The Consumer Complaints Blog

I have been in the military for 18 years and contributing to the health plan that the military has for dependants for 14 years. I have 80% coverage and always paid on time (not much choice as the DND takes the money out of your account before you even see it).

After 18 years I was offered a job at a major bank so I accepted and they have a pretty good benefits package so I figured I would take what they paid for which was 30% (nothing out of pocket). This insurance company SUNLIFE is the same as the military goes with and I must say that they are ignorant baffoons.

The first problem I ran into was when I tried to get my daughter some medication at the pharmacy. I went to pay the pharmacist and I informed her that I have two insurance plans and they are both from the same company SUNLIFE for which I should have 100% coverage, she asked who my present employer is as they must be the first to claim and guess what it comes back that the military has to be the first as SUNLIFE has input the wrong employer as the first one to make the claim, so she tries to input the same medication on my military plan first.

Well you can guess what happened – SUNLIFE has this one set up as the second one to claim so I pay out of pocket for this plan and tell her I will sort it out on by a phone call in the morning.

I call sunlife the next morning and they ask which plan I am trying to call about so I tell them both the bank and the military. They proceed to tell me that they can only handle the bank plan as the military is 2 or 3 doors down from them (2 or 3 doors not blocks or buildings but doors 100 feet away) so I ask her to make sure that the bank is my primary benefits provider so when the pharmacist inputs the medication that it will always go to the banks plan first then what every is left owing the military plan will pick up.

I thought this would have sorted everything out but guess what – nothing changed. The next time I had some medication at the pharmacy, I had to pay again but this time the pharmacist called and they told her that everything would be set up for the next time and that I should send in the receipts again and they will process it.

Well guess what, it happened again but this time they sent back a nice letter stating that I had to send it to the other door down the hall (can they not walk 100feet) and they did not send back the receipts so I had to call yet again. This time, they told me they need to get a manager as the receipts got put into another area (I suspect they moved 200 feet away to another department) well finally after I got sent the receipts (4weeks) I sent them into my other provider which is still the same company SUNLIFE and guess what – they tell me I am not covered for that part of my claim but that the other department (100feet away) will cover me for upto 30%. I ask if they can just walk the 100 feet and hand it to the department but they inform me they cant (why is 100 feet too far? You would think that working for an insurance company they would be somewhat physically fit or at least able to walk 100 feet). So I get them back in the mail and send it in again this time to the right department and low and behold they actually pay me for my claim 30%.

So, even though I have coverage for 100% I am only covered for 30%. Ok. I know what you are thinking. The military has set up their own contract with them and the bank set up their own with the same company SUNLIFE so they cover different medication and prescriptions and I agree, but I have set it up with my employer that I have dual coverage with SUNLIFE and I filled out all the proper paperwork so I would not have to go thru this but I am still fighting with them today. If they are the exact same company (listed on the TSX) why can they not punch it into their big computers and figure out that I have two coverages with them. I sent a nice letter to the company stating that it is nearly impossible to make a claim thru them (I was very diplomatic and did not swear or anything) they would not even send me a reply. I actually talked to someone who works for the company in the claims department and he mentioned they try to make it confusing so poor shmucks like me just give up. I am almost to the point where I am giving up, I can fight the Taliban, or in Croatia and never give up but try to fight the insurance companies for money that is rightfully mine will take a coalition of all allies to beat that one.

thanks
Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.

At the end of December, we received an update on this complaint. Here’s the update:
I received a bill from Enbridge this morning. It would seem that this matter has not been resolved despite promises from both Enbridge, Direct Energy and the energy Obudsman.

In June of this year we sold our house and purchased a new home. Unfortunately our new home would not be ready until October. Due to the delay we had to rent an apartment and were unable to transfer any of the companies with which we were dealing to represent us in our new home. I contacted all of the companies (hydro, gas, banks) and explained the situation. In July I received a final bill from Enbridge. Aside from the usual charges we were charged an additional 383.53 as cancellation charges. These charges pertained to our Home heating and cooling protection plan.

I called the company and tried to speak to a representative about the charges. I was told to call Direct Energy as they handle all of the billing for Enbridge. I then called Direct Energy and spoke to a representative. I explained the situation and the rep. Elizabeth agreed that we were billed in error (the amount represented the remaining charges as we were not going to keep the heating and cooling plan for a year). The representative agreed that we had been paying the monthly fee for 10 years, and rarely used the plan. Elizabeth also agreed that we should not be committed to paying fees for a service we would not be using and that nowhere in our agreement did it state that should we cancel that we had to pay a for a year in advance. Elizabeth gave be a PR # TEMINO and told me that we would be credited the $387.53 on our next bill in August.

In August I was surprised to see that our account was not credited. I called Direct Energy, explained the situation to Amanda an executive officer. She checked our file, agreed that a mistake had been made and re-assured me that Direct Energy would contact Enbridge and that the amount would be credited to that account.

