Occidental Fire & Casualty Company of North Carolina (Headquarters)

Incorrect bills sent, asked to resend corrected, never sent and then received one huge bill with inconsistencies.Account #: [redacted]XXXXXXX:I purchased a homeowners policy on 2/6/2014. I asked for a 10-pay plan as I cannot afford to pay the premium all at once. I received a bill for the total amount of $1,542. I called immediately asking for an adjusted bill with the 10 pay plan, which included a 30% down payment (which was supposed to be taken upon the start of contract however, the broker that I used just went ahead and started the policy without payment, without my knowledge) and then 9 smaller payments for the rest of the year. I asked for a new bill with the corrected amount is sent and the agent did not say that would be a problem.I then received a bill on 3/19 for a total of $617.38. I got someone on the phone who said that the $617.38 was the correct amount as it was the 30% payment (357.20), plus two additional months ($132.09 x2), in addition to an "installment charge" of $6. The issues are:1. I asked why I was not sent the bill and no one could answer me, stating that they don't send out new bills; I asked for copies of the three bills, and they refused to send them2. I was told that because of the change in plan (to the 10-pay, which I asked for from the start) that the new dates didn't line up with when they printed bills, so therefore never received a bill for the next installment payment of 132.093. I was told that the bills that I did not receive were sent to my mortgage company. I do not have a mortgage company, and the large bills of $1,542 and $617.38 had no trouble getting to me4. I asked why, if there is a 6 dollar installment fee for each bill, why I am only being charged $6 and not the $12 (one for each of the $132.09 charges I was charged) ALL inconsistentNo one tried to resolve the issues, customer service is awful. All that was said is that I owe the money and that's it. Nothing was done to try to make good on all of THEIR errors. I am extremely upset by this.Desired SettlementI plan to leave this carrier and move to another company. The start of this plan was on 2/6. I would like to only pay for the months I have used. 1542 divided by 12 months are payments of 128.50. I would like to pay for the periods of 2/6 - 3/6 Coverage: 128.503/6 - 4/6 Coverage: 128.50And will find a new insurance carrier by 4/6 (or whenever this is resolved, and will certainly pay for the months I have used). It would be unfair for me to have to pay 30% plus the monthly fees if I am going to leave. And the 30% payment was not taken at the start of the contract - and I still haven't received a bill for it so I should not be responsible.

Total amount of car damage was not covered, I had to pay for a new part they were supposed to cover.One of their client's hit my parked car from 15 feet away and caused nearly $6,000 worth of damage. Although the work was quoted at 17 days, it took a total of 67 days to complete the work. There were lags in there response time, they never answered their phones and took 3 days to call me back if they even did at all. They paid me for some personal loss of use days but not as many as they should have. Also, their client dented my muffler and instead of covering a new part, they paid for a small portion of it - requiring me to pay for a brand new muffler that I didn't need. I called them repeatedly asking them why I had to buy a new part that was not previously damaged when their client did the damage requiring the new part, but they said they were absolutely not going to pay for it. This insurance company is not credible, they were extremely unprofessional and both the place I took my car to be fixed and myself had terrible communication from them, and they were uncooperative.Desired SettlementI would like payment for the part I paid for that they should have covered ($233.22) and I would also like them to re-evaluate the total personal loss of use days they need to pay me for, and send a check for both.Business Response Ladies and Gentlemen, please accept our apologies for the late response to this inquiry. There was a breakdown in communication on our end, and this complaint just came to light today. Please be assured that steps have been taken to address the problem to ensure that all future inquiries are answered promptly. As for the complaint, we find same to be without merit. The policy of liability insurance issued to our policyholder provides coverage for damages that our insured is legally required to pay as the result of an auto accident. It is a well established tenet of law that a claimant in a negligence action is entitled to recover the actual cash value (ACV) of the damaged property. ACV is defined as the replacement cost of the item less depreciation. In this case, the complainant's muffler was damaged in the accident. We paid $349.95 for the replacement of the muffler less $213.47 in depreciation. The expected lifespan of a muffler is 100,000 miles. This vehicle had over 61,000 miles and we therefore applied 61% depreciation. If the complainant has any documentation to indicate that the muffler had been replaced prior to this accident, she may submit same for review and consideration. As for the alleged loss of use (rental), we initially paid for 7 days. Due to the fact that there were two supplementary estimates, we paid an additional 10 days at $30 per day. On 4/23/15, the complainant was advised that we may consider additional loss of use provided that she submits a final paid rental bill. To date, we have not received such documentation; therefore, our file was closed. If the complainant chooses to submit this documentation, we may reconsider our position. I trust that you find this response satisfactory.Consumer Response Two problems with the statement above.The insurer who hit my car should be required by law to get my car back into working order - but without paying for the muffler she dented, it was not in working order. I was required to pay $213 out of pocket when my car was the one hit and completely inconvenienced. I could not use my car without the muffler being replaced. I cannot drive with 39% of a muffler? Second, the job from beginning to end took 67 days, not 17. There were delays from the time I sent my paperwork until the time I received a check to give to the shop. Then there were additional delays to have the adjuster come back out, and even more delays when the second check had to come. These were all delays on the part of the insurance company, not the shop, so there should be additional loss of use days. The initial work they thought would only take 7 days, but it ended up being significantly more damage which would take a lot more time. This has nothing to do with a rental car, I am owed loss of use days regardless if I used a rental car. I am aware that I am not owed 67 days loss of use, but it is more than 17. When I asked repeatedly about having the insurance company pay for a rental car, they were incredibly vague with their answer - saying they may or may not cover it and that they would figure it out in the end, so I did not want to take on that risk. The car shop that I worked with also said I was very lucky that I didn't get a rental car because they didn't think the insurance company was going to pay me back for any of it (or would pay for a very small part of it) leaving me with a bill of thousands of dollars.I tried to have open lines of communication with this insurance company, but they not once over the course of 67 days actually answered any of my phone calls. I was called back 3 days later if at all. My emails were responded to days later in the beginning, and then not at all. It was just as if I were talking to a wall and was unable to get my questions answered in realtime and they were completely unwilling to work with me. When I finally had someone call me back about the muffler he rudely told me that they were 'not backing down on this' with no other real explanation.Final Business Response Thank you for the follow up inquiry. Regretfully, we will be unable to reconsider our position regarding the betterment on the muffler; however, we have agreed to pay an additional 19 days loss of use in the amount of $570, and we believe that the complainant is now satisfied with the settlement.

