Virginia Farm Bureau

Having been with Megson Fitzpatrick for years, one would think we might receive some sort of perk for being a long term client; at least be treated respectfully and get a fair shake Last year after (over) paying our home insurance, and being dealt with incredibly rudely, (I was told when I complained about the treatment a woman "helping" me offered, - that "they get yelled at all the time so that's why she yelled" at me.) Despite the fact it was too late to go somewhere else for last year, something told me to check things out with other providers So I asked around as to the veracity of their quotesI was horrified to discover we've been paying much more than we really needed toto the tune of $500! Confirmed again by this year's quote, this info came from several other providers Thankfully, I found a group who are phenomenalThey actually came to our home to see what the house looked like! What a crazy, fabulous idea! Something MF never did once -- in years! And they offered insurance for my business that MF didn't appear keen to help with Rude & expensive versus exceedingly helpful, kind and cheaper and better benefits? I've made my choice

Be careful when deciding to purchase Virginia Farm Bureau homeowners insurance I had homeowners and a rental house insurance for many years with Virginia Farm Bureau and I was cancelled by them on both houses because I did not have an associated auto policy with them This might sound like not a big deal but at the time I was renovating the rental unit and it was hard to purchase other insurance while the rental was being renovated That is unless you were willing to pay 400% more than what you were already paying for an unoccupied residence On top of that I was still receiving a request to pay their $membership fee Yea Right!! [redacted] sides with Virginia Farm Bureau so don't think your protected by them

Dear Ms [redacted] , We have received Mr [redacted] 's complaint that was filed through your organizationMr [redacted] also filed the same complaint through the Virginia Bureau of InsuranceAs you may know, the Virginia is the regulatory body that oversees compliance with insurance statutes and regulationsWe have responded to the In our letter to the 801, we shared that the insured's daughter was not enrolled In the Teen Driver Safety Education ProgramWhen the Teenage Driver Safety Education Program enrollment form was completed (June 23, 2010), the teen was weeks·shy of her 161h birthday and only held a learner's permitWhen the form was received in this office on June 28, (along with the request to add the teen as a driver), we returned the form to the agent and told him she could not be added· until she was licensedWe also informed the agent that per our standard practice, we were not adding the teen to the policy until she was licensedOur filed manual rule stated that the operator "must have a valid Virginia driver's license when entering the program "On June , 2010, the teen did not have a valid Virginia driver's license(Please note that a flied rule means that the rule has been approved by the and must be adhered to .) On December 31, 2010, we discontinued enrollment into the Teenage Driver Safety Education ProgramThe deadline to enroll was December , Individuals enrolled in the program prior to the deadline were eligible for the $award (the cash value of the $bond)Unfortunately, the teen was not enrolled in the program: - ----111e-teen was notadeled as a ar1ver to the policy unt1rJune 21, 20'~------------The insured supplied your firm a copy of the enrollment formYou will note the "temporary provisional with learner's" block is checkedA newly licensed teen driver will receive a temporary provisional license with a learner's when they have held their learner's permit nine months, are at least years and months old, and have completed driver educationThis allows them to drive unsupervised until they get their permanent driver's license in court at a licensing ceremonyThe earliest possible date the teen could have enrolled (had she been licensed) would have been at age and months (November 3, 2010)When this form was completed, the teen did not qualify for enrollment as she did not have a qualifying driver's licenseSincerely, Sam ***, CPCU, AU, CIC Vice President of Underwriting and Policy Services

Dear Ms***:*** ** *** ***
* *** * * *** *** ***
***
***I received your letter of 10/20/regarding the cancellation of the homeowners policyfor *** ***Mrs*** requested cancellation of her homeowners' policy and a refund of thepremium due to the
cancellationIn addition, she requested a refund of her membershipdues to Virginia Farm Bureau in the amount of $40.00.The issue regarding a refund of the membership dues has been forwarded to the localcounty farm bureau office.Addressing the cancellation of Mrs***'s homeowners' policy; according to our callnotes, Mrs*** first contact Virginia Farm Bureau requesting cancellation of herpolicy on 10/12/After returning her calls our service center representative informedher of how to request a cancellation.The cancellation request was processed within days of its receiptThe return premiumcheck has been sent via United States Postal Service, Mrs*** should have this shortly.While I empathize with Mrs*** not having an immediate cancellation of her policy,the policy is a contract and requires certain steps to have it cancelledIt is my belief thatVirginia Farm Bureau did not take advantage of Mrs***We followed our normalprocedures and treated her request for cancellation the same as all others we receive.Additionally, Mrs*** had the process explained to her multiple times by variousindividuals.I am available to discuss this situation in greater detail should the need arise

