ComplaintsforAmica Mutual Insurance Company

• Initial Complaint

  11/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Amica refused to correct wrongfully reported information about the reason for my past claim. They have reported on this information and other insurers are trying to cancel my policies because they misreported claim information and refuse to take the action to fix it.

  

  Business response

  11/08/2024

  We have reviewed the complaint submitted to the BBB by our policyholder.  The reported claim information has been updated and we have notified the policyholder accordingly.

• Initial Complaint

  11/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was quoted in writing one price for my bundled home at 5:37 PM on August 7 2023. Within one hour I responded and said I was ready to move forward. The sales *** was very eager to chat on the phone to walk me through the set-up process in order to get the sale but conveniently left out the fact that the rates he quoted me were OLD and NOT VALID ANYMORE. I am a salesperson and consider this to be LYING. LYING by omission is still LYING. When manager called me to try to resolve the issue, I was told nothing could be done because their rates had increased and I signed for the higher rates. ***** is either incompetent (because why does the sales *** even have access to old rates in the system) or liars.

  

  Business response

  11/06/2024

  We are writing in reference to the complaint you filed with the Better Business Bureau.
  
  We appreciate you discussing your concerns with us on November 5, 2024.  As noted, in 2023, you were quoted two different policy types and chose the more comprehensive policy that resulted in a higher premium than the standard policy.  If you wish to make any changes to your policy or coverages moving forward, please let us know.
  
  Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  10/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  My mortgage lender overpaid my annual home insurance premium out of my escrowed impound account by $316 on October 3, 2024. The check for my annual home insurance premium for $2,163 was mailed to Amica on October 3, 2024. Amica claims it was received by them on October 15. The check was negotiated by Amica on October 17, 2024. Since that time, Amica has failed and refused to refund the $316 overpaid by my mortgage lender out of my escrowed mortgage funds. I have called and emailed Amica a number of times to retrieve these funds and have been lied to and told the funds were mailed out to me several times by Amica representatives. This past Sunday morning I received a ***** voicemail from yet another Amica representative stating that the funds would not be going out to me until November 1, 2024 and beyond that, it was up to the post office to get the funds to me. This was a direct contradiction of what I had been told by previous Amica representatives. No reasons have ever been given, and indeed there are no legal reasons, for Amica to stall in the return of my money other than Amica's enjoyment of the use of my money to which it has no legal claim. I am a 74-year-old, disabled cancer patient who lives on Social Security so I must count every ***** to survive. Amica's behavior in this instance--the obfuscation, the lies, the blind bureaucracy--are truly beyond the pale and Amica should be held responsible for its shoddy and disrespectful behavior towards its own insured.

  

  Business response

  10/30/2024

  We are writing in reference to the complaint you filed with the Better Business Bureau. We appreciate you taking our call and understand you wish for us to advise on the matter through this complaint.
  
  Review of your account has revealed ********************** received a payment for your renewal policy, in check form,from your mortgage company on October 15, 2024. Due to a policy change made by you on October 3, 2024, the payment received was more than the total premium. This triggered an overpayment which is to be mailed to you October 30, 2024.Please note it is our practice to place a hold on overpayment refunds to ensure the payment is successfully processed and does not return unpaid for any reason.  
  
  Please rest assured that we had no intention of withholding your funds and apologize if this has caused frustration. We apologize the refund was not more timely and welcome you to contact us if we can offer any further assistance.

  Customer response

  10/30/2024

  The overpayment check made by my mortgage lender was made with my escrowed funds.  The check was negotiated by Amica on October 17, 2024.  Amica enjoyed the use of my funds from October ***************************************************************************************** that they did not belong to Amica.  Amica's representatives repeatedly lied to me in stating that a refund check had in fact already gone out to me.  And then yet another Amica representative contradicted the previous lies and told me a refund was being held until November 1, nearly two weeks longer than it had a right to, to satisfy Amica's unstated and illegal reasons for holding on to funds that didn't belong to it.  This unethical practice is simply legally known as conversion and it is ugly when it is practiced against an insurance company's own insureds.  The remedy to this situation was to overnight those long overdue funds to me.  I received a telephone call from yet another Amica representative telling me he was going to do me a favor and finally release my refund check "early"--on October 30--I told him he needed to overnight that check.  He refused and said he couldn't do that.  What a swell guy.  Amica, because of the BBB complaint, was finally going to release my funds to me two days earlier than it had planned, but Amica was too cheap to overnight the funds to me forcing me to wait another several weeks for the return of my money.