We were in a wreck with a driver who is insured by this company. The adjuster told me in the first phone call with no background that he would deny.The people at [redacted] are totally unprofessional. It took 2 weeks and my persistence to get the first call; the adjustor ([redacted]) told me during first call with no knowledge of the facts that they would deny the claim (how does that even classify as due process??). The person who called to take the recorded statement called 48 hours later than the assigned appointment time and HAD NOT even bothered to read the police report first. This company will deny even the most OBVIOUS of claims. Our car was hit by someone trying to enter traffic from a PARKING LOT and cutting across our lane of traffic. In their 100% denial of the claim, Occidental Insurance/[redacted] is calling the parking lot entrance an INTERSECTION which it clearly is NOT - it's an entrance to an [redacted]. The cops at the scene told me that the other driver was at fault because they were trying to enter traffic. Desired SettlementThe cost to repair our [redacted] is estimated at $1921.10The adjuster called me back to say they would be paying the claim. Our car is now fixed. Thank you for your help!

Slowest insurance company! Took 2 weeks foregone to look at my car. 2 weeks to approve the totaled solar amount. 3 weeks to send me paperwork and im STILL waiting, over two months later, for my check. Mean while they have taken money out of my bank after my car was totaled AGAINST my permission and have yet to refund that as well. I do not recommend this. ","neg-3

Occidental cancelled my homeowner's insurance following only 2 months as a customer. They merely sent a letter in the mail which explained they were cancelling my policy due to "sidewalk cracked and crumbling In need of repair. Fence damaged and in need of repair." Neither of these issues are actually true. Save your time and money, and find a better insurer. ","neg-1

Warning - If you don't receive your check - Your money is lost.
They stop your insurance for any minor defect they claim to be present in your house (such as a missing gutter).
This is how they make their money: they only notify you once with a check in the mail. If you don't get/cash that check - your money stays with them.
They don't call, they don't re-send a check, they don't notify that check was not cashed.
I missed that letter from them and almost lost the money. In the future I know to pay a few extra dollars and get a honest insurance company.","neg-2

Insurance company canceled my coverage by fabricating a non-existent issue with my property.Occidental Insurance cancelled my insurance coverage by claiming an "increase in property hazards beyond what is normally accepted. Roof shingles are worn, curling and lifting. The roof needs to be replaced."Prior to purchasing this home less than two months ago,I had an independent professional home inspection performed. The condition of the roof was noted as "Very Good" and it did not need any work. My own visual inspection confirmed that not a single shingle is out of place. This is clearly an attempt to cancel my insurance for a fabricated issue. I assume that they concluded that my account was not profitable enough so they made up a reason to cancel it. This is unacceptable and I will encourage everyone I know to never do business with Occidental Insurance.Desired SettlementI seek a bill credit for one year of insurance and a written apology for the wrongful cancellation of my coverage.

