How to File a Life Insurance Complaint
If you feel your life insurance company or agent has acted illegally or improperly there is a simple process to resolve the issue:
- First and foremost, keep detailed records of all relevant documents. Write down all conversations you have had with your agent / company. Keep all written correspondences in one folder. Save copies of canceled checks or bank statements withdrawals. Find and read through your policy agreement.
- Contact your insurance company's customer service department. Explain your complaint and give them a reasonable amount of time to address the issue. If you still don't feel that the issue has been resolved, you can elevate the dispute.
- Consider contacting an attorney to explain your problem and get their advice. Usually getting a referral from a friend is the best way to find an attorney. If this doesn’t work, you can try using an online lawyer database.
- Contact your state insurance commissioner. Almost all state commissioners have complaint forms on their websites (see State Insurance Sites for a list of state insurance departments). After filling out the form and submitting it, someone from your state will likely contact you to ask a few follow-up questions and may ask for supporting documents. Next, the state insurance department will contact your insurance company to discuss the issue. Afterwards, they will either contact you to tell you that they are closing their investigation, or they will transfer you to a specialist in the insurance department to continue working on resolving the issue.
- Contact the Better Business Bureau and file a complaint with them as well. Life insurance companies work hard to resolve complaints because they hurt sales. Many people check with the BBB before buying insurance.
- If all fails, you still can warn others about the practices of your company/agent. Share your experience on consumer opinion websites such as consumeraffairs.com