Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  01/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Unresponsive Service sand Concerning Reputation I am writing to express my frustration with the unresponsiveness of my agent, regarding crucial policy inquiries. Despite multiple attempts to contact her about surrendering my policy and withdrawing cash value, I have received no response.It's not a surprise that I have discovered that New York Life Insurance is not credited by the BBB and has a troubling reputation with very low 1-star reviews. This has eroded my trust in your services.Given these issues, I have initiated a small claim in court to address the lack of response and the company's questionable reputation. I insist on immediate attention to my policy concerns for a swift resolution.Sincerely,

  Business response

  01/30/2024

  Good evening,

  The response to the inquiry is attached.

  Sincerely,

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

• Initial Complaint

  11/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I filed an insurance claim under inability to work due to medical conditions. I have doctors that told me not to work. The insurance agent said i wasnt disabled enough.

  Business response

  12/04/2023

  Thank you for your letter dated November 22, 2023, to former Corporate Vice President,******************* on the above referenced complaint. This communication has been referred to me for review and response. Thank you for your patience while this matter was reviewed.
  

  Please know that we have reviewed the concerns raised by ************************ and have responded to our customer directly to address this matter. After a review of medical records, we are unable to approve total disability at this time, but we are open to a second review if we receive additional records that support total disability, which are outlined in the letter we sent to *************************
  I trust this information is helpful in your investigation. Please let us know if any additional information is needed.
  On behalf of New York Life,
  
  ************************;                                               
  Senior Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  11/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have had this insurance since 2021. My agents switched during this period. The current agent i had i informed of canceling due to not affording it anymore. I sent in my cancellation notice stating to cancel my policy, affected immediately. Per her instructions on Friday 11/10 at 1pm and i emailed her the notice. I requested to stop automatic payment online when she never replied to my notice. I also texted her Monday to follow up. Finally texted after i pleaded of not having the money. Said to call customer support. I did and they ensured me the payment stoped but if the chance it did go though to call for a refund. I called since the payment left me overdrafted and they changed their story and said i have to wait for the surrender to go through since the agent had just submitted it on 11/13! Both payments went through leaving me overdrafted almost $400 and in this economy? Horrible experience! I want this corrected!

  Business response

  11/28/2023

  Dear **********************,
  

  We have reviewed the concerns raised by ***************************** in her filing with your office regarding the above referenced life insurance policies.

  ************ advised that she requested the cancellation of policies ******** and ******** as of 11/10/2023 however, her agent failed to submit her surrender request until 11/13/2023. She noted that due to this delay, her bank account incurred an overdraft charge once additional premiums were drafted from her account. The client is requesting for the surrenders to be processed as of 11/10/2023 and has requested a refund for the premiums that were drafted after 11/10/2023 and to be reimbursed for the additional charges incurred.
  

  Policies ******** & ********
  

  Our records reflect that ************ contacted Agent ************************* on 11/1/2023 and inquired about placing the above referenced policies on hold or cancelling coverage. ************ was then advised that the policies in question are term insurance products, and we would not be able to honor her request to place the policies on pause. ************ was further advised if she were unable to continue the current premiums, she could lower the current policy death benefit, or she could discontinue the insurance.
  

  At that time ************ appeared to be more interested in discontinuing policies ******** and ******** and was advised in order to process her cancellation request, a written request was required with her signature. It was noted that ***************************** sent Agent ****** her cancellation letter via email and text message on Friday 11/10/2023. Agent ****** then moved forward on Monday 11/13/2023 and submitted ************** request for cancellation/surrender. ************ then contacted Agent ****** on 11/13/2023 requesting the turnaround time for her request to be processed as she has recently become unemployed and did not have the funds to pay the required premium payments.
  

  Agent ****** stated that after reviewing the policy information for policies ******** and ********, the policy dates were 10/15/2021 for policy number ******** and 11/14/2021 for policy number ********. Agent ******* advised once it was realized that the policies premium due dates were within the next 2 days, she immediately responded to ************ recommending that ************ contact New York Life customer support line and ask them to stop payment and remove the policies in question from the auto draft feature. Agent ****** advised ************ that her request to remove the automatic payment feature *** not take effect immediately as it was close to the premium date. She also advised her that she could contact her bank and request that they stop the payment to
  New York Life.
  