  After reviewing many of the previous complaints made against Amica to the BBB and the Department of Insurance, I am just grateful this dispute was not over a claim.  This is not a good insurance company.  If I weren't 74 and very ill with cancer, I would have fired them when they raised my home insurance premium 40% this year or when it took them three months last year to correctly credit my annual insurance premium to my account.  My mortgage lender paid the annual premium in full and the incompetent accounting department couldn't credit the payment to my account and ended up cancelling my home insurance coverage despite my many phone calls to tell them the premium had been paid in full.  It took a several long conversations with an adult named **** in the ****** office to finally straighten out the mess.  He was the only individual at Amica I have ever communicated with who appeared to be an experienced adult who was able to solve a problem and was able to follow through with an issue.  At Amica there are too many very young, incompetent people (read low-paid and untrained) who don't know what they're doing.  There's no streamlining of the bureaucracy, so you end up talking to ten different people and getting ten different answers.  This is a terrible way to run a business and it offends consumers.

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *******

   

   

  

  Business response

  11/08/2024

  We are writing in reference to the rebuttal you filed with the Better Business Bureau.
  
  We are sorry to hear you feel the way you do, as we strive to provide the best customer service experience to all of our insureds. As we noted when we spoke October 29th and in our initial reply, the return premium check was mailed to you October 30th after ensuring the payment made by your mortgage company, received October 15th, was not returned unpaid for any reason.  
  
  We apologize for not being able to expedite your refund overnight. We're working on ways to enhance our flexibility in the future, including introducing digital refund options to speed up processing times and remove the need for mailing.

  
  If you have not yet received the check or wish to discuss further please contact us. 

  Customer response

  11/12/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by Amica and have determined that although Amica without regard to ethical business practices (its representatives repeatedly lied to me) and its insured's (my) interests in this instance (it withheld funds to which it had no legal right), I did finally receive payment of the $316 in funds Amica withheld from me for approximately three weeks.  The entire series of events has left a sour taste in my mouth for Amica and its merry band of young, untrained and incompetent employees which I will share with everyone I know. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****

• Initial Complaint

  10/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been with Amica Insurance for many years, probably close to a decade. Until they just called me I was not aware that they had increased my rates almost 30% last September with no notification. The company told me that they did not notify me because they were not required to. I feel like I have been robbed, and they will do absolutely nothing to decrease my rate outside of decreasing my coverage. I have had no incidents or accidents in many years, so how they could increase my rates like this without even notifying me is completely unethical. I deserve more than telling me that they didnt notify me because they didnt have to, this is not an okay way to operate business when many of your customers are on autopay. Also, apparently my credit card that was on auto pay has expired so instead of notifying me of this, they decided to send me a policy cancellation notice. I will be disputing my charges with my credit card for this unethical business.

  

  Business response

  10/30/2024

  We are writing in reference to the complaint you filed with the Better Business Bureau.
  
  Thank you for taking the time to discuss your concerns, and bringing this matter to our attention. We apologize for the incorrect information given to you during your call with our representative and the frustration it has caused. As mentioned, the renewal policy included a rate increase notice, and notices were emailed monthly advising of the automatic payment withdrawal amount. We apologize for the inconvenience of the delayed notification regarding the payment declining. We look forward to continuing to serve you and welcome your call with any further questions.
  
  Thank you for discussing. 

• Initial Complaint

  10/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 8-8-23 @ 5:30 am, part of my dens ceiling was on the floor. I phoned Amicas 800#, spoke to CSR ***** *. & was told to file a claim online, & I did. Later that morning, Supervisor **** phoned to apologize; said ***** P should have transferred me to him immediately. ****** ******* emails @ 9:04 advising she is my adjuster. This is how my very 1st Amica Home Repair claim started, & how it progressively got worse. Fast forward to 11-6-23: While in my kitchen, a gecko darted out from damaged area scaring ****** almost fell trying to get away! I phoned Amica; ALE was approved, I moved into hotel reserved by Home Link 11-8-23 & am still at said hotel on 10-14-24. On 8-9-24, @ 10:19 AM; ****** ******** phoned me to renege on his promise on 8-4-24; We are going to take care of youwe have funds to help our insureds for just that purpose when ALE expires. After a 3:19 p.m. urgent email to **** **** (& after 2 previous unanswered phone calls to him), *** **** took turns berating, talking over me and ridiculing my attempts to converse with me in a staccato sequence. I finally managed to ask for his ************* said I am it, I all there is for this region, I then said You are the regional director? He replied There is no one else to talk to. We disconnected; Almost in tears, I called Amica customer service & was given ******** Richardsons phone number. I phoned her & emailed her immediately. She emailed me @ 9:10 AM & said she will call me later that afternoon. When I did not hear from her by 3 PM, I phoned ****************** on ************ advised me to call *.********** & call them back & tell them what was the result. Upon speaking with her, she was an awesome listener, apologized for Shaws actions but told me that if she had my claim initially, she would never have approved ALE and that my repairs should have been completed in 2 months, tops. The ******* of Aging told me to call BBB & file a claim.

