insures the life of ***** ***** and under no circumstances would it provide benefits upon the death of his wife. The application was completed by Mr. ***** and the policy was issued in his name. Based on the answers Agent H*** submitted to our questionnaire, we do not find any wrongdoing on the agent’s part, and it appears to be a misunderstanding of the benefits Mr. ***** applied for.  While we do understand Mr. *****’s concerns, Mr. ***** signed the application as the applicant and insured, and the contract was issued as applied for.
  
  Finally, we also would like to make the Bureau aware that Agent H*** is no longer licensed with Columbian.
  
  I hope this information is helpful; however, should the Better Business Bureau or Larry ***** have any other questions concerning this matter, please feel free to contact me at ###-###-####, extension ****.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Christos D*****
  
  Christos D*****, ACS, ALMI
  Administration Compliance and Quality Specialist
  
  
  

  Customer response

  08/19/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  ***** *****
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/27/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Try to restate my policy but I was with for years and got this phone call stating. They are dropping me because of a medical issue but why would you send me re instatement forms and send them $361 in money order and I got this phone call stating that they are dropping me please help I need some legal advice and I will be 71 in September

  Business response

  07/30/2024

  Dear Sir or Madame:Your inquiry received on May 1, 2024, addressed to Michael F****** regarding the above referenced policies has been referred to me for a response. The policy is a $10,000.00 Final Expense Whole Life insurance policy issued in the State of New York, effective April 3, 2014. The policy lapsed onto Extended Term Insurance due to non-payment of premium effective February 3, 2024, and expired on June 24, 2024.Mr. ********’ concerns are related to the reinstatement of his life insurance policy. Mr. ******** contacted our office by telephone on April 16, 2024, requesting reinstatement paperwork. We mailed that information out to Mr. ******** at that time. On July 15, 2024, we received a completed reinstatement form. The information was then forwarded to our Underwriting Department for review.Our Underwriting Department requested medical records to determine whether Mr. *******’s current health condition continued to meet the requirements of the policy. Unfortunately, based on the information in the medical records, the reinstatement of the policy was declined. Our Underwriting Department contacted Mr. ******** to explain the reason that the reinstatement was declined. A copy of the letter we sent to Mr. ******** regarding the declined reinstatement is enclosed. A refund check for $360.00 will be mailed to Mr. ******** under separate cover.The Company followed its standard and common practice to evaluate reinstatement of coverage in the event of a lapse. We offer the opportunity for the policy owner to apply for reinstatement, but approval is dependent on the insured’s current health condition.I hope this information is helpful; however, should the Better Business Bureau or John ******** have any other questions concerning this matter, please feel free to contact me at 800-347-0960, extension 7455.Sincerely,Christos D*****Christos D*****, ACS, ALMIAdministration Compliance and Quality Specialist Enclosure(s)

• Initial Complaint

  07/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I’ve been with this company over 40 years. I have been paying my premiums on time sending 6 months in advance payments to the Chicago office. This started about 5 years going back and forth and mailing in proof of payments from my bank and this company still is investigating where my payments are going. I been calling since 2020 I never received any notification about what’s going on but when I call that is when I find out one of my policies are pre- suspended. I have everyone name and date of who I spoke with. The company sends me a check to say I have paid to much so I call to ask why and was told to send it back to be applied to the 2 policies but still they are saying I have not paid my premiums. Still no letters or anything about what is going on. Then another check I received saying I have paid too much again so I called and once again I was told to mail it back and they will apply it to the policies. Called today 7/15/2024 they are still saying I have not paid my premiums and still reviewing it. They are not reviewing that my monies went to someone else policies because on a couple of the canceled checks that they cash they wrote someone else’s policy number. They keep asking me to pay but it just feels like I am paying double. I should be paid up until July 2024. Please help me.