Multiple letters (not one call) indicating that our homeowners insurance is going to be cancelled, based on incorrect data in their system!July 29th, 2016 we closed on our new house, and chose Occidental (through [redacted] for our homeowners coverage. Since that time, we have received numerous written correspondence that our policy is going to be cancelled for incorrect information on their part. For example, we just received a fourth letter today stating that "upon inspection we found the following conditions and hazards: Ineligible liability exposure - in ground pool is unfenced". We do NOT have a pool on our property. Therefore, once again they are attempting to cancel our policy and leave us exposed without insurance on our new home, because of incorrect data on their end. In all of my years of owning a home, not once did I file a claim on my homeowners insurance, or get treated with such disregard. We have two children under the age of three that we cannot afford to have living in a home with no insurance. This company continues to display their incompetence and complete lack of regard for their customers with each correspondence we receive from them.Desired SettlementFirst, I want this complaint filed with the Better Business Beauru to alert other potential clients as to the customer service they can expect if they choose this company for homeowners insurance. Second, I want my insurance to be reinstated immediately, with no gaps in coverage. Consumer response:I talked with the insurance agent today to voice my concerns and disappointment. I believe my concerns were heard, and the mitigation plans for avoiding future issues. At this time no further action is needed, and I am requesting the case be closed.Thank you[redacted]

Full information was not disclosed about the home owners insurance purchased for my home. [redacted] is the company that originally created my policy, but it goes through occidental. When purchasing my home owners insurance I was asked how much I would like covered. I asked to have the full cost of the loan covered. The agent said that was okay and provided the information for the new policy. At closing the policy increased by two dollars because the closing happened to late and they said their pricing increased. We were moved in for two weeks and a man from a company called [redacted] was walking around our property and we did not receive a notice that we should be expecting someone wandering around our property. That's trespassing. I received a new invoice telling me I now owe them MORE money. It seems like a scam. They promise one price and it can increase anytime they want? I would not have signed up if clear expectations about an inspection had be set. When I called about it, the lady talked about it like it was common knowledge. When I asked if it was, she said it is not common knowledge. Information about an increase should be common knowledge and their customer's should be aware that they can charge whatever they feel fit. They said my property is valued at $281,000, while the appraiser said it is valued at $241,000. They just do whatever they want and I apparently have to pay for it. I would have been completely okay with all of it if clear expectations were set. I feel mistreated and taken advantage of. They shouldn't be allowed to lie and once I'm stuck with them send me an invoice to pay them more money. It's absolutely wrong. Desired SettlementI would like the additional money they are trying to gouge me with be removed. I do not want to pay the extra money and let them rip me off. It is easy enough to set clear expectations and I was not informed of very important information. The policy changed 3 times and they never had a clear answer. I would like $113 removed from the invoice and I want them to honor the price the originally told me my policy was that is already paid as of 05/15/2015. Business Response Occidental Fire & Casualty Companyof North Carolina[redacted]To whom it may concern:Thank you for advising us of this customer concern. We are truly sorry for the customer's frustration, and we appreciate the opportunity to respond.While a [redacted] agency did in fact sell this policy, we are the insurance carrier for the policy. We regret that the customer did not understand this.When the policy was originally bound, the customer's insurance representative received an enrollment letter that included information about the forthcoming onsite replacement cost appraisal. In this letter, which was emailed to the customer, we advised that the inspection would occur and the reason for the inspection as follows: "As part of our commitment to provide you with quality insurance protection, we will complete an onsite replacement cost appraisal of your home. This is being done to confirm that the amount of coverage for your home is appropriate. In most cases, the inspector will be able to complete the appraisal from the exterior. If an interior inspection is needed, the inspector will contact you for an appointment. Should we find our inspection indicates any significant changes from what your policy information currently reflects, we will promptly notify you and your producer."The onsite replacement cost appraisal calculation utilizing the [redacted] calculation tool, did reveal that the property's replacement cost exceeded the coverage limit on the policy. When this occurs, a coverage limit increase is necessary in order to make certain the property is insured for its accurate replacement cost. While many people believe that a property's value (property appraisal) and replacement cost are the same, they are actually quite different. An appraisal is an estimate of what a property might sell for in an open market, but replacement cost is what it would actually cost to totally reconstruct the home using the current cost of labor and materials. It is our policy that all properties insured with Occidental be insured for 100% of their replacement cost, which is in the best interest of the property owner.Again, we apologize for any misunderstanding and for the frustration on the part of the consumer. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions or desire additional information.Sincerely,[redacted]Occidental InsuranceConsumer Response I understand (now that it has been explained) that I have to have the cost to rebuild my home in the insurance. What I am saying it that this is apparently "common knowledge." If that's the case, why would your representative ask me how much I would like covered and then accept my answer of the cost of my loan. Everyone knows that it cost more to rebuild a home that it does to purchase one already built. The fact you are disregarding my concern and explaining this issue as me not paying attention is frustrating. Your response is belittling. I was misinformed and it's not right. I worked with three different companies and wondered why they would have to have more covered, but that was because their reps understood that they had to have the cost to rebuild the house covered. From your response, I understand now that I should have chosen a company that was upfront with me about my cost. So yes, I did misunderstand. Although your reason for my misunderstanding is incorrect. It is your representative's false information provided that created my misunderstanding. I am asking you to take responsibility for a company mistake. The same type of mistake my company would handle when created. Own up. This really is a matter of principle. You should fully disclose what should be covered, not ask your customer's what they want covered if that's not even an option. If you will not take responsibility, I will find a different company that is honest with me. Thank you for your time.

