ComplaintsforHorace Mann Companies

• Initial Complaint

  02/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Tax Forms: For a number of years, Horace Mann Company has repeatedly sent 1099 tax reports out to me with the wrong State of Residence. I spend hours attempting to have them complete corrected reports each year. This year, they did it again. I called and asked to speak with a supervisor. I was told a I would receive a return call in 1-2 days. After waiting 2 days, I filed a complaint on line with their complaint division. I received an e mail response saying it could be 7 days before it was reviewed. I waited another 2 days and still no response from a supervisor. Now I am writing the BBB because Horace Mann is sending false information to the Federal and State governments and causing me great distress and tax liability in the wrong State. My wish is for Horace Mann to complete an internal investigation to determine the cause of this on-going issue and failure to follow through on promised contact. Take action immediately to remedy this error now and in the future so it is never repeated again.

  Business response

  02/15/2022

  Attached is our response to the complaint submitted by Mr. *******.

  
  We are in receipt of your complaint file dated February 11. We previously received correspondence
  directly from Mr. ******* on February 8, advising Mr. ******* that it is our business practice to respond to
  all complaints within 7 days.
  
  We responded directly to Mr. ******* today, February 14, explaining the cause of the address change on
  our database and the process we are undergoing to make necessary corrections to the address of record
  to ensure we accurately report any required documentation pertaining to his annuity contracts.
  
  If Mr. ******* has any further questions or concerns, we have referred him to call our Contact Center at
  *************

  Customer response

  02/15/2022

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I reported my change of permanent address to the Post Office the Company many years ago. What I am alarmed to learn is that each year since, HM repeatedly ignores Notices of my permanent address and uses its own data base which they can’t figure out how to update, so simply haven’t!
  
  
   I do not understand the need to “manually update” their system.  If the correct address is entered, my withdrawals, 1099’s, etc.  ALL have the same permanent address notated! HM’s internal problems should not be allowed to become mine!
  
  
  Referring me to their Customer Service Representative phone number is nothing more than a stalling mechanism.  They can only refer me on to a Supervisor who they routinely say will call in 1-2 days (not the 7 they claim).
  
  There is no date indicated for resolution.  Completing my taxes have been put on hold due to HM’s repeated yearly errors.  I have been a client for over 40 years now, and feel I deserve better communication and timely responses from the Company when there is a problem.
  

  Business response

  02/16/2022

  We have responded to Mr. ******* in an honest and fair manner explaining how we are attempting to prevent the reoccurrence of his address.   Mr. ******* continues to email the company directly and his messages have been forwarded to the proper management. There is no record of Mr. ******* previously elevating his concerns to Consumer Affairs as a formal complaint.  

  We do hope that the steps we have taken in our manual process will stop further mailing errors for him.

  ********** ****** ******* *** ****** **** *********  

• Initial Complaint

  11/06/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I got a bill and had paid the full $772 charged before the 9/1/2021 due date. The bill only states that it was for auto policy and listed it twice. Based off my conversations with agents and reps, I was led to believe this was the total to maintain auto insurance for for two vehicles and was a 6month premium starting 8/12 plus any prorated amount for the second car I purchased on 7/10/21. They said the insurance is now one price per family, not a per car price. I had said I wanted comprehensive coverage- and they agreed it would be that for both cars. The bill generated 8/12/21. My son was hit by another driver in the additional car on 9/1/21, and we let them know-because the other driver had no license and we were unsure of their insurance. Our agent then informed us that the car was only liability. But that was an error- she found their new computer system booted my car automatically to liability. The agent wanted to fix the issue and changed it back to comprehensive. But then I started getting other bills that nobody could explain. The agent then said she would backdate my insurance and save me money by uninsuring the car after the other insurance company called it a total loss. I decided to cancel all insurance bc of the confusion and lack of confidence in cars being insured. Canceled 10/13/21. I was only refunded $422. This does not compute for a prorated amount of 2 months. There were no itemizations on the bill or refund, so I tried to get an explanation, but none was given. Only that it is the correct amount. I do not know if both my cars were insured- I want my full refund. I believe that should have been about $514 based off prorated math. I am owed an additional $92. Since it was a per family policy not per car, I believe I have calculated correctly. I had paid the prior 6 months. And there is no explanation for the missing funds. I want the $92 refunded asap. Thanks.

