Complain about a product or service

AIG Homeowners Insurance

John of Marrero LA (05/25/08)
Prior to Hurricane Katrina, I had never had any type of claim with my insurer AIG, and continues until this day. I have been with AIG for over eight years now. My yearly premium for my home was approxamately $1100.00 per calender year. In August of 2005, during the approach of the Hurricane, my wife and I were forced to leave our home for fear of catagory 5 results. We left through no fault of our own, and incurred over $2000.00 worth of expenses for a total of 21 days.

Upon receiving the permission to return to our home, we were happy to see that our home did not sustain any major damage other than a few roof shingles that had blown off, in which we immediately replaced for fear of leakage. However, we had lost all of our refrigerater and freezer foods because of spoilage. When I applied for a claim for my for my expenses, (Approx $2000.00), AIG promply refused to reemburse or offer help in any way whatsoever. The only compensation that I had received was for our lost food items, and that was a small amount that they had paid. I did not realize it at the time, but we had also lost our outside freezer, but I did not have it in my claim.

To make a long story short, AIG has from the year 2006 steadily raised our premiums on our home. Just an example, for the year 2007, they charged my wife and I some $2500.00 from July 1st 2007 until July 1st 2008. Upon just receiving the premium due for July 2008 through July 2009 the premium has went to $4400.00, some $3300.00 rate increase since the year 2005. I feel they are just taking advantage of homeowners in our area.

Suzanne of Horn Lake MS (05/01/08)
I have been a satisfied customer since 1991, until recently. I have paid off several different loans, each over 9,000.00. So in 2004, after a tornado hit my family home, I went to Mary for help. My elderly father had 2 seperate loans with Bankone (19%) and Chase Manhattan (10%). He thought he had homeowners through the mortgage. He did not. Plus, the interest rates were crazy! I went to an old friend, Mary, explained the problem. My family was in the process of selling 2 of our motels, so I was able to pay off Chase (200,000.00)but not Bankone (76,000.00). Our home was paid for in 1987, was used to purchase various businesses and paid off in 1999. I have considered myself a smart business woman over the years.

Well, the deal between AIG and my dad, whom I have POA, was re-fi with her, add what is needed to repair the house, and if a little was left over, use it to pay monthly notes. My dad could still handle that and made him happy, plus our old family home could be saved. It is one of the only homes left on this stretch of Hwy 51. We still had a very comfrontable income, so... fast forward to 2006. My father fell (72), but had paid the notes up until July 2007. He lost his entire estate, except the house. The house notes started to come out monthly on auto-draft, 961.00, a military acct. With any knowledge of how the military works, one should know our people over seas shouldn't have to worry about their mortgage pyts! Plus, if you're high ranking in the military, no bad credit, bounced checks, overdraft charges, or anything of that nature isn't allowed. While underway in Italy, I called to see about getting a deferment in Dec.because being in another country, using euros and such, we were afraid of the mortgage pyt getting messed up. Our truck pyt got screwed up too. I called and Mary was fired, but spoke to Rhonda, whom I taken Christmas presents to. I explained the acct was screwed up and told her why. I offered to take her the letter to make a copy of. I informed her that it should be cleared up soon, so I need to get a differment on Dec. as we had done all of our other debtors. She told me NO PROBLEM. Not to worry about it, that they wished all customers paid as well as I did. To tell him thank you for serving our country. I asked her if there was anything I needed to do and she told me no.

