ComplaintsforAmerican Family Insurance

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Initial Complaint
05/23/2022
Complaint Type:
Sales and Advertising Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
My American Family insurance covers water mitigation and as a responsible home owner I called a water mitigation company to immediately address a water leak in our house. This company had worked with our insurance and our insurance adjuster before. The company did a thorough job mitigating the water leak and they sent a **** a few weeks later to my insurance adjuster. Water mitigation is completely covered in my policy and therefore the **** should have been paid. I never received any communication from my insurance on this issue until over 2 months later when the mitigation company sent an email to my adjuster saying the payment was late and later fees and interested had been incurred. I emailed this insurance adjuster and asked him why the **** hadn't been paid. He emailed me back saying that they had a company that they are affiliated with determine that almost $4000 of the charges should not be paid by insurance and that the insured (me) should be stuck with the ****. In my policy it does not state ANYWHERE that this company ******* determines what charges are reasonable or not. Water mitigation is covered and we have paid our insurance diligently for 10 years. Our insurance needs to provide a review of the charges by an unbiased company (not a company that benefits from its relationship with American family) with detailed documentation of why the charges are "unreasonable." If they can not do this they need to pay the water mitigation **** in full immediately.
Business response
05/24/2022
May 24, 2022

BBB of *********

RE: Complaint File Name: *****************************:

The attached complaint was received today. It is a company goal to provide the best possible service to consumers. American Family received a complaint directly from the complainant on May 19, 2022. I have asked the appropriate department to research the concerns and respond directly to ***************************** by May 31, 2022.

Sincerely,

***************************
Consumer Affairs Advocate
American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I.
*********************
*************************
Initial Complaint
05/22/2022
Complaint Type:
Service or Repair Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
04/17/2022 - Paid $50.00 annually to add endorsement Agent assured us that by adding addl cov., wed be protected. Our citys newsletter recomm. to ck. if ins. cov. was avail to add for aging infrastructure and damage. 1 wk waiting period for the ins. to take effect, we waited 2 wks before having the insp. performed. Mutual Boiler Re (MBRE), which is the 3rd party to this policy (s.th. that we nor our AMFAM agent were aware of when we added this addl Service Line Endorsement) denied our claim stating that it predates the recently added cov. They claim per the Service Line Coverage END. 0012P (01/21) to qualify for coverage, the following criteria must have been met: a. wear and tear; ************ or other corrosion, decay, deterioration, hidden or latent defect.How do you reconcile the conclusion by MBRE's investigation with the following Q&A excerpts:A plumber scoped my sewer line and found a tree root has almost completely blocked flow. Am I covered with sewer line insurance? Simply put, yes! After paying the deductible, youll be covered up to the policy limit. Without this added coverage, you could be looking at having to pay thousands out-of-pocket. Over time, iron and steel-based sewer lines can oxidize and corrode. Small holes develop and fluid can leak out, further eroding the pipe.If we followed MBREs logic, we would have had to add this policy right after the house was built, which is impossible, because everything ages with time (as clearly stated in AMFAMs quote above). We were never given the full doc of the endorsement for review at any time during this entire process, only a small excerpt that was incl. in the denial letter. Nowhere on AmFams docs does it say that timelines need to apply. We werent aware of an issue with our lines until said insp., we are not sure when the issue occurred nor does AmFam or MBRE. Our adjuster said that AmFam has no further say in this matter and the determination has been made by MBRE.See upload.
Business response
05/27/2022
Response from American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I.
File ********, ******* Smith
*******************
Consumer Affairs Advocate
6000 American Parkway
*******, ** 53783-0001
******************************
*************************
Customer response
05/30/2022
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
You are correct, we do not accept this account of what happened because it simply isnt true. To reiterate, we clearly stated our concerns for adding additional coverage. We, ourselves were not aware of any pre-existing issues when we inquired about the additional coverage.
The inquiry was precipitated by our Citys Newsletter highlighting the possibility of tree root intrusion
The article highlighted the following:

Checking for existing insurance coverage
The availability of adding additional coverage if not covered
Recommendations for scheduling inspection for the latent possibilities of issues
Please reference the following uploaded documents for clarification.