  On the night of Tuesday 11/14/2023, Agent ****** then received a message from ************ who was upset that the premium payments were processed, and she incurred an overdraft charge. Agent ****** noted that on 11/15/2023, she contacted New York Life customer service, and she requested the refund for ************ for the most current premium payments that were drafted. ************ was further advised to provide Agent ****** a copy of her bank statement that reflected the additional charges associated with her life insurance premiums being withdrawn and she will submit it to New York Life for further review.
  

  Our records reflect that policies ******** ($74.54) and ******** ($105.06) were canceled as of 11/10/2023 and the November 2023 premiums were refunded in the amount of $179.60. If ************ submits a copy of her bank statement reflecting the overdraft charges incurred due to the November premium payments being drafted subsequent to her request to cancel the policies, New York Life will review for reimbursement consideration.
  

  We trust that the information in this letter is responsive to your request. Should you have any additional questions or would like to further discuss this matter, please feel free to contact me directly at **************.

  
  Sincerely,
  ********************************************
  Corporate Compliance Department

  Customer response

  11/29/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   Thank you for the breakdown of what happened. It took ****** over 3 days to acknowledge my cancellation notice. I even emailed it to her because i was used to her taking days to respond to any of my concerns. Concerns as small as asking how to change my beneficiary, took ***************** 4 days to reply. ***************** would have never replied or even acknowledge my cancellation notice on time if I, myself would have never texted her following up on my email and text. It was 10:29 am on Monday when i followed up after not hearing from her since Friday at 1:27pm, both during business hours. Now i have received your letter stating how my cancelation to my policy is confirmed. That letter is dated 11/20/2023 but the email i attached reminding me of my upcoming bill in December is dated 11/21/2023. Which makes no sense and confirms how your company is horrible to its consumers. I feel like Im being scammed here. You also owed me two payments, one for $74.54 and another one for $105.06. I have only received one for $74.54. Your companys mission statement says core values of humanity, integrity and financial strength but while Im jobless in this economy your companies core values of integrity and humanity are not shown at all. *** waited over two weeks for this payment and only received one. This whole experience has been awful and it has had me regret paying your company two years for this type of service. 

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business response

  12/11/2023

  Dear **********************,
  

  We have further reviewed the concerns raised by ***************************** in her filing with your office regarding our
  response letter dated November 28, 2023.
  

  ************ advised that there were discrepancies in correspondence she received from NYL regarding the cancellation of policies ******** and ********. She maintains that she is owed 2 months of premiums that were paid towards the policies in question.

  New York Life received a notice from The Better Business Bureau on behalf of ************ on November 15, 2023. The above referenced policies were under review during the time ************ received the correspondences she referred to in her appeal from New York Life, which were automatically generated. We apologize for the inconvenience and confusion this may have caused ************. However, after our review was completed and ************** request to cancel the above referenced policies as of November 10, 2023, were processed, our records reflect that policies ******** ($74.54) and ******** ($105.06) were canceled as of 11/10/2023 and the November 2023 premiums were refunded in the amount of $179.60. Accordingly, it does not appear that ************ is not *********** any additional refund and has been correctly reimbursed, as her policies were canceled as of November 10, 2023, per her written request.
  

  If ************ submits a copy of her bank statement reflecting the overdraft charges incurred due to the November premium payments being drafted subsequent to her request to cancel the policies, New York Life will review for reimbursement consideration.
  

  We trust that the information in this letter is responsive to your request. Should you have any additional questions or would like to further discuss this matter, please feel free to contact me directly at **************.

• Initial Complaint

  10/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I keep getting mail to my home address multiple times. I am not interested in buying life insurance company

  Customer response

  10/12/2023

  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 and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  09/25/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On July 17, 2023 I submitted a disability claim request for work related health issues. Over the past two months, I have provided additional information about this issue which has included medical records, treatment plans and doctor's notes from my primary care physician and, seperately, a medical team at a rehabilitation facility.Since then, I have received conflicting information from "advocates" via chat on all issues related to my claim, including status, determination and timeline. As recevently as an hour ago, an advocate apologized for the incorrext information I received yesterday.I have left repeated voicemails, spoke once with my case manager in the entire 2 months since the claim was opened, escalated my requests, received one call from a supervisor over 5 weeks ago who assured me I would have a decision by the end of the week - this was mid-August.I understand I now have 2 case managers, with no evidence of any progress being made on my claim. I'm sick and the uncertainty of this has put even more strain on my family when we're already vulnerable. I have documentation of every chat transcript that I've had which I can compile if helpful which show a daily pattern of misinformation, zero accountability and no recourse for correction.