  Business response

  07/30/2024

  July 30, 2024
  
  
  Better Business Bureau, Inc.
  100 Bryant Woods South
  South Amherst, NY 14228
  
  
  Your File ID Number:   21993250
  Policy No:                    ********* & *********
  Insured/Owner:            Neckia ******
  Complainant:               Neckia ******
  
  
  Dear Sir or Madame:
  
  Your inquiry received on July 16, 2024, addressed to Michael ******* regarding the above referenced policies has been referred to me for a response. Policy ********* is a $3,000.00 Whole Life Insurance policy issued in the State of New York by Unity Mutual Life Insurance Company effective January 5, 1990. Policy ********* is a $2,000.00 Whole Life insurance policy issued in the State of New York by Unity Mutual Life Insurance Company effective May 5, 1974. Unity Mutual Life Insurance Company merged with Columbian Mutual Life Insurance Company in 2011.
  
  Ms. ******’s complaint is related to the premium payments she has been submitting to the Company regarding the above-mentioned policies. We completed a comprehensive premium audit of each policy and we have accounted for all the payments that have been submitted.
  
  We contacted Ms. ****** on July 25, 2024, with an explanation of our findings and we sent her the enclosed correspondence. As you’ll note in the enclosed email to Ms. ******, we reviewed checks that were submitted since 2019 and found that we received a total of $1,306.03 in premiums from July 2019 to the present. We also found that there were premium payments that were submitted by the agent that were delayed which led to excess premiums which were refunded on each of her policies.
  
  Policy ********* is currently paid to March 5, 2024, and policy ********* is paid to May 5, 2024. A total premium of $64.34 ($40.30 for ********* and $25.04 for *********) is due to bring the policies current.
  
  It might be best if the customer remits payments only to the Company and not also to the Agent, which may have caused some of the confusion. We are also happy to set her up on automatic bank draft to ease her management of the payments. 
  
  I hope this information is helpful; however, should the Better Business Bureau or ****** ****** have any other questions concerning this matter, please feel free to contact me at ###-###-####, extension ****.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Christos D*****
  Christos D*****, ACS, ALMI
  Administration Compliance and Quality Specialist
  
  Enclosure(s)
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Columbian Life Insurance Group has been harrassing several members of my family. We have had zero purchases or business with this company, ever. We have received 2 letters now stating that a family member had passed away and there was a life insurance policy on said deceased person. They even sent this letter to the supposed deceased family member, in which "the deceased person", who is very much alive and well, called and confirmed they are in fact alive. We have continously been receiving mail from the company after they have been notified there information is not correct and that is incredibly disrespectful to continue the harrassment. They have not been able to prove anything about said life insurance policy or if they are a legitimate company. Several spelling errors on names and addresses were incorrect and above all the person they say died is alive. Makes it seem as though they are a scam company. We do not wish to be contacted further or legal retribution will be made.

  Business response

  07/12/2024

  Dear Sir or Madame:Your inquiry received on May 1, 2024, addressed to Michael F****** regarding the above referenced policies has been referred to me for a response. The policy is a $10,000.00 Final Expense Whole Life insurance policy issued in the State of Missouri, effective April 20, 2014. The policy went to Reduced Paid-Up insurance for a face amount of $542.31, effective December 20, 2016.We received a death claim notification on September 27, 2023, and sent out our initial letter to the primary beneficiary ****** *********** on September 27, 2023. On November 27, 2023, we received a completed beneficiary statement from Mr. ***********. The beneficiary statement indicated that Mr. *********** is the ex-husband. As a result, and based on Missouri law, we are unable to pay the death proceeds to the beneficiary until a divorce decree is received. We received a call from ***** ****** on July 12, 2024, and he spoke with our Claims Supervisor, Adriana K***. It was explained during the call what the reason was for the letters and the information that was being requested. Mr. ****** insisted that his family is not interested in pursuing payment of the proceeds for this policy and wishes for the funds to go to unclaimed property. Finally, Mr. ****** indicated in his complaint that Columbian stated in one of our letters that a family member other than the insured passed away. Regrettably, this was included in a letter that was sent to the family and it was noted that Mr. *********** predeceased Mrs. ***********, which was incorrect. We apologized for the oversight during our call on July 12, 2024, with Mr. ******.I hope this information is helpful; however, should the Better Business Bureau or ***** ****** have any other questions concerning this matter, please feel free to contact me at Sincerely,Christos D*****Christos D*****, ACS, ALMIAdministration Compliance and Quality Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  04/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