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
The attached response by Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company is nothing more than unreasonable puffery used in their documentation by "Employees" of the company to protect their own interestsVFB is demanding their "Due Diligence" is required, this requirement is one sided and only applicable toward the insurance companyCollision related damages still exist on my vehicle and VFB has refused to accept financial responsibility as cost cutting effortsNearly every insurance company has adopted similar methods to take advantage of their own customers through the well known "*** *** ***." These methods are known to benefit the insurance company:
Intimidate and confuse people with a valid claim through unnecessary Delay, Deny and Defend tactics
Offer Low-Ball settlements to pressure any claimant to settle or walk away without fair compensation
The use of "Creative Writing" in documentation to diminish the current value (ACV) leveraged against the policy
The use of policy language (written by Farm Bureau) to deem the claim as "Not a covered Loss" and deny actual monetary damages
Force a consumer into an unreasonable legal expense to recover loss related damages through arbitration and other legal proceedings written into their own policy languageThe "Take it or Leave It attitude or you can Sue US if you're not satisfied with our decision" is simply Unfair, Unethical Business Practices from a powerful insurance company
Employees of Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance have stated "You will have to pay for any repairs not approved on our Estimate." The shop who started the repairs instructed me to "Bring the car back in a month and we will write a new estimate to repair the moldings on your vehicle." This shop will not honor the work listed on the Scope-of-Damage estimateFarm Bureau insists the remaining damages are the result of this shop removing the moldings through "Improper Repair." Later, VFB writes "The shop did not remove or repaint the moldings and attempted to polish them, not following our estimate." How can this be "Damages by the Shop" when VFB admits these moldings were never removed from the vehicle and remain with damaged fasteners, loose and misaligned fitment consistent with a side impact collision?
Regards,
*** ***

Dear ** ***,
I received your email notification of 9/21/regarding the personal automobile policy for *** ***
Attached you will find the billing statement and signed ACH authorization agreement for ** *** policy
** *** requested an
automobile change to his personal auto policyVirginia Farm Bureau processed this change on 8/7/which produced an additional premium charge of $The total amount due to the policy at this time was $
** *** policy is set up for monthly ACH drafts to the taken the 19th of every monthHis policy is for a term of monthsFor the policy term in question the draft dates of ** *** policy were:
4/19/
5/19/
6/19/
7/19/
8/19/
9/19/
On renewal policies, which ** *** policy is, we begin drafting month prior to the effective date and end one month shortThis is how our equity billing plan works
Because of the day lock in period for ACH drafts plus the day notification period indicated in the ACH authorization agreement, the additional premium was not able to be spread across the 8/and 9/draftsIt was all grouped into the 9/draft, resulting in the $amount.
In regards to ** *** indicating he did not receive notification, I have attached a copy of the billing statement sent when the vehicle change was madeIt clearly states the amounts and when the remaining drafts will occurThis statement would have been mailed on or about 8/8/
While I empathize with ** *** having a larger amount drafted from his checking account, I feel Virginia Farm Bureau did what is our standard practice of notifying him of his upcoming drafts and the amounts due
I am available to discuss this situation in greater detail should the need arise
Sincerely,
*** * ***
Service Center Manager

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear belowThis is the same "loop-hole" that Virginia Farm Bureau has been using to cover their mistakeMrR*** is very careful not to admit that their agent/representative for the company made a mistakeIn conversation with the BOI; they told me that they view this as what they term an "agent error"Farm Bureau should be held accountable for any mistakes that they or their representatives makeNo contact was ever made from Farm Bureau to indicate there was a problem, If the learner's permit was a problem then why was it put on the contract to begin withFarm Bureau should be ashamed of trying to take advantage of a then year old girlWe were in the office for about an hour completing forms,, watching a video, reading a book, and then taking a quizFarm Bureau made a mistake and they should stand up and make it rightSince they are determined to proceed with this ideology; I will proceed to small claim's court and let a judge decideThe public can also be aware to what kind of business people work in this company
Regards,
*** ***