  

  Business response

  10/15/2024

  We appreciate the opportunity to address the concerns raised regarding the insureds claim filed with Amica on August 8, 2023. After a thorough review, we confirm that our handling of the claim has been timely and in accordance with our established policies.
  
  Regrettably, our insured has exhausted the limits of her loss of use coverage. Consequently, we are unable to consider any additional living expenses beyond this policy limit. For customer service purposes, we have agreed to absorb the policy deductible for incurred additional living expenses beyond her loss of use coverage.

  Customer response

  10/15/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.] 

  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.

  
  I do not accept the handling of my claim for the following reasons: The response time by the ****************************** has been filled with long drags in between my submission of aid needing Amica's Management approval and Amica's responding to my or the hired contractors (2 of which are from Amica's own web page under ***************** partner Contractor Connection)  The treatment I have received by Amica's ******************* has not consistently represented this message from Amica's CEO; "To deliver on this promise, we hold ourselves and each other to the highest moral standards. We do whats right, operate with the utmost integrity and always take the high road. We ethically fulfill our commitment to our customers by ensuring we offer proper coverage to protect the things they love, and we validate the trust they place in us by exceeding their expectations when they need us most.
  Protecting the important parts of our customers lives is a responsibility we take seriously. You can trust that well listen carefully to you, provide sound advice and recommendations based on your unique needs, and do everything we can to assist you when you need us. This has been the essence of who we are for more than 100 years and it always will be.
  ****** ********** III
  President and Chief Executive Officer 

  My request is that Amica Corporate provide me a detailed, written record of Why it took so long for ******************************** to restore my home to its pre-loss condition, for myself to return to a safe and habitable home, and for me to continue to live my life according to my standards. I want a detailed accounting for all delays caused by Amica's Atlanta Property Claims business process applied to my claim for each day that my ALE was used up & wasted, causing me undue stress and being at their mercy.  I again request that those exhausted ALE funds be restored to my policy so that it can be utilized for my continued inability to return to my home that has been restored to its pre-loss condition.  Also; All Restorations-a Contractor Connection Vendor, has issued a cancellation Twice. And yet Amica has told me that Amica has nothing to do with that company-it is just a 'suggestion' for our customers. This has been said to me by ********, **** and ********** who serve as Supervisor, Manager and Senior Manager.  I look forward to receiving the report that I requested from you.

  Thank you and best regards.

  ********

  FAQ
   

   

   

   

  

  Business response

  10/18/2024

  Thank you for your response posted 10/17/2024.Unfortunately, our position remains unchanged. After a thorough review of our file, we have concluded that the claim was handled appropriately and in accordance with our established policies. The coverage limit for Additional Living Expenses has been reached and we cannot provide further assistance beyond what the policy coverage limit affords. Again, we have agreed to waive the policy deductible due to additional living expenses incurred beyond the loss of use coverage.

• Initial Complaint

  10/14/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I want to report I attempted to obtain a Homeowners Policy quote from a member of their staff in ***************** I want them to know right off the bat she was haughty and indifferent. I advised there may be certain items of confidential information I may not wish to divulge, such as the name of my existing carrier, to which she demanded in a very snippy manner, that they require every question they ask, be answered; or they would not give a quote. When I proceeded to thank her for her time, she had already disconnected me. The company should check the record of my call and then send this employee back to HR customer relations training, or terminate her as this type of behavior is unacceptable to the public wishing to do business with AMICA.

  

  Business response

  10/22/2024

  We are writing about the complaint you filed with the Better Business Bureau.
  
  We are sorry to hear about the experience you received when you contacted us. We reached out and left you a message on 10/18/24. As indicated, we have reviewed the conversation from your initial call and have addressed your concerns with the representative you spoke with.  
  
  Thank you for your feedback and please let us know if we can be if any assistance in the future. 

  Customer response

  10/22/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ** ***

• Initial Complaint

  10/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I disagree on a billing issue. That i been calling about since I had this policy. An they keep telling different things. Mangers are rude when talking to you

  

  Business response

  10/17/2024

  We are writing in reference to the complaint you filed with the Better Business Bureau.