       Cancel Policy

        Stop asking for more money

       Stop harassing me

       4 times I asked

  Business response

  05/06/2024

  
  Dear Sir or Madame:
  
  Your inquiry received on May 1, 2024, addressed to Michael F****** regarding the above referenced policies has been referred to me for a response.  Policy 2********* is a Final Expense Whole Life policy for a death benefit of $7,000.00 and issued in the State of Ohio effective June 3, 2017. Policy 2********* also a Final Expense Whole Life policy for a death benefit of $3,000.00 and issued in the State of Ohio effective July 3, 2020.  
  
  ****** ***** first contacted our office on March 18, 2024, to request cancellation of her policies. We sent Ms. ***** a form to complete on March 19, 2024. A form was received in our office on April 4, 2024; however, the form was not returned in full. It appears the first page of the form was cut off and we unfortunately could not accept the form. On April 9, 2024, we sent out an additional form to Ms. ***** for her to return complete. To date we have not received that form.
  
  Mrs. ***** contacted our office on April 9, 2024, and during our telephone conversation with Ms. *****, she stated that she was receiving correspondence from an Amherst, New York address. Columbian does not have offices in Amherst, New York and is not affiliated with any insurance company based out of Amherst, New York.
  
  Aside from the phone calls that are noted above, Columbian has not contacted Mrs. ***** by phone. Columbian has only sent correspondence as it relates to the cancellation request and notification of any premiums that are due on her policies, as is required by state regulations.
  
  While we have asked for additional information to complete the cancellation for each policy, we will make an exception to proceed with the cancellation of both policies as her intent has been clear in her phone calls and this inquiry. Ms. ***** will receive a check for each policy under separate cover which is representative of the cash value. For policy 2*********, she will receive a check for $220.54. For policy 2*********, she will receive a check for $1,071.46.
  
  I hope this information is helpful; however, should the Better Business Bureau or Ginger ***** have any other questions concerning this matter, please feel free to contact me at ###-###-####, extension ****.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Christos D*****
  Christos D*****, ACS, ALMI
  Administration Compliance and Quality Specialist
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I recently received a reinstatement application from CFG and a letter indicating the insurance policy lapsed. There was no letter mailed to me previously from CFG indicating that the policy premium payments had lapsed. This has happened to me before by this company which resulted in my life insurance policy not being reinstated. My child is now the only one who had a life insurance policy reinstated and now I get this letter in the mail stating a lapse. They acknowledge receiving a premium payment but it was not within the CFG grade period and therefore I need to apply to reinstate the policy and pay $238.10 while they hold the premium payment. This company is difficult to reach by phone, there is no email to reach customer service and aren't good at communicating with the customer. I've been paying premiums to this company for well over 7 years. Such a terrible experience and I will gladly look to other well established companies.