Dear [redacted]This will acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated March
6, 2015 that was forwarded to me March 11, 2015 for a response regarding the
above automobile claim. Virginia Farm Bureau has been in communication with the
Bureau of Insurance and the policy holder regarding this...

claim.Virginia Farm Bureau has compensated our insured for the damage
to their vehicle in accordance with the Virginia automobile policy. The Bureau
of Insurance has also been involved with the file and does not disagree with
the position taken by Virginia Farm Bureau. The first inquiry from the Bureau
of Insurance was on December 4, 2014 and the second inquiry was February 13,
2015. Virginia Farm Bureau has responded to both inquires. We have [redacted] the
inquires and response for your review.Thanks you for your attention in this matter.Sincerely,[redacted]

Be careful when deciding to purchase Virginia Farm Bureau homeowners insurance. I had homeowners and a rental house insurance for many years with Virginia Farm Bureau and I was cancelled by them on both houses because I did not have an associated auto policy with them. This might sound like not a big deal but at the time I was renovating the rental unit and it was hard to purchase other insurance while the rental was being renovated. That is unless you were willing to pay 400% more than what you were already paying for an unoccupied residence. On top of that I was still receiving a request to pay their $40 membership fee. Yea Right!! [redacted] sides with Virginia Farm Bureau so don't think your protected by them.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID[redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Farm Bureau states and reports that they sent me an invoice, l never ever received the invoice they claim they sent me after l made the purchase of my new vehicle on August 7,2014. The ONLY thing l have received from Farm Bureau wa my new insurance ID Cards, that is it, that is the only mailing l received from Farm Bureau since l have had the vehicle. They raised the issue about ACH coming out from my bank account that was never the issue, the issue is they failed to notify me of the increase in premium, by postal mail, by email and by telephone, not once was l notified as they state, only received ID Cards and that is it since August 7, 2014. So l cannot and do not accept there explanation, someone at Farm Bureau dropped the ball. They should take responsibility for failing to get me that invoice to me in my hands. I even had talked to my agent in Purceville, VA and l even asked him what my monthly payments where and he looked in the system and said they have not increased.
So l do not accept there error, they have a responsibility, and they dropped the ball on this one to a consumer.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com spoke with Mr. [redacted]. The $40 membership is non refundable. As for the check provided to the customer the amount provided was a prorated amount for the time since the cancellation was processed.

Having been with Megson Fitzpatrick for 20 years, one would think we might receive some sort of perk for being a long term client; at least be treated respectfully and get a fair shake.

Last year after (over) paying our home insurance, and being dealt with incredibly rudely, (I was told when I complained about the treatment a woman "helping" me offered, - that "they get yelled at all the time so that's why she yelled" at me.)

Despite the fact it was too late to go somewhere else for last year, something told me to check things out with other providers.

So I asked around as to the veracity of their quotes. I was horrified to discover we've been paying much more than we really needed to... to the tune of $500! Confirmed again by this year's quote, this info came from several other providers.

Thankfully, I found a group who are phenomenal. They actually came to our home to see what the house looked like! What a crazy, fabulous idea! Something MF never did once -- in 20 years!

And they offered insurance for my business that MF didn't appear keen to help with.

Rude & expensive versus exceedingly helpful, kind and cheaper and better benefits? I've made my choice.

Dear Ms. [redacted], We have received Mr. [redacted]'s complaint that was filed through your organization. Mr. [redacted] also filed the same...