The payment came out anyway and there is the start. In Jan., it came out again with O/D fees, returned check fees, and made all our other bills bounce, causing a snowball effect. I called, furious, Rhonda told me she didn't know I was on auto-draft, she didn't pull my acct while talking to me on the phone, that there was nothing she or I could do. I demanded it back, plus the fees they cost us. Another lady, Michelle, said it wasn't fault, that they would drop the late fees and such and to call the bank and put a stop payment on the exact amount, I could have until the 15th of the month to pay instead of the 5th, but that I had to pay again, the deferment. That is supposed to tack on to the end of the bad loan. I

 asked for a letter from them to forward to our other debtors and his Chief, stating they had made a mistake and drop any O/D charges. Got it, but they are after us for this deferment pyt, and say we owe them 961.00 plus late fees! Anyway, after a letter from the USN, Master Chief stating... the bank accts of many sailors had been incorrect and their automatic deposits delayed due to an error not made by any saiolrs aboard the USS Rooselvelt, to please work them in a curtious and professional matter, as they have been serving our country. Well, it was suffice enough for everyone except American General. My interest rate over 10%, I went to them in a time of need after the storm b/c I knew them and tried to do the right thing by calling them about the mess up. I was in an accident 4 weeks ago and was in the hospital, unresponsive, lucky to be alive. I was out for over a week, then developed pneumonia. But had the money for the house put up and my sister paid it on the 15th.

These people started calling my cell, which my sister found at the crash site. It took her a bit to figure out my password to use the phone. They started calling my home, which family was here b/c of the wreck. That looked bad. Someone finally told them what happened and for a second, they were normal. They kept calling, and this was the local office, who knew me! They had the nerve to rudely tell my sister when and IF I came to, to call them NOW! Not only did we suffer with all those checks bouncing, O/d fees, but the charges made over seas started coming out. That was bad, real bad. They cost us over 1400.00. Plus, he got wrote up for excessive debt. It was their fault, now they want us to pay a mistake they made, after the hell they caused. We started looking to re-fi elsewhere VA loan, better interest rate. THEY knew, they called to remind us of the penalities to payoff. I never told them, how did they do that?

James of Empire AL (04/22/08)
I was fired for bringing attention to the evils of my participation in breaking the 7th amendment to the constitution just by following company rule. I am compelled by my personal ethics to reject forced arbitration because of my knowledge of the word preserve in the 7th amendment of the constitution,as applied to one in control of obtaining the consent.

I have labored in vain it seems to get anyone to respond to my reinstatment request since 2003 May 21. I should not be required to treat clients with a disrespect of inaileable rights to all Americans.

Charles of Huntsville AL (03/07/08)
I had a policy with AIG insurance for $724 that had been set for $246. I was down 1 payment of $71 and a monthly payment for $144. When time to pay, they informed me that I had to pay $247 in two payments for the balance. I told them that was not what we had set up. They said that because my policy had lapsed, that they changed after I got a new policy with them.

I told them that they could cancel because I cannot pay that.

Edward of Santa Fe NM (02/28/08)
During the record snowfall of 2006 in Santa Fe, NM, my home sustained over $5000 of interior damage. My roof failed due to ice dams and over 30" of snow sitting on my roof for over 2 weeks. AIG through Homesite Insurance company, paid for only the interior damage and ignored the condition of my roof. I have filed a follow up claim this year because my damaged roof started to leak again with recent snow storms. Homesite assigned a new person to this case, Mr. Randy Lamp, and he requested a new adjuster to visit my home. The assigged adjuster who works for Eagle Adjusters came out found nothing wrong with my roof. Basically I was swift boated by the Eagle adjuster. I protested, and they decided to send an engineer from Haag Engineering out of Dallas, Texas, to professionally examine my roof. I have not seen the final report yet, but my guess is that this engineer who is being paid by Homesite Insurance is probably going to agree with the Eagle Adjuster and declare my roof stable and that the existing leaks are related to workmanship or possibly maintenance.

I guess this is how the home owners insurance game is played. I suppose hiring a professional engineer who actually lives in the area and understands local building codes may be an option to counter these so called insurance experts. Maybe this is why so many class action suits are filed against large insurance companies. If you read this account, and you still choose AIG or Homesite for your homeowners Insurance carriers, you have been warned! Find a company that still understands responsibility to the consumer and who are actually concerned about the corporations reputation.

The cost to repair my roof ranges from $16,000 on the low end to $47,000 on the high end. If the insurance company (AIG/Homesite) denies my claim, I will have to pay for the entire roof to be replaced.