Overall I was dissastified with their lack of customer service and professionalism.I was recently involed in an accident with a policy holder of this company.When I talked to the representative about obtaining a rental car because my car was no longer operational they were rude and internationally dragging their feet ,which cause me a huge inconvenience, not to mention they also gave my attorney the same treatment. The customer service is very poor and can do a better job of communicating. I would not reccommend anyone who is involved with this company to continue. Or anyone who is involved as a customer or a victim of a accident, should not expect their adjustment/customer service dept to act swiftly and promptly in getting matters resolvedDesired SettlementI would like be in a car rental by the end of the day Business Response [redacted] Name and Title: [redacted] Claims Sup[redacted] Phone: XXXXXXXXXX[redacted] Email: [redacted]@nationaladjust.comThe accident occurred on September 17, 2016. The loss was reported to our office on September 19, 2016. Investigation was completed on September 21, 2016. Mr. [redacted] called on September 21, 2016 to inquire about a rental car; however, since he was represented by an attorney we were unable to provide him with any information. We advised Mr. [redacted] to [redacted] his attorney to discuss. Liability was accepted on September 22, 2016. The estimate was completed on September 22, 2016 which revealed that Mr. [redacted]' vehicle was a total loss. We are currently pending the completed guarantee of title along with a copy of the title so we can prepare the total loss settlement paperwork to send to Mr. [redacted]. Regretfully, our company does not do direct billing for a rental car. On September 22, 2016 we had offered 9 days of loss of use at $30 per day. Please note that I have listened to the phone call between [redacted] and Mr. [redacted]. We disagree with Mr. [redacted]' allegation that Mrs. [redacted] was rude. Mrs. [redacted] conducted herself in a courtesy and professional manner throughout the entire conversation.

I filed a car insurance claim for hail damage over a month ago which has yet to be resolved. My car has sat in a shop over a week.I filed a hail damage claim with Occidental (National Underwriters) at the end of May. An independent adjuster was assigned to my claim, came out and took about an hour and a half look at my vehicle damage. At that time I was told I would hear back from them by email in 2 - 3 days. I waited about 10 days to call Occidental, at which time I was told they were waiting on a form from my agent. Not sure what. I was told at that time I would be contacted that Monday regarding my claim. I was not. I called back on Tuesday and said my claim hadn't been processed because I hadn't contacted them with the name of the shop I chose to have the repair done at. Keep in mind, I had never received a call back, estimate, quote or any correspondence from them. I requested several times to be sent a copy of an estimate to provide a shop. They refused. The shop I chose ended up contacting Occidental to receive this, and a copy was sent with a joint check to the shop. I dropped my car off a week ago. A supplement for almost 5x the amount was submitted, and it's taken almost 7 days to have an adjuster come back out and have that approved. Leaving me with no vehicle for over a week. When I called back to find out why this had taken such a long time, the customer service rep repeatedly interrupted me and said that the shop had "held them up". He was extremely rude, and refused to listen to my situation or provide any apology for the delays on their part.Desired SettlementI would like the last month of my insurance payment to Occidental returned. I paid an exorbitant amount of money for a full coverage policy and have been without a vehicle for too long. Why was I not approved for a rental? Business Response Ladies and Gentlemen, please accept our apologies for our failure to respond to this inquiry. There was a breakdown in communication on our end. We are addressing this issue to ensure that all future inquiries will be addressed in a timely fashion. In response to Ms. [redacted] inquiry, please be advised that this policy was in fact cancelled in accordance with the procedures outlined in the applicable policy of insurance. The cancellation date was June 11, 2014, and the unearned premium has been refunded according to the policy and applicable law. Additionally, this claim has been paid in full. For these reasons, we believe that this matter has been brought to a satisfactory conclusion. Consumer Response I am not surprised to hear of a break down in communication. It has been, I believe, almost a full year since this incident. This policy was cancelled because after this incident I IMMEDIATLY acquired new insurance through a more reputable carrier. I never received any refund as mentioned above, and would like documentation of this at this time. The conclusion was not satisfactory in any way. I am thankful I am no longer doing business with this company.