complaint through the Virginia Bureau of Insurance. As you may know, the Virginia 801 is the regulatory body that oversees compliance with insurance statutes and regulations. We have responded to the 801. In our letter to the 801, we shared that the insured's daughter was not enrolled In the Teen Driver Safety Education Program. When the Teenage Driver Safety Education Program enrollment form was completed (June 23, 2010), the teen was 6 weeks·shy of her 161h birthday and only held a learner's permit. When the form was received in this office on June 28, 2010 (along with the request to add the teen as a driver), we returned the form to the agent and told him she could not be added· until she was licensed. We also informed the agent that per our standard practice, we were not adding the teen to the policy until she was licensed. Our filed manual rule stated that the operator "must have a valid Virginia driver's license when entering the program ... ". On June 23 , 2010, the teen did not have a valid Virginia driver's license. (Please note that a flied rule means that the rule has been approved by the 801 and must be adhered to .) On December 31, 2010, we discontinued enrollment into the Teenage Driver Safety Education Program. The deadline to enroll was December 31 , 2010. Individuals enrolled in the program prior to the deadline were eligible for the $500 award (the cash value of the $1000 bond). Unfortunately, the teen was not enrolled in the program: - ----111e-teen was notadeled as a ar1ver to the policy unt1rJune 21, 20'~. ------------The insured supplied your firm a copy of the enrollment form. You will note the "temporary provisional with learner's" block is checked. A newly licensed teen driver will receive a temporary provisional license with a learner's when they have held their learner's permit nine months, are at least 16 years and 3 months old, and have completed driver education. This allows them to drive unsupervised until they get their permanent driver's license in court at a licensing ceremony. The earliest possible date the teen could have enrolled (had she been licensed) would have been at age 16 and 3 months (November 3, 2010). When this form was completed, the teen did not qualify for enrollment as she did not have a qualifying driver's license. Sincerely, Sam [redacted], CPCU, AU, CIC Vice President of Underwriting and Policy Services

Review: I purchased auto insurance from an agent in Virginia who assured me if there was an accident or any other mishap that Virginia Farm Bureau would promptly take care of the damages. On the 4th day of July 2014, I was involved in a side impact collision by an unlicensed driver who stated "there was no insurance on his vehicle." [redacted] out of [redacted] was assigned to write an estimate in September 2014. This claims adjuster acted as if he did not want to write the estimate. I informed [redacted] that he needs to find a shop that can do the wheel alignment because none of the local shops have the tools and other required equipment.

The estimate includes a repainted wheel that is not available for inspection. This wheel has a different paint system used than the original that was just reconditioned three months before this accident occurred. Three wheel companies have informed me that a repainted wheel will not match the OEM finish currently on this vehicle.

Body damage starts on the bumper cover near the headlight and knocked a hole in the front of the fender, I was charged 10% betterment due to rust. The rear of the fender was pushed in with damage to the molding and chrome strip. The front door has a crease starting with the top of the tire tapering downward; the lower moldings and chrome are scraped up and in loose condition. The rear door was also damaged as the other vehicle's bumper scraped down along the side of the car. The sidewall of the front tire has cuts and abrasions (photographed the day of the accident) creating safety concerns. Euro Specialty located in [redacted] Virginia wrote an estimate of $1,530 to repair the moldings VFB denies these were damaged by the collision and a claims supervisor stated that I would have to pay for that work out-of-pocket. VFB also refused to pay for the replacement fender that was installed on the car. I paid 126.98 out of pocket for this replacement part in L-C-Q.Desired Settlement: I need this car fixed back to an acceptable standard. The loose moldings on the damaged side is not acceptable, the chrome strips also have noticeable scrapes that cannot be polished out. The shop stated that the chrome cannot be removed and is near impossible to re-insert due to spring tension. These moldings are loose and buckled up, its easily identifiable as collision damage that remains on this car after the shop made repairs per the estimate written by [redacted]. VFB refused to reapply the paint sealant on the car where it was stripped off by the shop conducting body repairs. The RF tire and wheel are also in question due to cosmetic damage and safety concerns related to this collision.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted]This will acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated March

6, 2015 that was forwarded to me March 11, 2015 for a response regarding the

above automobile claim. Virginia Farm Bureau has been in communication with the

Bureau of Insurance and the policy holder regarding this claim.Virginia Farm Bureau has compensated our insured for the damage

to their vehicle in accordance with the Virginia automobile policy. The Bureau

of Insurance has also been involved with the file and does not disagree with

the position taken by Virginia Farm Bureau. The first inquiry from the Bureau

of Insurance was on December 4, 2014 and the second inquiry was February 13,

2015. Virginia Farm Bureau has responded to both inquires. We have [redacted] the

inquires and response for your review.Thanks you for your attention in this matter.Sincerely,[redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