Attachment 1: Reflects newsletter by the City of Maplewood and email correspondence with the agent
Attachment 2: Detailed explanation of our refusal to accept.
Regards,

*************************
Business response
06/09/2022
June 9, 2022

BBB of *********
10019 *****************************************
********* ** 53214

RE: 17238708
Complaint File Name: *************************

We are in receipt of the additional remarks on above-referenced file. The privacy laws require ** to protect the confidentiality of non-public information relating to our consumers and others who rely upon **. Maintaining the confidentiality of this information is important to our company. Therefore, we are unable to send our response directly to you.

It is a company goal to provide the best possible service to consumers. Even though we are unable to reply directly to you, we will respond directly to the customer.

Sincerely,

*********************
Consumer Affairs Advocate
American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I.
*********************
*************************
Customer response
06/16/2022
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

It is obvious at this point, that American Family Insurance has no interest or intention of working towards a solution with us.

We are extremely frustrated that the responses from American Family Insurance have failed to acknowledge or address our concerns. Concerns that have been thoroughly and repeatedly supported by our submission of ample documentation. It is also apparent that none of the responding parties from American Family Corporate have read or fleshed out the details either.

Nonetheless, we remain steadfast that our objectives were communicated clearly to our agent from the very beginning of our inquiry into the prospect of purchasing a policy for additional Service Linecoverage.

During the phone conversation on May 20th 2022, our agent admitted, he had not read the newsletter that we attached to our initial email. He did not fully understand our objectives or know that MBRE was involved.

To reiterate, the agents failure to review and thoroughly understand our needs, before assuring and selling us an additional coverage was not our fault.

I guess we were naive, expecting the agent to acknowledge and take ownership of his mistakes that he made regarding this matter. Its obvious at this point that this has been a misunderstanding or miscommunication, perhaps on both sides. All that we ask for at this point is for American Family to admit that their information is ambiguous, misleading and untruthful.

It has been extremely aggravating for us to have painstakingly collected numerous details and submitted them only for them to be ignored. At no time during the response process have they acknowledged or addressed any of the discrepancies of their public information provided on their website. The *** section on the website clearly addresses our situation and does not show any stipulation regarding a timeline.

All the agent needed to do was effectively listen to and comprehend our stated objectives. Our objectives were based on the presented article in our citys newsletter. The agent should have simply familiarized himself with the facts before assuring and selling us an additional policy, that was basically worthless.

It is a matter of principle at this point and we want to have it known and recorded that American Familys advertising and details surrounding the Service Line protection policy on their website and other sales-related literature is unclear, misleading and deceptive.

Again, we were not trying to get something for nothing, thats why we asked about an official waiting period before we proceeded to have an inspection of our sewer line. Our goal was to be proactive and intercept a far more catastrophic event.

We had no idea what that inspection would uncover and the ruling by MBRE has a loophole that will always work in their favor, because they cite a timeline thats ambiguous at best and is nowhere to be found on the American Family website.
Because no matter when anyone applies for this additional coverage, they can always fall back on the excuse that tree root infiltration predated the additional coverage!

It is frustrating to have our intelligence repeatedly insulted by responses that havent addressed any of the issues mentioned in our previous correspondence.

Regards,

*************************
Business response
06/20/2022
June 20, 2022

BBB of *********
10019 *****************************************
********* ** 53214

RE: 17238708
Complaint File Name: *************************

We are in receipt of the additional remarks on the above referenced file. Privacy laws require ** to protect the confidentiality of non-public information relating to our consumers and others who rely upon **. Maintaining the confidentiality of this information is important to our company. Therefore, we are unable to send our response directly to you.

Even though we are unable to reply directly to you, I have asked the appropriate department to research the concerns and respond directly to *************************.