  Business response

  11/11/2021

  Dear Sir or Madam:

  
  Our client's auto policy has been reviewed, including all notes, invoices, statements mailed, payment received, and the refund that was issued.
  
  Several changes occurred including a vehicle being added during the prior term at a pro-rated rate, which carried a balance owed when the renewal was produced.    We also added a youthful driver, there were changed in coverage for a vehicle, and a late fee assessed. The policy note history reflects that this information was accurately explained by our Contact Center representatives.
  
  The refund in the amount of $422.00 is accurate. Refund checks are not itemized.
  
  This will bring closure to our complaint file

  Sincerely,

  ****** *******

  The Horace Mann Companies

   

  Customer response

  11/11/2021

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I was told that my coverage would be around $800 for two cars and all the drivers. The additional drivers was not going to make a difference according to ****** ******. The liability or comprehensive also would not make a difference I was told.

  The ONLY change I requested was to add a car and a driver. The car would need one additional month of coverage.

  I was billed at $772 and assumed it was for the two cars plus prorated month because the bill came a month later and listed the auto policy twice. I also received cards for the two cars at the same time. I was not billed separately for the additional car because of the new system HM has to insure per household. I was told twice by my agent that the one additional month was included in the price of $772. The bill was not itemized.

   

  The change of policy occurring after that was HM’s computer system. My agent investigated that and saw the system automatically kicked it off comprehensive. I only became aware of the change when I contacted agent for advice after getting hit by a driver. She also tried to resolve this matter and suggested they uninsure the car to 9/2/21 because it is now under salvage title and cannot cover it except liability anyway. She was not able to clear this up, and I decided to cancel all policies as of 10/13.

   

  NO LATE FEES SHOULD BE ASSESSED. My payments due were on time.

  NO BILLABLE CHANGES WERE MADE BY ME. Please send refund.

   

  Thank you.

  Business response

  11/18/2021

  In response to Ms. ******'s additional comments, the rates we charge for insurance are filed with the state's regulatory authority.   There are a number of factors that determine insurance premiums including the number of drivers, if youthful drivers are in the household and the number of vehicles insured.    A quote is an estimation of premium and not binding.   The statements that were produced accurately reflected the appropriate premium for each vehicle insured.

   

  Sincerely,

  ****** *******

  The Horace Mann Companies

  Customer response

  11/19/2021

  This in regard to complaint #********. Horace Mann replied that they send their pricing to a state regulatory board- what state is that? I live in Minnesota and was insured there. But they have their corporate office in Illinois. 

  I also NEVER saw any itemization of the prices in any bill- so they still have not given adequate information to base their claim that they don’t owe me back money. Can you find out what those numbers are and what the state regulatory information is so I can ask for a release of that information? Shouldn’t a customer be able to fairly know what they are paying for? And none of what they wrote here lines up with what my agent said when I called her at first to get my full refund.

  Business response

  11/19/2021

  In response to Ms. ******'s additional comments, at this time Horace Mann's billing statements are not itemized. We greatly appreciate the feedback we received from clients.   We take comments and suggestions into consideration to continuously improve the quality of service we provide. 