  Thank you for speaking to us on October 15, 2024 and clarifying your concerns.  It is our understanding the issue is with the renewal premium as opposed to a billing issue, as stated in the complaint.  As discussed, there are many factors that go into rating homeowner policies, including the renters/contents policy.
  

  Based on our review of your policy, the renewal premium is correct and the increase is due coverage changes you elected to make, as well as a NC statewide rate increase. If you would like to discuss further or make any changes to your policy coverages or payment plan, please contact us.

  Customer response

  10/17/2024

  Better Business Bureau: I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # 22411456. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  Michael

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  10/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  After dealing with this company, I understand why some folks just get a lawyer and dont even try to talk to them. My child (21) was hit in the side at an intersection by their insured on 8/24. We called to ***ort it and start the process, at which time they said, our insured is ***orting that you hit them. We offered pictures and video of the cars to show it wasnt possible and their claims *** ***** want them. They insisted it was our fault. We paid for the police ***ort and sent it to them to show how the accident occurred, They denied our claim. Not sure how you properly investigate a claim when you dont want any of the evidence. I thought the company would act in an ethical manner and actually truly investigate our claim but they do not.We appealed the decision and they denied again. We obtained dash cam footage from the police car that happened to be at the intersection during the accident that showed their insured was at fault and hit our vehicle in the side. All of this evidence could easily have been collected by their claim *** who clearly was not trying to investigate but rather protect the company. They finally accepted liability on October 7th.For more than 6 weeks my kid hasnt had a car and it has been sitting in our driveway, undrivable.Yesterday they told us the car was totaled (not a surprise) but it was only worth $4509 (2009 ***** Accord) because thats the **** A car you cannot find anywhere for less than $7k. A car my kid owes $5912 on because they bought it like 8 months ago. They also would not cover any of the other concerns, like our alternate transportation for the over 6 week delay, and all the time and money spent gathering evidence to prove fault (police ***orts arent free). What about making us whole? Our kid who did nothing wrong will still owe $1400 on a car they no longer have because someone hit them and this insurance company refuses to act with integrity.This is why people hate insurance companies.

  

  Business response

  10/15/2024

  Thank you for alerting us of your concerns. We responded to information as it was made available for our review. Thank you for your patience. We understand this matter is approaching conclusion. Thank you for working with us to resolve this matter amicably. 

• Initial Complaint

  09/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was the victim of a hit run driver insured by AMICA, I purchased my vehicle in March ******************************************************************** my depreciated value , Amica went from $450-$950 on loss of value. This is unacceptable, my 2020 ********** Jetta has lost a minimum of $1960 value from this wreck , at no fault of mine , it even took two weeks to get the woman's insurance info. Amica Claim ***********

  

  Business response

  09/11/2024

  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. This complaint stems from a disagreement on an offer made for his vehicles diminished value. We are continuing our conversations with this individual in an effort to come to an agreeable resolution.

• Initial Complaint

  08/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Amica refusing to issue homeowners insurance on a 8 year old roof. Demanding an inspection that I must pay for for no reason.

  

  Business response

  09/05/2024

  We are writing in reference to the complaint you filed with the Better Business Bureau.
  
  We understand your concerns regarding the roof inspection request for your home. Please know that we are not refusing to issue coverage for your home. However, given the year of construction, and you have not carried insurance on the home for some time, it is important for us to ensure that the roof and overall structure are in adequate condition before making an offer.
  
  Please give us a call if you wish to discuss this matter further. 

  Customer response

  09/05/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  I'm not responsible for the date the home was built . I sent proof that the roof was replaced in 2017 it's an 8-year-old new roof. I'm being penalized because of the app I am required to use to show them the exterior condition of the house. Plus I have to pay to have a roofing inspection on a roof that doesn't need one.

  The company has inspectors they can send thats all that will be needed is one look at the roof and this objection will be gone.

  I have been very patient trying to work with customer service at ********************** since around the beginning of the year on this.

  The companies should send their own inspector out the customer should not have to pay to get homeowners insurance.
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ******

   

   

  

  Business response

  09/12/2024

  We are writing in reference to your follow up request with the Better Business Bureau.

  
  As communicated, based on initial information obtained during the application process for insuring your home, we determined one of our requirements is a roof inspection. This, and other underwriting requirements are necessary to better understand the risk associated with insuring a property. Amica employees do not conduct home inspections and vendors we use for home inspections do not access, or specialize in, roofs.  
  If you would like to continue the Homeowners application process or have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us. 

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