Respectfully,

*******************
Consumer Affairs Advocate
American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I.
*********************
*************************
Initial Complaint
05/13/2022
Complaint Type:
Customer Service Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
I was rear ended by a customer of ********************************************* ins In November 2021. The adjuster for this claim is ***************************************. The body shop and ******* has been emailing each other for months about this claim. ******* is refusing to pay what is owed to the body shop. ******* told me in Feb 2022 that I needed to negotiate the claim with the body shop because he was unable to handle it. I informed ******* this is out of my scope of practice I have no training to handle a claim. I told ******* that this is costing American Family more money with the rental car I have had for 6 months. Then the body shop will start charging storage fees every day that its not paid. American Family has until May 16 to get this body shop paid and get my vehicle back. Claim number *************
Business response
05/17/2022
Good afternoon,

Attached is the company's response to the complaint filed by *******************************.

Sincerely,
***************************
Consumer Affairs Advocate
*************************
Customer response
05/19/2022
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[Please type your response here.] I have attached all emails from them.
Dear *************************,

The vehicle was picked up from my home on December 2, 2021, not December 6, 2021. The vehicle was not driver able, and the body shop picked up the vehicle.
We called Land Rover to see where to take the vehicle. ****** was the only body shop in **** that is licensed to repair Land Rovers

I have attached all the emails back and forth.

American Family wanted K-ceps to repair my vehicle with used parts. ****** explained that their agreement with Land rover ****** clear that the use of aftermarket parts is PROHIBITED.

To fix the vehicles to pre-loss condition is not using aftermarket parts. My vehicle did not have aftermarket parts on it.

American Family is trying to cut corners by using aftermarket parts.
Is aftermarket parts exactly the same as OEM parts? No, they are not. So by using these less expensive parts, is the shop really restoring my vehicle to the pre-loss condition? No, they are not.

In order to maintain the highest standards, Jaguar Land Rover Does NOT approve of use of aftermarket or third-party replacements parts. Jaguar Land Rover cannot guarantee the safety, quality, compatibility, or durability of recycled parts as there are no standards in place for testing these. In addition, salvaged components are not traceable should a recall occur in the future. Each part plays a role in the overall operation of the vehicle and it is optimized for fit, function, safety, and structural integrity.

By doing this Jaguar Land Rover will void any warranty to the vehicle.

****** has emailed you all the documents that you requested.

Regards,

*******************************
Initial Complaint
05/10/2022
Complaint Type:
Service or Repair Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
We have had the worst experience with American Family Insurance. Their insured, ***************************, ran a stop sign and t-boned my wife and I's vehicle while we were inside. (We share a car and both of us are on it financially/insurance-wise.) Their driver not only admitted fault, but also was ticketed for failure to yield at a stop sign. We filed a claim with AFI and were supposed to get a call back from their adjuster, *************************. She was completely condescending and never available to answer our calls. (Always received Out of Office responses/replies) Not only that, she would seldom answer our calls and took anywhere from 2-7 days to return calls/requests regarding our rental, car repairs, settlement, etc. We originally wanted the car to be fixed at ****** Collision, but couldn't get in until May 13th or later, so we opted to go with a different repair shop. The repair shop also had extreme difficulty getting ahold of the adjuster after numerous failed attempts to get in contact with them. Without contacting/confirming with us, **** sent us a letter AND check for the OLD ESTIMATE FROM THE COMPANY WE DIDNT EVEN GO THROUGH stating that we were being paid a check because we "refused repairs" which was a complete and utter lie. Not only that, after numerous call center reps confirmed we had our settlement check for pain & suffering as well as work missed, **** called back DAYS later to confirm they would not be settling and that repairs would suffice. Wrong. Your insured hit our car, injuring my wife and I (ambulance was called), leaving us both without a vehicle, causing me to miss work because your adjuster refused to have both my wife and I put on the rental car. I want this resolved under mutual conditions prior to us going through arbitration, instead of thrown to the side by your inadequate and quite frankly lousy adjuster that decides to send letters stating that we agreed to terms that we NEVER agreed to.
Business response
05/16/2022
Good Morning,

Please see the attached response for the above-referenced complaint.