In September I received a letter from Enbridge saying that our account was passed due and that our names would be sent to a collection agency. I tried once again to explain the situation to the Enbridge rep. Pashoy employee # 660059 who in turn told me that there was nothing they could do that the information had to come from Direct Energy. I then called Direct Energy and spoke to Amanda Ross, another executive officer. I again explained our situation, was told once again that our account would be credited and that the credit would be reflected on our November account. Imagine my surprise when I opened the bill from Enbridges saying this is a final notice, and that our name would be place in collection if the bill was not paid. We now owe $411.57 because of additional interest charges for late payment.

I called and spoke to Donavan employee # 32585. I again explained the situation to Donavan. Donavan in turn told me ‘not to worry that if our name was place in collection that they -Direct Energy’ would do everything possible to help! I was not happy with his answer. Dovan assured me that he would look in to the matter and call me back within 24 hours. It has been 24 hours and I have not heard from Donovan nor any other representative from Direct Energy.

In the end I am absolutely disgusted with the treatment we have received at the hands of both Direct Energy and Enbridge. It would appear that there is no longer any such thing as ‘customer service’. It would seem that being very good customers for 10 years holds absolutely no significance to either company.

What can I do?

Where do you go from here.


Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.

This is my recent experience with Capital One MasterCard (Canada).

My step father recently passed away so my mother and I were trying to close the above account. We spoke to a CapitalOne (CO) agent and was told that we should receive some paperwork in the mail within 1 week for my mother to fill out and death certificate to provide). That was 2.5 weeks ago and nothing in the mail from CO.

My mother called CO’s customer service to inquire. She ended up being passed around from agent to agent 5 times with each one promising to transfer her to an agent who can assist her. Among the excuses are: this is the US department so we’ll need to transfer you to the Canadian dept, we can’t access your account, you need to speak to an account specialist. The last transfer was eventually dropped and my mother was exactly where she started…dialing their phone number.

She informed me what happened so I decided to call on her behalf last night to help her out. To my disbelief, I went through the exact same frustrating pass-the-buck experience! Asking for the manager or supervisor yielded no result. I even spoke to the same agent twice and was promptly ‘transferred’ when I asked to speak to his manager.

So I made another attempt this morning hoping that I would be able to quickly resolve this issue. That was wishful thinking on my part. This time, I spoke to 6 CO agents and 1 supervisor, given 3 different phone numbers (supposedly to the correct department) and I’m still exactly where I started…except my patience has run out, my blood pressure is at boiling point and just plain furious!

I sincerely hope that this experience will dissuade all future customers from signing up with CO MasterCard until they get their act together. Until then, I will be spreading the word!


Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.

I would like the following posted on your website to help other citizens beware of Direct Energy scams.

Beginning August of this year, out of the blue, I began receiving charges on my Enbridge gas bill from Direct Energy for an assumed “hot water tank rental”. I contacted Direct Energy immediately noting this sudden billing item, that I had not received these charges in the past and that I do not “rent” my hot water tank as I purchased it from a store and therefore own it. It does not belong to Direct Energy.

After speaking to at least 3 customer service representatives, and manager (Rebecca) I was assured that their records showed that I returned a rented hot water tank back in 2003 and they weren’t able to comprehend why these charges were now appearing on my bill. Apparently – some computer glitch.

It has now been 4 months and I continue to get charges from Direct Energy on my gas bill. With receipt of every bill, I must contact Direct Energy to have the amount credited and every staff and manager I speak to assures me that they will correct the problem and it will be fixed within a few weeks!

It’s been about 16 weeks since this problem started and as someone who has not even asked to be a consumer of this good – a hot water tank rental – I am left with no recourse but to call every month for something I do not have and have not requested. Absolute absurdity as to how this can even happen!

Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.

And so, my parents have been long time Roger’s Cable customers … easily 30yrs+, and they’d been in the habit to pre-paid the full year of cable services. Two years ago they finally decided to try Roger’s home phone and start paying for services month-to-month. My mom is really ‘old school’, she receives a bill/statement she’ll review it and pay it the same day, it is a rare thing for her to be late to pay a bill.

This month, probably the first time ever, my mom paid the Roger’s bill late. The payment was due on the 16th.., Roger’s or their collection department has called her daily since the 20th, not less than twice a day and some of the agents, beyond just being rough, have said they ‘will continue to call everyday until the past-due amount is paid!!!’ On the worst day of calling they called 4 times. They did not take into account mom’s 30 yrs+ of excellent pre-payment history!!!

Today we’ve sent out payment for the December statement and will be calling Bell tomorrow. Mom is so irrate she does NOT care if she has to pay more to get the same services she was getting from Rogers.

Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.