How To Complain About Insurance Companies

Insurance companies are in business for the money. They aren’t charities, and they don’t necessarily have your best interests in mind. For this reason, you might find yourself suffering an unpleasant experience when dealing with your insurance company. As a result, you might find yourself needing to file a complaint against them. So, if you have a complaint about your insurance company, where do you turn? To answer this question, we have compiled some of the best advice we offer on how to complain about insurance companies.

If you want to submit a complaint about your insurance, here are the most common options:

• Contact your insurance agent.
• Appeal to an executive at the insurance company.
• Ask a third party, such as an ombudsman, to mediate your dispute.
• File a complaint with the state department of insurance, which regulates insurance activity and insurer compliance with state laws and regulations.
• Seek arbitration if that is an option in your policy.
• File a legal claim against the insurer in court.

Why Complain About Insurance Companies?

There are a number of reasons why you might make a complaint about an insurance company.

For example:

• You feel your insurer gave you unfair compensation for your damage.
• Repair work has been done to a poor standard.
• You were treated poorly by the company’s insurance agents.
• Your insurer automatically renewed your policy without you realizing it.
• You might feel that your insurance agent didn’t properly explain your policy when they sold it to you.

After you make a complaint, the insurance company will look at your complaint and see if it’s appropriate to compensate you. In fact, there’s a simple, step-by-step process you can go through to try and resolve the problem. Read on ahead to learn how to complain about insurance companies.

How to Complain About Insurance Companies:

First, you can try to resolve the complaint informally.

If you bought your policy through an insurance broker, they might make a complaint for you. So it’s worth asking to save yourself the hassle.

In other cases, it’s possible to resolve a complaint informally with a quick phone call to the insurance company’s helpline.

This would be a good first step. However, make sure to note down who you spoke to, when, and what was said, just in case you need to take things further.

If you are unhappy with the result, send a written complaint.

If you’re not happy with the company’s response to your informal complaint, you can make a written complaint. Every insurance company has a formal complaints procedure that you can follow if things go wrong.

It even tells you who to contact and when to expect a response. Moreover, many companies publish their consumer complaint forms on their website. If you can’t find it, contact them and ask for a copy.

How do I write a formal insurance complaint letter?

When writing a formal insurance complaint letter, be sure to:

• First, put the date.
• Second, give your name, policy number and claim number.
• Then ensure to mark the letter as a ‘complaint’ clearly at the top.
• After, continue to explain your complaint clearly. State what you’re unhappy about what happened. Also, be specific about when it happened.
• In addition, include any evidence you have to support your complaint.
• Moreover, say what you would like the company to do to put things right.
• Finally, state that if you are unhappy with the company’s response, you will take the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

After you submit a complaint, be sure to keep records of your complaint.

Keep copies of any correspondence and notes of any telephone conversations so you can pass them on to the Ombudsman Service if you need to.

Make sure to keep tabs on:

• every letter you receive and every letter you send
• any emails or text messages exchanged
• a copy of your complaint
  And for every phone call related to your complaint, note the time, date, who you spoke to, and what was said.

Please Contact the Financial Ombudsman Service for Help

The Financial Ombudsman Service is a free service that helps to resolve disputes between consumers and financial services organizations.

When can you use the Financial Ombudsman Service?

Before you can use the Ombudsman Service, you must follow your insurance company’s official complaints procedure. Once you’ve complained, depending on the state, they have around eight weeks to respond.

However, you can contact the Ombudsman Service initially for advice. But they can only act after you get a final response from the insurance company or as soon as the eight weeks are up.

What will the Ombudsman Service do?

The Ombudsman Service will look at the case based on the facts. So you don’t have to worry about presentations or arguments, just about telling the truth in your own words.

They will listen to both sides of the story, including yours and the insurance company’s testimony, and try to come to a fair judgment.

They’ll either reject or accept your complaint and subsequently help you come to a settlement with the company. If it decides you’ve been unfairly treated the Ombudsman Service has the power to make the company:

• apologize
• explain their actions
• offer compensation.

However, if you’re still not happy with the settlement, you can still take the case to court, but you’ll have to pay many expenses. In fact, if the Ombudsman Service concludes you don’t deserve compensation, then it’s extremely unlikely that you’ll win.

File a Complaint with State Regulators

In the United States, insurance companies are regulated by states, so you can check the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ website for help.

State insurance departments are the official complaint-takers for insurance problems. So when you file a complaint through them, they will generally engage in an investigation of the matter.

Furthermore, they will also allow the insurer to explain their view of the situation. Finally, upon adjudication, the body will either certify that no insurance law was broken. If it was, then they’ll refer it to the market conduct division for enforcement.

Hiring a Public Adjuster

Hiring a public adjuster can help you avoid having to file a complaint in the first place. A public insurance adjuster is a claims professional that works for you instead of the insurance company.

They know all the tips and tricks to protect your rights as the policyholder and ensure your insurance company treats you fairly. They can take care of every step of your claim, including filing, settling, and resolving disputes. Hire a public adjuster today to handle your insurance claim needs.

Hiring a Lawyer

In the most extreme cases, you might need to take your dispute to court. That’s when you might have to call a lawyer for an insurance problem. You might find you need one, especially if you have a large, expensive claim or a complex claim.