The attached response by Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company is nothing more than unreasonable puffery used in their documentation by "Employees" of the company to protect their own interests. VFB is demanding their "Due Diligence" is required, this requirement is one sided and only applicable toward the insurance company. Collision related damages still exist on my vehicle and VFB has refused to accept financial responsibility as cost cutting efforts. Nearly every insurance company has adopted similar methods to take advantage of their own customers through the well known "[redacted]." These methods are known to benefit the insurance company: Intimidate and confuse people with a valid claim through unnecessary Delay, Deny and Defend tacticsOffer Low-Ball settlements to pressure any claimant to settle or walk away without fair compensation The use of "Creative Writing" in documentation to diminish the current value (ACV) leveraged against the policy The use of policy language (written by Farm Bureau) to deem the claim as "Not a covered Loss" and deny actual monetary damages Force a consumer into an unreasonable legal expense to recover loss related damages through arbitration and other legal proceedings written into their own policy language. The "Take it or Leave It attitude or you can Sue US if you're not satisfied with our decision" is simply Unfair, Unethical Business Practices from a powerful insurance company. Employees of Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance have stated "You will have to pay for any repairs not approved on our Estimate." The shop who started the repairs instructed me to "Bring the car back in a month and we will write a new estimate to repair the moldings on your vehicle." This shop will not honor the work listed on the Scope-of-Damage estimate. Farm Bureau insists the remaining damages are the result of this shop removing the moldings through "Improper Repair." Later, VFB writes "The shop did not remove or repaint the moldings and attempted to polish them, not following our estimate." How can this be "Damages by the Shop" when VFB admits these moldings were never removed from the vehicle and remain with damaged fasteners, loose and misaligned fitment consistent with a side impact collision?

Regards,

Be careful when deciding to purchase Virginia Farm Bureau homeowners insurance. I had homeowners and a rental house insurance for many years with Virginia Farm Bureau and I was cancelled by them on both houses because I did not have an associated auto policy with them. This might sound like not a big deal but at the time I was renovating the rental unit and it was hard to purchase other insurance while the rental was being renovated. That is unless you were willing to pay 400% more than what you were already paying for an unoccupied residence. On top of that I was still receiving a request to pay their $40 membership fee. Yea Right!! [redacted] sides with Virginia Farm Bureau so don't think your protected by them.

Review: Hello,

I am writing on behalf of my mother who is 85 years old and does not use a computer. She lives in Fluvanna County, VA. She has had homeowners insurance with Farm Bureau Insurance Company for 50+ years and has recently become dissatisfied with the costs of this insurance. As a result of getting other quotes from insurance companies, she has decided to switch to another company. She called her local office of Farm Bureau on October 12, 2015 to cancel her policy - this is the same day that her new insurance went into affect. She has been getting the runaround from Farm Bureau about cancelling her homeowners insurance and they have yet to cancel her policy or refund her money paid for the policy. They owe her for 3 months that she has paid to them, plus $40 fee that she has paid to be a member for 2016.

Can you please help her to get her rightfully due refund of monies paid to Farm Bureau? This insurance should have been cancelled on October 12, 2015. It is very wrong for companies to take advantage of the elderly like Farm Bureau has done with my mother.

Thank you,

Respectfully

[redacted]Desired Settlement: Cancellation of Homeowners Insurance as of 10/12/15 with full refund of prepaid money + $40 member fee

Business

Response:

