Combined Insurance ripoff cheated employees and screwed the customers even more Chicago Illinois
I too was once an Accident & Health agent for Combined Insurance working in West Tennessee. I only stayed with them for about six months when I quit in disgust!
What most of the others have said is true. I trained in Nashville for a week and even made a 98 on the state exam. Even though I knew sales (esp. door-to-door sales) would be a tough way to make a living I wanted to give it a shot. What a mistake!
Our agents would hardly ever see the same customer twice and many times I would run into people who were flat-out lied to about what the policy(ies) would actually cover. One time I was cussed out like a sailor before I could even get into the front door.
The Sales Manager or whatever his title was, lied repeatedly to customers and prospective customers. I know this because I went with him on some sales calls. He was only interested in making money and to hell with the idiot who bought the policy. I don't know how many times me or another honest agent found out about an elderly couple or person on Medicaid who had been sold a policy (in violation of the law).
None of the material that we gave new policy holders had a telephone number for customers to call (that's strange).
I wish that my story was just an aberration but from what I've seen here, it is a way of life with Combined Insurance. I would advise anyone not to buy their policies. Take it from one who knows how the game is played. And yes, their RA-RA sales meetings are really sickening! Watching some crooks get sales awards or pats on the back is just too much to sit through.
Dennis
Gates, Tennessee
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Jane
Bruce County,Ontario,
Canada
claims in the critical illness and health division denied especially those that where in the thousands of dollars
#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Fri, November 28, 2003
I too am an ex-employee of this company. I was in both the accident & sickness division and the critical illness & health division.Your complaints do not stop at the border. There are many employees and ex-employees here in Canada that are going through the same ordeal. It seems to be an international policy to rip the agents off and in many cases the clients. I have been in the financial industry for many years and have never seen a company break the law as much as this one does and get away with it!
You are one of the very rare ex-employees, and as I understand, a manager, who never witnessed their agents or sales managers lie to a customer or misrepresent the company. I was with the company for a few years too long and saw it everyday from the agent right on up to the regional manager. Did I report those who I caught outright lying or breaking the law? You betcha especially when I have lived in the area for 26 years and many clients I knew! The result? Nothing ever was done and I was repremanded for opening a can of worms. They protect those agents who write numbers at all cost. I was literally told to keep quiet or loose my position. Thats when I should have walked away.
I will agree that the company does pay their claims in the accident and sickness division.I did come across quite a few claims in the critical illness and health division that where denied especially those that where in the thousands of dollars (Critical Illness policies). I investigated every claim denial and went head to head with the company on many occasions(right from the doctors/specialists reports to the companies report)and the company always came up with one excuse or another. 90% where legitimate claims and shouldn't have been denied. My suggestion to those customers was to retain a lawyer and sue the company. At present a few are exploring that option.
I quit when I couldn't bring myself to tell people I met ouside the business who I worked for. I was ashamed of the company and disgusted at the way people shy away from you as soon as you even mention you work for Combined Insurance.
I presently work for a company as a financial security planner and also do whats right for the customer not the company. I can sleep at night and tell everyone who my employer is with a clear concious knowing I'm doing the right thing for my customers, not having to worry about commission denials, chargebacks, dishonest managers and I'm being paid for a job well done.
Ann
Rockford,Michigan,
U.S.A.
I NEVER lied to a customer and neither did any of the agents
#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Mon, November 17, 2003
Get a few things straight first.
As an Ex-Employee of the company, I am proud to speak out: a) I NEVER lied to a customer and neither did any of the agents or salesmanagers under my direct supervision. (I did run across similar situations in other districts though) Unfortunately, liars exist in every walk of life. b) occasionally, it was difficult for a customer to cancel a policy, as it is for anyone today for every insurance company due to privacy laws, and since 9/11/01. c) In Michigan, every policy holder I ever ran across was paid no more, or less than was actually due the customer ... in fact, I ran across crooked agents selling more than the customer was entitled to, and Combined paid off on all policies! d)COMBINED STEALS FROM THEIR AGENTS NOT THEIR CUSTOMERS!!!!
The horrible hours agents are forced to work, the overnight traveling they are forced to make (at their own expense with NO reimbursement), the commission denials for corrected errors on the applications, the charge-backs because the regional manager felt like taking overrides away from a salesmanager on a whim, the confusing commission statements with charges that are never "caught" by agents and managers until its too late to dispute, etc. I am currently an independent agent, and represent several insurance companies, I found out after I left Combined how unlawful their charges and commission denials are. I currently ... sell the best product for my client, not what's best for the company. My husband still works for Combined Insurance, we are both fed up with company procedures and the charges he has no control over. We are ready to find a good lawyer that wants to take on Combined Insurance to defend the agents, and to make Combined repay all the charges they took from earned commissions.