  Business response

  04/04/2024

  Dear Sir or Madame:Your inquiry received on March 25, 2024, addressed to ******** ********** regarding the above referenced policy has been referred to me for a response.  This policy is a $99,000.00 Whole Life insurance policy, issued in the State of Arizona, effective September 25, 2017. First, we would like to apologize for the difficulty Mr. ***** has had in attempting to contact Columbian for the servicing of the above refenced policy. We are disappointed that we have not provided the best possible service for Mr. *****.The premiums for this policy were being paid by Group Employees and Associates, a group billed employer. We confirmed with the Group that the last premium they submitted was July 5, 2022, for $28.31. In June 2022, we received a telephone call from Mr. ***** explaining he was no longer employed by the Group and wished to begin making payments direct to the Company. Since that time, Mr. ***** sent in 9 monthly premiums between July 13, 2022, and January 31, 2024, each for $28.31. Because the premiums were not consistently submitted each month, it was not sufficient to keep the policy inforce and it eventually lapsed. Unfortunately, due to an oversight, Columbian did not properly bill Mr. ***** for the premiums due and he never received notification his policy was in danger of lapsing. This was an error on Columbian’s part, and we apologize for this error. The necessary training has occurred, so this does not happen again. Columbian will work with Mr. ***** to reinstate this coverage without needing to go through our normal underwriting process. The policy is currently paid to June 25, 2023, and we have on hand, the premium Mr. ***** submitted in January 2024. To reinstate the coverage, Mr. ***** should submit an additional $311.41, which represents 11 months of premium owed of $28.31. This would pay the policy to May 25, 2024. Once all premiums have been paid, he will begin to receive regular premium notices from us. We would encourage Mr. ***** to have his premium drafted from his bank account to avoid any premium issues in the future. If Mr. ***** does not wish to have his premiums drafted, his monthly direct premium would increase to $32.91 per his contract. Mr. ***** also has the option to be billed quarterly at a premium of $87.23, per his contract. We ask that Mr. ***** submit the outstanding premiums by April 26, 2024, to complete the reinstatement of this coverage.We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused Mr. *****.Better Business Bureau, Inc.Your File ID Number:   ********April 4, 2024Page 2I hope this information is helpful; however, should the Better Business Bureau or ***** ***** have any other questions concerning this matter, please feel free to contact me at ###-###-####, extension ****.Sincerely,Christos D*****Christos D*****, ACS, ALMIAdministration Compliance and Quality Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  08/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Yes I wanted to cancel my [[Whole life Insurance]] with this company, because i was told that they would not, pay for a love ones death, But find away not to pay. SO when i called to cancel 08 10 2023 at 9 am, I told them I was canceling, the payment comes out on the 10th of every month. So when i called the bank to block them, they had done took out the payment right after i called. I payed my money yo them ON TIME, every month for 2 years. Then i ask them what the cash out was , and they said I had to be there 2 years, [ in which i have been ]. SO he gave me the runaround and said they did not haft to pay me. SO i called back, and a woman answered, I told her I wanted to cancel, then i ask her what the payout would be, and she said i had to be with them 3 or 4 years. [ she and he was lying to me ]. I am disabled and on a fixed income, I worked 32 years strait, before i was unable to work anymore. [ A good work history ]. here is proof in the papers that they haft to pay out after 6 months, if it is canceled . MY name: ****** *. ******* ** ****** **** ******** ******** *****  All you haft to do, is call them and tell them who you are, and that you have the paper work,THEN THEY WILL PAY thanks in advance for your help

  Business response

  08/15/2023

  Your inquiry dated August 11, 2023, addressed to ******* ******* regarding the above referenced policy has been referred to me for a response.  This policy is a $10,000.00 Final Expense Whole Life insurance policy, issued in the State of Alabama, effective August 10, 2021.  This is a full benefit policy, meaning that the full death benefit is payable even in the first two years of the contract. In his complaint Mr. ******* states that he was told that the Company would not pay in the event of death. His letter seemed to indicate that this was communicated to him by another party; someone not connected to the Company. Certainly, we are in the business to pay death benefits, so we are not sure who communicated this to him. It could be possible another sales agent approached him. In his first call to request cancellation of his policy on August 10, 2023, it was explained to Mr. ******* that a form would be required to be completed and that his signature would need to be notarized or provide a copy of a driver’s license because his application was submitted electronically, which was acceptable to Mr. *******.  This is standard procedure to be certain it is indeed the policy owner requesting the cancellation. Mr. ******* also was frustrated that we still withdrew the funds for his August 10, 2023, premium. Since he called the same day, the bank processing had already occurred, but we would discontinue any further drafts from occurring on the policy. Mr. ******* was also provided with the cash surrender value of the policy, which is $13.60.  At that time, Mr. ******* acknowledged the explanation of why the cash surrender value is $13.60.   During the second call to our company later in the day on August 10, 2023, Mr. ******* asked about the call being recorded, which was confirmed by the customer service representative.  All customer service calls are recorded whether they are initiated by the Company or by the consumer for quality assurance purposes.  Mr. ******* went on to explain that the first representative he spoke to earlier in the day stated that he wouldn’t receive any money because he hadn’t been with the Company for more than two years, which upon review of the call it was determined to never have been stated by our representative.  He also stated he heard from a friend that ********* would not pay a death proceed, which of course is not accurate. The customer service representative correctly explained when the cash surrender value begins to build for this policy and closed by providing the correct cash surrender value of $13.60. Mr. ******* stated that he will file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) before he terminated the call.   We have enclosed a copy of the policy specifications page, which Mr. ******* received as part of his policy. This page outlines what the cash surrender value is at the end of each policy anniversary.  As you will note, the policy specifications page clearly shows that the cash surrender value as of the 2nd policy anniversary is $13.60. We believe this may have been what Mr. ******* was referencing when stating that he had to have the policy longer to receive money, rather than the actual death benefit being paid. 