Dear Ms. [redacted]I received your letter of 10/20/2015 regarding the cancellation of the homeowners policyfor [redacted]Mrs. [redacted] requested cancellation of her homeowners' policy and a refund of thepremium due to the cancellation. In addition, she requested a refund of her membershipdues to Virginia Farm Bureau in the amount of $40.00.The issue regarding a refund of the membership dues has been forwarded to the localcounty farm bureau office.Addressing the cancellation of Mrs. [redacted]'s homeowners' policy; according to our callnotes, Mrs. [redacted] first contact Virginia Farm Bureau requesting cancellation of herpolicy on 10/12/2015. After returning her calls our service center representative informedher of how to request a cancellation.The cancellation request was processed within 5 days of its receipt. The return premiumcheck has been sent via United States Postal Service, Mrs. [redacted] should have this shortly.While I empathize with Mrs. [redacted] not having an immediate cancellation of her policy,the policy is a contract and requires certain steps to have it cancelled. It is my belief thatVirginia Farm Bureau did not take advantage of Mrs. [redacted]. We followed our normalprocedures and treated her request for cancellation the same as all others we receive.Additionally, Mrs. [redacted] had the process explained to her multiple times by variousindividuals.I am available to discuss this situation in greater detail should the need arise.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[redacted] did indeed receive a check from Farm Bureau; however, the cancellation date that they have is listed as 10/20/15 and is for an incorrect amount. Furthermore, she disputes that "multiple people explained the process to her". She was told by the Richmond office that she could not cancel by phone and would have to come into their office and cancel in person. The [redacted] office did not return her calls.Her policy for a 12 month period was for a total of $1316.00 paid in two payments - first payment of $697.00 and second payment of $619.00 with a policy ending date of January 15, 2016. She is owed for a full three month time period and should be refunded $328.98 plus the $40 fee for a total of $368.98. The check they sent her was for $313.92. She does not accept this.

Regards,

Business

Response:

Revdex.com spoke with Mr. [redacted]. The $40 membership is non refundable. As for the check provided to the customer the amount provided was a prorated amount for the time since the cancellation was processed.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[redacted] has been a customer of Farm Bureau for more than 50 years, and she feels that this company is and has been cheating her. On top of that, they were unresponsive and rude when she tried to cancel with them. They should not prorate the refund to include the additional two weeks it took them to activate the cancellation from the date of the call to cancel. More than fifty years of being their customer and they want to charge an additional "non-refundable" $40 to be a member? Not to mention the fact that the yearly premium they were charging her were DOUBLE what other insurance companies charge for the exact same coverage. What this company does and is doing is wrong, and we stand by our complaint.

Regards,

Review: I am filing this complaint against Virginia Farm Bureau as my auto monthly premiums being deducted from my checking account where $66.69 on the 19th of every month. Today on September 20, 2014 l check my bank account to find out they took out $119.69 premium. Virginia Farm Bureau never sent me any notice by mail or telephone call or by email advising me my monthly premium was being increased at all. If l had not checked my bank account to find this out, it would have caused some check in to bounce on my checking account. Thank god l spot this to make necessary arrangements. I wish your agency to investigate this practice as not informing the client that they would be increasing the monthly premium in the present 6 month policy time frame. If you need any additional information please let me know. Thank You [redacted]Desired Settlement: I want Virginia Farm Bureau to offer an explanation in relation to this action they took WITHOUT my knowledge and l wish that offer a credit in good will for the inconvenience and hardship they caused especially in relation to my bank account that l need to make an adjustment.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

I received your email notification of 9/21/2014 regarding the personal automobile policy for [redacted].

Attached you will find the billing statement and signed ACH authorization agreement for [redacted] policy.

[redacted] requested an automobile change to his personal auto policy. Virginia Farm Bureau processed this change on 8/7/2014 which produced an additional premium charge of $53.00. The total amount due to the policy at this time was $184.38.

[redacted] policy is set up for monthly ACH drafts to the taken the 19th of every month. His policy is for a term of 6 months. For the policy term in question the draft dates of [redacted] policy were:

4/19/2014

5/19/2014

6/19/2014

7/19/2014

8/19/2014

9/19/2014

On renewal policies, which [redacted] policy is, we begin drafting 1 month prior to the effective date and end one month short. This is how our equity billing plan works.

Because of the 3 day lock in period for ACH drafts plus the 10 day notification period indicated in the ACH authorization agreement, the additional premium was not able to be spread across the 8/19 and 9/19 drafts. It was all grouped into the 9/19 draft, resulting in the $119.69 amount.

In regards to [redacted] indicating he did not receive notification, I have attached a copy of the billing statement sent when the vehicle change was made. It clearly states the amounts and when the remaining drafts will occur. This statement would have been mailed on or about 8/8/2014.

While I empathize with [redacted] having a larger amount drafted from his checking account, I feel Virginia Farm Bureau did what is our standard practice of notifying him of his upcoming drafts and the amounts due.

I am available to discuss this situation in greater detail should the need arise.