  Sincerely,

  ****** *******

  The Horace Mann Companies

  Customer response

  11/19/2021

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  It is convenient to say a company is not itemizing in a billing statement and then make up a story about how much someone owes or was charged in order to justify a short in a refund. This is not honest, not transparent, not ethical, and I don’t know if it is even legal. So your refund should reflect the amount I paid (prorated of course as specified earlier) which is the amount I agreed to pay for the insurance and therefore is the only amount recorded and on file as having insured my cars and family. Any additional amount that has not been clearly designated or itemized, since it not recorded and was never informed to me can not be subject to be withheld. A lack of transaction can not cause you to withhold money but should confirm that I never agreed to any other price or offer. Please refund the full amount. Also, please inform me the name and contact information of the regulatory agency you report to for my car insurance. 
  

  Thank you.

  Business response

  11/19/2021

  In response to Ms. ******'s additional comments,

  While the billing statements are not itemized, the renewal declaration and each amended declaration that was mailed do include the premium charges.   Ms. ****** may call our Contact Center at ************ to request copies of the declarations. 

  Pertaining to Ms. ******'s insurance, our rates are filed with the state of Minnesota.

  Sincerely,

  ****** *******

  The Horace Mann Companies

  Customer response

  11/22/2021

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Once again- these responses are not fitting to the facts that I paid a certain amount for two cars for a household premium- and that this was to cover two cars. And after this purchase, the computer changed the coverage without my knowledge or consent. My agent was trying to fix this, and at the same time she said she could or wanted to backdate the insurance to uninsure my Dodge because it was now a salvage title- so you cannot cover a salvage title at comprehensive coverage according to your policy. Due to the ambiguity, vague responses, lack of transparency, and ever changing stories coming from Horace Mann, I cancelled all insurance coverage. Again, what I paid was for the two cars- and nothing more can be withheld- nothing more was agreed upon. I am pleading with the company to make the necessary refund to me and change your billing to include itemization. The declarations page that I received is attached. 

• Initial Complaint

  10/23/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  A party claims that my vehicle struck their unoccupied vehicle which was parked illegally in a clearly marked fire lane. There was a simple insurance information exchange made out of courtesy. I closely inspected and photographed my vehicle within a few hours after the alleged incident. I found no markings, no scuffing, etc. that indicated it was involved in an accident. I told my adjuster, ****** *****, that I do not believe my vehicle was involved in the alleged incident. After my vehicle was appraised for damages, ****** ***** stated via email, "We observed white scuffing on the left rear of your truck which is consistent with the damage to the other vehicle which has damage on the left rear". She did not know that I spoken to the appraiser and communicated via text with the appraiser prior to her making that statement. The appraiser informed me that he found no indication my vehicle was involved in an accident. I asked ****** ***** multiple times on separate occasions for the evidence she is relying on to support her statement. She has yet to provide that. Ms. ******* prejudgment of the claim would lead any reasonable person to believe that there is bias, therefore I believe that her demand for a recorded statement is to elicit a response in an attempt to find fault on my behalf. Each time I ask for evidence, I am ignored or reluctantly provided with partial documents. I filed a complaint with Horace Mann's internal complaint department, but I have not been provided with the evidence ****** ***** is using to make her judgement. I did finally receive the appraiser's report which clearly states, "NO DAMAGES FOUND". I believe Horace Mann insurance is attempting to place fault on me for an incident that did not actually occur. I believe that i will be monetarily penalized in the future with higher premiums. I want ****** ***** to either provide me with the evidence she is relying on to support her claim or admit in writing that she lied.

  Business response

  10/25/2021

  To whom it may concern:

  
  Mr. **** requested we provide any written documentation from the appraiser which may contain an explanation or estimate of damages for his vehicle.  We provided the appraisal.  While the appraiser referenced no damage found, an auto loss can occur with only one vehicle sustaining damage.         
  
  The claimant does have an open claim with their own insurance carrier now and it is likely their carrier could file inter-company arbitration if the outcome is a denial of liability.  We want to make certain we have all available evidence to review prior to making the liability decision.  We requested a recorded interview with Mr. **** so we can proceed with our review.          
  
  It is noteworthy that the company has received and responded to messages from Mr. **** directly and also to the Texas Department of Insurance on his behalf, who closed their complaint file without additional concerns being raised and as of this writing have not notified us of a need for further review.