  Customer response

  08/15/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.    Regards, ****** ******* HI, they know the AMOUNT that I am suppose to recieve, based on 2 years, this is a ploy, TO DELAY

  Business response

  08/21/2023

  Your follow-up inquiry received on August 16, 2023, addressed to ******* ******* regarding the above referenced policy has been referred to me for a response.  As you are aware, this policy is a $10,000.00 Final Expense Whole Life insurance policy, issued in the State of Alabama, effective August 10, 2021.   As we stated in our original response, the policy specifications page clearly outlines the cash surrender value at the end of each policy year.  There is no other value or benefit due to Mr. *******. As a reminder, Mr. ******* will receive a cash surrender check totaling $13.60 under separate cover and as we noted in our original response, and as a courtesy to Mr. *******, we will refund the premium received on August 10, 2023.  Mr. ******* should expect to see the premium refund in his bank account on or about August 24, 2023.  I encourage Mr. ******* to contact me directly if he does not receive his money due back as stated in this communication. We feel this matter has been resolved; however, should the Better Business Bureau or ****** ******* have any other questions concerning this matter, please feel free to contact me at ************, extension ****. 

  Customer response

  08/21/2023

  thanks for helping me. What I wanted from them is My last payment they took out the day [ 08 -10 -2023 ]  I called to CANCEL ; the payment was $54.00, right after i called to cancel, i decided to call my bank and block the payment for the Insurance company, i found out that they took that payment out right after i called them, NORMAlly the payment would come out at the end of the business day. I want this money and the CASH in VALUE; IT is more then 13.00 dollars, they are offering me 1.0 percent of the whole amount, when it should be 12 percent of all i payed in  [ 24 x  54.00 ] = 1,296.00  SO it would be 1,296.00 x 12 percent = $346.00 is what they really owe me... I draw disabilty every month, a little means alot anyway  Thank you ****** ** *******           * ***** *** ****** ************ ******* *****

  Business response

  08/25/2023

  Your follow-up inquiry received on August 22, 2023, addressed to ******* ******* regarding the above referenced policy has been referred to me for a response.  As you are aware, this policy is a $10,000.00 Final Expense Whole Life insurance policy, issued in the State of Alabama, effective August 10, 2021 .  To confirm, we have processed the cancellation of Mr. ******* policy and have refunded the cash surrender value due to him totaling $13.60.  In addition, as a courtesy, we have processed a refund of his last premium we drafted on August 10, 2023.  The premium refund will be posted to his bank account on Friday, August 25, 2023. We have already provided the BBB and Mr. ******* with a copy of the policy specifications page that clearly outlines the cash surrender value at the end of each policy year.  There is no other value or benefit due to Mr. *******. We have no further information to provide as we believe his benefits are clearly stated in the policy. We feel this matter has been resolved; however, should the Better Business Bureau or ****** ******* have any other questions concerning this matter, please feel free to contact me at ************* ********* ***** 