Thank you,
Consumer Affairs
Initial Complaint
04/27/2022
Complaint Type:
Sales and Advertising Issues
Status:
Resolved
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
ON 4/1/2022 I called american family insurance to start a new policy. the agent did not disclose nor tell me that I did not qualify for american family but sold me policy for the general insurance. I had two interactions with the agent "Lexy" and she did not tell me on the first call that I did not qualify for a policy with AMFAM. I called for a quote on a 2013 ****** sentra and she gave me price which I was happy with. So I told her I would call back when I got to the car lot and if I decided to buy the ****** i would like to purchase the policy she quoted me for. I bought the car called american family back at ************** and she congratulated me and I asked to have her send me the policy documents. The email came from american family from Lexy but had the general insurance policy documents enclosed. I called back a few days later to complain because I thought I had a policy with american family and the supervisor chase said he would investigate and get back to me. I had told him that had I been aware I did not qualify for american family i would not have agreed to accept the general insurance. He did investigate and did send me an email admitting that information was not disclosed to me during the 2 interactions I had with the agent. I was not given the choice to decline the general insurance and she took my debit card information over the phone. I have no idea how one insurance company can take money from someone and give it to another company and purchase a policy for that person that is completely unaware of the situation. I asked "chase" the supervisor I had spoken to and asked if a consumer does not qualify for American Family if they have to disclose that or not and he said yes. I have attatched the email from american family with that had the general policy documents that was attatched and the email from Chase admitting that it was not disclosed during the interactions I had.
Business response
04/28/2022
April 28, 2022

BBB of *********

RE: Complaint File Name: *******************************:

The attached complaint was received today. The privacy laws require us to protect the confidentiality of non-public information relating to our consumers and others who rely upon us. Maintaining the confidentiality of this information is important to our company. Therefore, we are unable to send our response directly to you.

It is a company goal to provide the best possible service to consumers. Even though we are unable to reply directly to you, I have asked the appropriate department to research the concerns and respond directly to ******************************* by May 9, 2022.

Sincerely,

***************************
Consumer Affairs Advocate
American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I.
*********************
*************************
Customer response
04/28/2022
[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 made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

*******************************
Initial Complaint
04/25/2022
Complaint Type:
Sales and Advertising Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
In December of 2021 we opened a claim with American Family Insurance to replace our roof that had been damaged by wind. Our roof is only 12 years old, has over 150 damaged shingles. All of the neighbors in our neighborhood has had their roof replaced. The adjuster sent somebody to look at our roof, and he used a drone. A large portion of the damage is under a tarp. He would not remove the tarp to look at the damage. The company only wanted to pay us ****** after a ******** deductable only to repair our roof. This amount would not even cover the ruined insulation, drywall, texture and painting needed to repair the damage a leak caused inside of our home. Our agent ********************* said that it is above his level to take care of us. Our adjuster is impossible to get a hold of and ******* with customer service in ********* will not return our calls.
Business response
05/04/2022
Dear *************************:
Please see the attached response to this complaint.
Sincerely,
*****************************, Consumer Affairs Advocate
Initial Complaint
04/15/2022
Complaint Type:
Service or Repair Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
American Family refused to pay for my car scratches repair/fix that one of their insured person admitted to putting damage on my vehicle on December 19, ***** around @5pm. Claim #*************. I have black ******** **** and my car was right after a full detailing and in a great spotless condition. At the Frys parking lot the lady ( extremely intoxicated/alcohol, with a lot of bruises around her eyes) she parked her car extremely close to mine, about ***** inches, hit my car really badly by her driver door. Ive called the police but they said its a private property and its between me and the driver who damaged my car. The lady admitted to me that she was at fault and provided with her driver ID and ********************** card information. When I contacted and filed the claim with American Family Insurance, I talked to ******************************* ( claim adjuster). Upon her request for the investigation, Ive provided all requested information, pictures, Frys address and phone number, as well as my police call records phone numbers. Frys has the video of the accident but I wasnt able to get it. After 4 weeks I got a following up call and ********* G stated that she is still investigating and havent talked yet to their insured person, who did the damage. On February 12 2022 I got the letter from ******************************* where she said that based on the facts and negligence laws of the state of loss, they have determined no payment is owed to fix the damage Its very sad and bad because the intoxicated driver could be very dangerous!!! Not only for herself but for others. Basically the company and ********************** are not care who and what conditions the insured person drives and even more: they are completely supporting and covering the insured person who drives when she shouldnt! She hit my car but she could hit & kill people ! It must be stopped!!!..
Business response
04/22/2022
Good afternoon,

Attached is the company's response to the complaint filed for 17048084.