  Customer response

  09/26/2023

  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 and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  This is in reference to:Policy No. FLK-******* Incident No. ************ About 3 weeks ago I filed for this claim. Last week I left a voicemail with the agent who is handling my claim and I never received a call back. I would appreciate any information regarding the status of my claim.

  Customer response

  06/28/2023

  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 and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I went on maternity leave 04/05/2023 and had my child 04/06/2023 and was discharged from the hospital on 04/07/2023 I was told by my employer not to file my short term disability claim until 9 days after having my baby. I ended up having other medical issues after delivery and wasnt able to send in my paperwork to start my claim until 04/20/2023. There was no response from New York life for a couple weeks so I called them and was told they needed an authorization to get my medical records so I went through the automated release authorization. 1 week later I called to check on the status of my claim and was told they hadnt even started the process because I hadnt called in to tell them I had the baby (which i had done in the previous phone call) since then I have called once a week or have been communicating with a representative through the online chat at least once a week.. Every single time I contact New York life insurance I get a completely different answer on what is going on with my claim. It has been 6 weeks since I initially sent in the paperwork to start this process and I have yet to get any payment and they have yet to even start the process of the claim. I have been told they have all the information they need to process the claim twice now and that my claim manager was *******, and then I call to check the status again and I am told they havent received the eligibility information or amount information from my employer to even request the medical records yet. I am just wanting this process resolved and my 6 week maternity leave pay I am entitled to. I have missed payments on bills and late fees due to this issue taking so long.

  Customer response

  06/06/2023

  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 and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  05/23/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have a std claim with a start date of 03/14/2023 with a end date of 05/09/2023 my doctor sent in my medical records on 05/13/2023 which process on 05/16/2023 I have called my caseworker multiple times once on 05/11/2023 no response left a voicemail and requested a call back/she never responded call back on 05/17/2023 left voicemail and requested another callback and left voicemail of whats going on no response. My claim is being missed handle by my claim manager since day one .I have place multiple complaints to upper management no response or callback .I have this problem Every-time my doctor send in my medical records for my claim to be completed .No representative can help or answer any of my question either I get hung up on or transfer to my claim manager voice mail and she hasnt responded at all.

  Customer response

  05/23/2023

  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 and the matter has been resolved for the moment.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  The first time I contacted the company about the cancelation of the policy was 01/20/23. The representative told me to fill out the form. Which I did. I got a small refund, no statement of the cancelation. Yet I've been charged for the policy from every paycheck since. I contacted the company the second time - another representative told me that it was cancelled and I would receive a cancelation conformation, and won't be charged anymore for the policy, Today I've been charged again. Still no conformation of cancelation

  Customer response

  03/03/2023

  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 and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  01/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I broke my leg 10/20/22 and on 10/28 underwent surgery (plate and 7 screws). I saw my doctor on 11/10 and he put a full cast on my leg. On 12/12 he removed cast and now I use a boot but zero weight allowed on my leg (still in crutches). He also gave me a letter with an estimated 01/29 return to work date pending recovery process.NY Life GBS (group benefit solutions) attempted to end my benefits on 12/21 claiming they did not receive chart progress notes they faxed to my doctor on *****. I contacted my doctor and they responded/refaxed (twice) Medical Request Form/chart notes on 12.14.In another incident, NY Life claiming that they did not receive a response for chart notes and medical plan they faxed my doctor 12/14. They ended my benefits as of 12/25. They send me two letters dated 12/13 and 12/15. NY Life did NOT post those letters on their website. There is no way for me to know about them till I physically received them (both of them) on 12/23 (I took pictures of their website). Tuesday 12/27 (Monday Holiday) I went to my doctor and they filed out chart notes form and faxed it to them on Friday 12/30.It was not easy to work with NY Life: Every time I call them (once every **** days or so), I am on hold ***** min and I do not reach the right person. Usually I leave a message and no one calls me back.****** is senior case manager on my case. No email or extension to reach her (or for anyone from NY Life). Only communications are phone calls. I left her a message on two different occasions without any response from her side.I did all what was asked from me. Not sure how NY Life can end my benefits (STD short term disability) with documents in their hand that still I can put zero weight on my leg. Could you please help?************************* DOB 07/21/1962. Phone ************. My doctor: *************************** (orthopedic surgeon) (phone ************)NY Life GBS Leave Solutions Phone # ************ STD Incident # ********

  Customer response

  01/04/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  Today i noticed that my short term disability has been approved till January 22. I hope later they will extend it to January 29, but it is a good start. Thank you for your help.

  i have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************
  
  
  
   
  

  
  

*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. ↩