• Initial Complaint

  07/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I’ve had this insurance policy for 10 years on my husband which is now my ex-husband started in 2012 when we refinanced our house. It was a $60,000 policy I was paying 38 something a month a thing happened to him. It would pay well. We have divorce in 2018 and since then I’ve still been paying on it because I called and ask them since we were divorced did this policy would still pay they said yes, so I moved to ******** ******** start a new career he still lives in ********** ******** my debit card got compromised so I had to get a new one I have had it automatically drafted since I started it but with my debit card and my account got compromised I never got a letter from them stating no payment or behind a payment. I got a letter stating they were canceling it because I was two months behind and they wanted to let me they told me I can reinstate it, but I had to send in form so I filled out all the forms I did not lie , but I told him everything that he had had issues with 2012 he had back surgery 2015. He got kidney failure 2018. He had open heart surgery but I’ve still been paying on this the whole time up until this last month, I sent in all the new paperwork penalty fees because I had the canceled checks plus the premium that it was owed on it and they would not reinstate it. I have paid $4500 in the past 10 years for this policy and now I have nothing to bury him with even though we are divorced we are still friends, and that money was to take care of his funeral and me financially after he was gone his policy number is ************ insured ***** ******* I am the policyholder ***** ****** I also have a policy on me that I’ve been paying for through the same company. I just wanna make sure that if something happens to me, my kids will not have to fight for the money that they deserve to bury me and take care of my expenses. I hope to hear from you soon. Thank you so much for your time.

  Business response

  08/03/2023

  Dear Sir or Madame:Your inquiry dated July 8, 2023, addressed to *** ********** regarding the above referenced policy has been referred to me for a response.  This policy is a $60,000.00 ********** ***** **** **** policy, issued in the State of Arkansas, effective November 4, 2012.  The owner and payor of the policy insuring ***** ******* is ***** ******The policy premium had been paid through automatic bank draft until a payment was returned from the bank in March 2023 for insufficient funds. As a result, the policy insuring ***** ******* lapsed on March 20, 2023.  We have enclosed a copy of the lapse notification.  At this time, we had not received any notification from Ms. ***** of a new address, nor had any mail been returned from the post office. On April 11, 2023, we received a call from Ms. ***** to request reinstatement requirements and she provided a new address at that time. It was not until June 2023 that we received any return mail from the Post Office, which still did not provide a forwarding address. We did receive the appropriate reinstatement requirements in June 2023. However, after underwriting review, the application for reinstatement for ***** ******* was declined. The medical history disclosed on the reinstatement application, include heart attack, kidney failure and dialysis, which are new medical history that has developed after policy was issued. Due to the policy lapse, our underwriting department reviews the policy as if it was a new policy and due to new medical history admitted on the reinstatement application ***** ******* is no longer eligible for this product.  The policy insuring Linda ***** was successfully reinstatement and is in good standing at this time as she is current on her premium payments. I hope this information is helpful; however, should the Better Business Bureau or ***** ***** have any other questions concerning this matter, please feel free to contact me at ************* extension **** 

• Initial Complaint

  07/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On or about June 1, 2023, I received my annual life insurance statements. I called the insurance agent (******* ********) listed on the letter to ask some questions and was told by the person on the receiving end that the person I was looking for no longer had that number and hasn't had it for two years. Every now and again, he receives calls from folks looking for the insurance agent. I called the customer service phone number listed in the letter ************** and was told by the customer service agent that the insurance agent listed is not the agent anymore and gave me the number of Jonathan ***** ************* I called Mr. ***** immediately after, left a voice message on his machine and still have not received a call back. Since then, I have received a few other letters from Columbian Mutual Life Insurance listing the former insurance agent ******* ********. This is concerning because how is it that this agent hasn't been with them in two years but their documents still list him as the agent. Is this still a legitimate insurance company. There is no email address listed on any letters to communicate with them in writing or any direct telephone numbers. The website address listed on the letter does not work or has moved as stated on the web when I've tried to get information that way. I need this company investigated to see if this is still a viable and legitimate company. Are these warning signs that I should be looking for another insurance company because of these challenges? I would like to know if others are having issues with this insurance company.

  Business response

  07/17/2023

  The business has responded to the complaint however has requested that their response not be published****** *** *** ******** ********* ***** ****   ******** ******

  Customer response

  07/17/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.   Regards,  ******* ******

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