Cyndi of Sussex NJ (02/19/08)
On Feb. 13, 2008, we had a very bad ice storm in Vernon where I live. As a result of the ice storm, at 5:09 am my power went out, We went into my basement around 2:30 pm, and it was fine; about 3:30 pm my son went into the basement, and we had about 6 inches of water. We called the fire department; they came and hooked our sump pump to a generator, and it pulled all the water out. My husband bought a generator for our house and kept the sump pump working the rest of the evening. Our power was restored at approx 4:30 am Feb 14th. When I called our insurance company, they denied our claim because they said that we did not have sump pump clause (whatever that is). My pump did not fail to operate; this water in our basement was due to a storm. Had the trees not knocked down power lines resulting in us losing our electricity, we would have had no problem. The insurance company is not letting us file a claim..

We had a finished basement with pressed board floors (looks like hard wood). All the floors have buckled up and have to be replaced. We had to buy a generator to help us out. My sons lost a lot of personal items, including one of them losing a bed. I have to replace the floors and doors, and we are worried about the insulation and sheet rock getting mold.

Dora of Las Vegas NV (10/12/07)
An unauthorized electronic withdrawal from AIG Insurance was deducted from my checking account.

This unauthorized withdrawal overdrew my checking account. I am disabled, permanently wheelchair bound, and having to dispute this issue has caused me additional physical, emotional and economic pain.

Samuel of Waggaman LA (12/27/05)
It is a total disgrace what is happening to my family. If it wasn't enough that Hurricane Katrina made her mark on my home, it is equally disturbing if not more that AIG has not given me any assistance. My AIG representative, Mr. Terry N, will not even return any of my phone calls. I have not receive any estimates, needless to say, a check. You pay, and you pay and you pay and finally when you need it, the insurance companies don't. If this is what insurance is all about, I don't ever want it again. IT WILL BE VIEWED AS A WASTE OF MONEY by an enormous amount of people if this kind of treatment of the people who actually keep them in business continues. If deny all claims is the name of the game, then they must realize that most of their clients nationwide for all insurance companies will be denied, then upset, and finally through.

People will start matching stories. AIG's unsatisfied clients are going to talk to Allstate clients, and State Farm clients and going to talk to Farmer's Insurance clients. The stories will be the same; only the companies are going to change. Eventually, people will opt not to get insurance altogether. If I wanted to throw my money away, I could've done it myself on my way from work.

My insurance adjuster has informed me that she was forced to "come down on the price" on my home's estimate because it looked to Mr. N that the pictures to my home does not show the equivalency to the amount of monies requested. Basically, he saying that it is his decision if homeowner's get any support from a company that they have been paying into for years. My estimate now is standing at a little over 16, 000 dollars and they still refuse to pay.

Sarah of New Orleans LA (12/27/05)
I have been in communication with AIG since very shortly after the Hurricanes. I have spoken with and been directed to speak directly with over a half dozen individuals, many of whom have been fired or quit since this began. I recently received a copy of the 'adjustment' which does not include most of the items that have been discussed and that I have been assured by AIG would be paid. They are clearly written in my policy.

I need help and they are not conducting themselves in a professional way, in a timely manner and they are playing games with me, calling my house when I ask to be called on my cell while at work. I consider their behavior immoral and illegal. They are, I can only presume, being paid/instructed not to pay me what I am owed and to wear me down with games and antagonism until I relent out of desperate need for money to fix my house or at least start on repairs.

I have paid for a roof myself with the expectation of being reembursed immediately.  I can't get the right people on the phone.  The person who said they'd send out a separate check for the roof is no longer with AIG and they won't even give me the living expenses for October even though it was agreed that it was covered because of the structural damage, roof damage, ceiling damage, and damage to the gas lines.

I am at the point of desperation and can not deal with the way I am being treated which is totally immoral and as far as I'm concerned liable.

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