Sincerely,
***************************
Consumer Affairs Advocate
*************************
Initial Complaint
04/12/2022
Complaint Type:
Customer Service Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
In April between ***** of month a storm came through and damaged my front and back porch. I needed repair on the roof, doors and windows. Contacted American Family Insurance agent *********************** and ******************************* but got no settlement or anything from either one of them.
Business response
04/13/2022
April 13, 2022

Better Business Bureau

RE: Complaint File Name: *************************:

The above-referenced complaint/inquiry was received today. The privacy laws require us to protect the confidentiality of non-public information relating to our consumers and others who rely upon us. Maintaining the confidentiality of this information is important to our company. Therefore, we are unable to send our response directly to you.

It is a company goal to provide the best possible service to consumers. Even though we are unable to reply directly to you, I have asked the appropriate department to research the concerns and respond directly to the customer as soon as possible, but no later than April 27, 2022.

Sincerely,

*****************************
Consumer Affairs Advocate
American Family Brokerage, Inc
*********************
*************************
Initial Complaint
04/07/2022
Complaint Type:
Service or Repair Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
I have a claim with American family insurance because one of there insured driver ran into my car and was deemed his fault. I did not receive any compensation for my pain and suffering time out of work and time spent dealing with this situation. The shop that this insurance company sent me to did not fix all the damage done to my vehicle. So I told the adjuster working on my claim and she told me to bring the car back to the shop so they can fix the repairs that they did not do the first time that was caused from the accident. Now the shop is making me pay $200 to get my car back and they did not fix the problems. Now the insurance company is saying they are not paying for the damages or the $200 fee to get my car back. I honestly dont know what to do at this point so Im here trying to see what can be done about this.
Business response
04/13/2022
4-12-22: Response from American Family Insurance Company regarding complaint filed by *******************
Initial Complaint
04/05/2022
Complaint Type:
Service or Repair Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
I would like to file a complaint against American Family Insurance. Ive had my auto policy with them since I moved back to ******** in 2016. For six years I have paid them just shy of $100 a month on my auto policy alone (Ive also had my home insurance with them). In July, 2021 my parked car, was hit by a shopping cart. No one was in the car, no other car was involved and yet they are saying it is a collision therefore my $500 comprehensive deductible was not valid but my collision deductible of $1000 was. I requested, 5 times, a letter of explanation for denial. I sit here today, never having received a letter that plainly states the true reason for denial. The letter they provide only states that the claim is less than the $1000 deductible. They wouldnt put in writing the sneaky deceitful way that they have found a way around making payment! Which is, again, them calling it a collision. As cut and pasted from another insurance providers site, the below definitions are being grossly ignored. Ive been encouraged to contact you by an individual who works at another insurance provider. She clearly agreed with the below definitions and encouraging me to reach out to you and the ******** Department of Insurance. Comprehensive insurance covers damage from non-collision incidents.Collision insurance only covers accident-related damage. I would truly appreciate any help you can offer. My insurance didnt change my agent did and obviously my new agent from American Family, ******** Insurance Group has no issues stealing from someone. I paid for a service with an expectation that they would have the integrity to stand behind their commitment. They owe me $406.91. Again, any help would be appreciated.
Business response
04/12/2022
Please see the attached response to the above-referenced complaint.

Thank you,
Consumer Affairs
American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I.
Customer response
04/12/2022
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

For just over $400, American Family Insurance has lost my business. Almost $20,000 for the past five years was paid to them. They want to call most all claims a "collision", I never had that given to me in writing when I purchased the policy. I also didn't see that happen in 2017 when flying tire tread hit my car...it was called comprehensive at that time. When did they change that and why wasn't I given written notice? American Family is a thief and ridiculously inept...they've saved $400 and lost my $600 (for six months) auto renewal and my $1700+ (yearly) home renewal. They owe me $406.91.
I encourage them to keep it up, they'll end up with much less than their current 6% market share and have no one to blame but themselves!

Pitiful!

Regards,

***************************
Business response
04/14/2022
Please see the attached response.

Thank you,
Consumer Affairs
American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I.

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