Complaint Review: American Heartland Insurance Company

I have had Anderson Insurance (a broker for American Heartland Insurance) for 2 years. I have had issues with my payments not being accredited to my account on time, my checks sitting on a desk in the office for over two weeks (when it was my renewal time) with my insurance expiring, receiving a cancellation letter almost every other month when I know that I have either mailed my payment in or made my payment on line, having to call to get temporay insurance cards emailed to me so I can have proff of insurance, never receiving a copy of my policy, and now my daughter having an accident and them denying the claim.

I asked my daughter to drop her brother off at school. She had an accident in the school parking lot. Knowing that I had given her permission and that I had full coverage on my car, I didn't think about it. Mostly all insurance carriers state that if you give a relative permission to use your car and have full coverage, then the car is covered. My father had an accident in my car some years ago (I had state farm insurance) and the other drivers car was fixed and so was my car. All I had to do was pay my deductible.

I filled out the information forms when they came, and didn't need to take my car in due to it having no damage at all. I thought the situation was taken care of. This happened on Jan. 16, 2013. I didn't hear anything else from American Heartland or Anderson Insurance until Feburary when it was time to renew my policy and delt with some of the above issues.

In May I received a bill from a representive for State Farm telling me that I owed $4,729.48 for an accident on 1/16/13. When I called the company I was informed that they were told that I did not have any insurance coverage at the time of the accident.

I immediately called American Heartland and left a message. About two days later I received a call from an adjustor stating that the claim had been denied and I had ben sent a letter regarding this. I informed him that I had not been contacted about this accident after I sent in the forms that were requested. He told me that it was denied for my violation of a section in the policy stating that any primary driver had to be on my policy. I informed him that I had never received a policy, only my declarations of the policy, payment coupons and insurance cards. He emailed me a copy of the policy. I reviewed it and called him the next day informing him that the policy states that if I give a family member authorization to drive my car and they are not the primary dirver of the car, then my car and the driver are covered. My daughter was not a primary driver of my car, as she just came back from college in December 2012. 

He stated that he would re-submit my claim to the underwriters. I waited and waited. Called him in June and was told that he hadn't heard anything and that was a good sign. I received a call from the State Farm representive last week and sent the adjustor from American Heartland an email. Three days later I received a email stating that the claim was denied again and that I had been sent, yet again another denial letter. I still haven't received a letter. I opened the attachment that he sent me and it was addressed to my daughter stating that based on me misrepresenting infomation to the compay, I violated my policy and therfore my claim was denied.

One, how can I misrepresent anything that I never receive and two, my daughter was not the insured (I was) so why would you put the denial letter in her name. When I renewed my policy in March, they put the accident on my declaration under my name. Why would you have it under my name on my policy if your weren't covering the claim?

I have since made a down payment with another insurance company to begin on 9/12/13, when my insurance is due to end with American Heartland. My policy is paid in full with them. Just today I was contacted by the new insurance company informing me that American Heartland informed them that my insurance had expired and that I have no coverage. I just spoke to a broker at Anderson Insurance Company (my agent) last Tuesday about my last payment for my premium not being credited to my account (it was made through their website over two weeks ago). They withdrew the payment the next morning and called me that afternoon to apologize and tell me that my insurance was re-instated without a penalty.

This has been one of the worst experiences of my life and it has been very troubling for my daughter. We are worrying about our licenses being suspended for not having Illinois mandatory insurance. My daughter does not own a car and I have always had insurance on my cars, or so I thought.

Please be aware of this company!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!