   

  Sincerely,

  ****** *******

  The Horace Mann Companies

  Customer response

  10/25/2021

  On September 17, 2021, Horace Mann claims adjuster, Lesley *****, contacted me via phone and explained that a claim had been filed against me from an alleged incident on 9/11/2021. I informed her that I believe the claim to be fraudulent based on the evidence that I collected on 9/12/2021 at 12:14 AM, shortly after the vehicle arrived back to my home.  I took photos of the vehicle and questioned my minor son, who was driving the vehicle at the time of the alleged incident.  I provided that information to ****** *****.  She said that she would send out an appraiser to take photos of the vehicle and take measurements that could be used to determine if the damage sustained by the other vehicle could plausibly been caused by my vehicle.  My vehicle is a lifted 4x4 Chevrolet ZR2.

  
  On September 21, 2021, at 7:17 AM, ****** *******, the aforementioned appraiser, contacted me by phone and asked for the location of my vehicle so that he could appraise it for damages.  I provided him with directions via text messaging.    See Attached: *******_Text
  

  At 9:08 AM the same day, ****** called me back and asked where the damage was and stated that he could not find any damage, markings, or any indication that the vehicle had been involved in a collision.   

  
  On September 23, 2021, at 10:02 AM, the adjuster, Lesley *****, contacted me via email that “We observed white scuffing on the left rear of your truck which is consistent with the damage to the other vehicle which has damage on the left rear.”
  

  At 10:30 AM the same day, I emailed ****** ***** and asked her to provide me with the photos of the “white scuffing” that you she is referring to.  Then, at 10:45 AM the same day, I contacted ****** via text to confirm that he did not find any evidence of a collision.  He affirmed that to be true stating “That’s right”.  See Attached: *******_Text

  
  I have yet to be provided with the evidence ****** ***** claims to have.

  
  The next communication that I received from Horace Mann was via email from ****** ***** on Monday, September 27, 2021, at 10:03 AM.  That email stated, “At this point, I think it would be best if we arrange a time when we can obtain a recorded statement from your son with you on the phone, as well. Please let me know a good time for you.”

  
  I asked several more times on separate occasions for the evidence in which ****** ***** is basing her statement on.   Each time I am ignored.

  
  On October 3, 2021, ***** ***** sent me 4 PDF photos of my vehicle taken by the appraiser.  I later found that there are at least 30 photos and a written report.

  
  On October 3, 2021, I filed an internal complaint with Horace Mann’s resolution center.
  

  
  Case Manager, ***** **********, replied on October 4, 2021, at 3:25 PM via a secure email message which had attached 30 photos of my vehicle attached that were said to have been taken by the appraiser.

  
  I responded to ***** ********** on October 6, 2021, at 5:08 AM via email.  I expressed my concern that Ms. *****’s prejudgment of the claim would lead any reasonable person to believe that there is bias.  I also asked for the evidence that ****** ***** is basing her statement on concerning the observation of white scuffing.  Additionally, I asked for the appraiser’s report in full.  That same day at 10:44 AM, ***** ********** replied via email with a copy of the appraiser’s written report.  The report that stated, “NO DAMAGES FOUND”.

  
  On October 8, 2021, I filed a complaint with the Texas Department of Insurance (***).

  
  On October 22, 2021, *** responded stating that Horace Mann had requested a recoded statement from my son.  *** indicated that they “do not decide cause of loss or liability or decide if damage occurred”. 