Sincerely,

Service Center Manager

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID[redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

Farm Bureau states and reports that they sent me an invoice, l never ever received the invoice they claim they sent me after l made the purchase of my new vehicle on August 7,2014. The ONLY thing l have received from Farm Bureau wa my new insurance ID Cards, that is it, that is the only mailing l received from Farm Bureau since l have had the vehicle. They raised the issue about ACH coming out from my bank account that was never the issue, the issue is they failed to notify me of the increase in premium, by postal mail, by email and by telephone, not once was l notified as they state, only received ID Cards and that is it since August 7, 2014. So l cannot and do not accept there explanation, someone at Farm Bureau dropped the ball. They should take responsibility for failing to get me that invoice to me in my hands. I even had talked to my agent in Purceville, VA and l even asked him what my monthly payments where and he looked in the system and said they have not increased.

So l do not accept there error, they have a responsibility, and they dropped the ball on this one to a consumer.

Regards,

Review: My daughter enrolled in Farm Bureau's Teenage Driver Safety Education Program which gives the enrollee a $1000 savings bond if they maintain a good driving record for a period of five years from the date from the date of the contract. My daughter and I and the insurance agent signed this contract (of which I have a copy of) and she maintained an excellent driving record during this time and has continued to do so. Farm Bureau is refusing to pay her the $1000 savings bond because they say that she signed the contract 3 weeks too early. They have stated that they sent another contract for us to sign when they realized their mistake but we never received one in the mail. My daughter did not find out anything about this until she went to collect her bond when she turned 21. I am registering this complaint as I am a party to this contract and see it as a way for Farm Bureau to avoid paying based on a technicality that they have all admitted was their fault. I am also disturbed that a large company like this would treat a young girl this way when she has honored their request to teach good driving. The contact copy that I have says nothing about her being age inappropriate and even has a check box indicating that she is a student driver. I am only asking that they honor their commitment in spite of their own mistake. Please help.Desired Settlement: to pay the $1000 savings bond due to my daughter who fully performed her end of the contract and who trusted big business to be honorable and do the right thing.

Business

Response:

Dear Ms. [redacted], We have received Mr. [redacted]'s complaint that was filed through your organization. Mr. [redacted] also filed the same complaint through the Virginia Bureau of Insurance. As you may know, the Virginia 801 is the regulatory body that oversees compliance with insurance statutes and regulations. We have responded to the 801. In our letter to the 801, we shared that the insured's daughter was not enrolled In the Teen Driver Safety Education Program. When the Teenage Driver Safety Education Program enrollment form was completed (June 23, 2010), the teen was 6 weeks·shy of her 161h birthday and only held a learner's permit. When the form was received in this office on June 28, 2010 (along with the request to add the teen as a driver), we returned the form to the agent and told him she could not be added· until she was licensed. We also informed the agent that per our standard practice, we were not adding the teen to the policy until she was licensed. Our filed manual rule stated that the operator "must have a valid Virginia driver's license when entering the program ... ". On June 23 , 2010, the teen did not have a valid Virginia driver's license. (Please note that a flied rule means that the rule has been approved by the 801 and must be adhered to .) On December 31, 2010, we discontinued enrollment into the Teenage Driver Safety Education Program. The deadline to enroll was December 31 , 2010. Individuals enrolled in the program prior to the deadline were eligible for the $500 award (the cash value of the $1000 bond). Unfortunately, the teen was not enrolled in the program: - ----111e-teen was notadeled as a ar1ver to the policy unt1rJune 21, 20'~. ------------The insured supplied your firm a copy of the enrollment form. You will note the "temporary provisional with learner's" block is checked. A newly licensed teen driver will receive a temporary provisional license with a learner's when they have held their learner's permit nine months, are at least 16 years and 3 months old, and have completed driver education. This allows them to drive unsupervised until they get their permanent driver's license in court at a licensing ceremony. The earliest possible date the teen could have enrolled (had she been licensed) would have been at age 16 and 3 months (November 3, 2010). When this form was completed, the teen did not qualify for enrollment as she did not have a qualifying driver's license. Sincerely, Sam [redacted], CPCU, AU, CIC Vice President of Underwriting and Policy Services

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.