  
  ****** *******, of Horace Mann Companies, stated in her response to you that the *** “closed their complaint file without additional concerns being raised and as of this writing have not notified us of a need for further review.”  That is a false statement as the *** stated that “We have asked the company to contact us upon final resolution of the claim”.  See Attached:  CP_CLOSINGLTR(1)

  Per the information provided by the ***, I submitted a written statement from my minor son via email to ****** ***** on October 12, 2021 at 5:08 AM.  The statement is a true and full account of what occurred the evening of 9/11/2021 to the best of my son’s knowledge. See Attached: Email_Thread_Written Statement

  
  The written statement is my son’s account of what occurred.  He will not waiver from the statement.  If Horace Mann has specific questions they would like to ask, then they have had the opportunity to do so and are welcome to do so.  Considering that neither Lesly ***** or ***** ********** will provide me with the evidence ****** claims to possess in which she claims to have observed white scuffing on my vehicle “consistent with the damage to the other vehicle which has damage on the left rear”, and ****** *****’s prejudgment of the claim would lead any reasonable person to believe that there is bias, I will not allow them to subject my minor son to a fishing expedition. 

  
  Notwithstanding, his statement is:  “While attempting to leave the ***** * ******* in Hobbs, NM, I noticed that an unoccupied car was parked in a marked fire lane behind me.  Because of the way the car was situated, I could not back out straight or by turning my wheels to the right sharply as there was another unoccupied vehicle parked parallel to me on the driver’s side.  On the passenger side was a curb that ran parallel to the parking space I was in.  I made a series of small moves in an effort to get out of the parking space by turning my wheels to the left.  While backing slowly with the wheels turned to the left, my passenger side front tire contacted the curb to the right of the parking space.  I exited the vehicle in order to assess the situation.  A few moments later a lady approached me and said that I hit her car.  She said that she felt like she had to call the police since her car already had damage from a previous accident in the same spot she accused me of hitting.   I waited for the police to arrive.  One officer arrived but had to leave abruptly for what he indicated was a call of a “shooting”.  A while later a second officer arrived, and the lady told him that I backed into her car. He gave us insurance exchange forms and said the damage was not significant enough to her car to warrant any other action.  He did not indicate any damage to my vehicle.  When I got back home around 12:10 AM CST, my dad inspected the pickup.  He said he could not find any markings on it which would indicate that it had been in a collision and asked which part of the pickup allegedly hit her car.  I told him that I do not believe that I hit her car and that by the way I was backing out, the passenger rear would have come closest to her car.”

  
  I did request on numerous, separate, occasions that Horace Mann provide any written documentation from the appraiser which may contain an explanation or estimate of damages for my vehicle.  After several piecemeal responses, I believe that I may have been provided the entire report.  The appraiser referenced no damage found.  I understand that an auto loss can occur with only one vehicle sustaining damage.  However, ****** ***** claims to have observed evidence of white scuffing on my vehicle consistent with the damage to the other vehicle.  All I want is that evidence or an admission that no such evidence exists.
  

  
  

  Business response

  11/03/2021

  ******** ** **** ****** ******** ****** ******* ******* ******** ***** ** ******** *** **** * **********  ******* ** *****

  Complaint ID:		********
  Complainant:		***** ****
  Auto Policy Number:	*********** * **** ********* ********
  Claim Number:		**********
  Date of Loss:		September 11, 2021

  Dear Sir or Madam:      

  Thank you for your letter dated October 26, 2021.  

  The evidence Teachers Insurance Company was relying on in relation to Ms. ****** *****’s September 23, 2021 statement that we observed white scuffing on the left rear of his truck were the photos of the vehicle that were taken of the rear bumper.  Based on our initial review, it was opined that the marks on the bumper may have been scuffing caused by paint transfer.  After reviewing the photos further, we determined the marks could have been dirt or mud.

  We have also received and reviewed the written statement Mr. **** provided of his son’s account of the incident that occurred on September 11, 2021.   As Mr. ****** son stated he didn’t believe he hit the claimant’s vehicle, we are denying liability for this incident.   

  If you have any further questions, please contact me.    

  Sincerely, 

  ***** *********** ***** ***** *** ********** **** ******* *** ******** *** ****** **** ********* **** **** ************ **** ************ **** ************ ***** ******************************

   

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