Okay, DU family, I need to vent here because I'm trying to avoid having to hit you guys

[Ecumenist]

up for bail tomorrow. Here's the skinny, In 2011, we found out that when the we received the bill for our Homeowner's policy, it was ASTRONOMICALLY more expensive than it was for 2010-2011 and I have been courted by another company for the SAME coverage that was 600.00 cheaper. So, we made the switch, saving money with Homeowner's, car, flood AND earthquake Insurance being 200.00 less than JUST the premium with the old company. We were very happy with the new company and found ourselves at premium time again. BUT come to find out that EVEN THOUGH we've been with the new company for a year, SOMEHOW, our old agent CHARGED US FOR HER MUCH HIGHER INSURANCE AND FLOOD WITHOUT OUR KNOWLEDGE OR PERMISSION...ALMOST 1600.00 this creep put through on our the credit card account we used when we had an account with her!!

SHE NEVER CALLED NOR MAILED US ANYTHING , basically charging us for insurance we didn't need nor asked her for. THIS HAS TO BE ILLEGAL as I have neither spoken to nor have thought of her. Isn't this illegal?

[msongs]

1. first contact "her" and find out what happened. could be inadvertent. nt

[Ecumenist]

4. It was inadvertent when we hadn't had her and had another insurance company AND agent

for over a year? REALLY? I guess anything's possible but I doubt it especially since we got several mailings from her...but a STATEMENT after she charged us...

[easychoice]

13. Don't call her,call the card co.and forget about lawyers and insurance commisioners too.

$1600 is coffee money to those people.Just calm down and cancel the transaction.

[Ecumenist]

14. This is STRAIGHT IP FRAUD AND THEFT... I'm contacting the insurance commissioner today

This is more than someone adding a little surcharge to a lunch ticket. Sorry but this is a wee bit more than a hair in a bowl of soup.

[easychoice]

17. So you are really out the money?

Has anyone transferred funds? Or is it an automated billing snafu? Something like the opt out hassle I got into with HughesNet over their season baseball program where they just kept on billing if I didn't inform them to quit.
Did they actually take money from you that you can't get back? Did you have to opt out to keep from being included in the billing cycle?
I guess I am just seeing a big understanding,not any actual crime.

[99Forever]

2. Contact your state insurance licensing authority and ...

... the state's attorney and a personal attorney, immediately.

[easychoice]

3. call the card co. have them remove the charge.

Tell them in the future to phone you if anyone tries to charge anything over $100.00.
Thats how I found out someone was trying to use my PayPal account.

[Hekate]

5. Excellent suggestion

[Barack_America]

7. Unauthorized charge, easily disputed. Nt

[defacto7]

8. Yep, it saved me a lot.

Someone tried to put $2600 worth of crystal dinner ware on my card a few months ago and the bank called me since I had a $200 limit on it without authorization. It stopped it cold.

[hfojvt]

12. they will probably want you to talk to the insurance agent first

that's the way I remember it, although it has been a decade since I worked in customer service for a credit card company.

[NV Whino]

6. Have your credit card company put a hold on the charge until the issue is resolved.

[anneboleyn]

9. Exactly. The cards deal with these things all the time. It is possible that she had the policy

on some type of "auto renewal" system, though you should have definitely received a statement (or at the very least an email or some type of notification that you were about to be charged a large amount of money) explaining when you would be charged and for how much money exactly.

Call the card company and explain that this is a disputed charge as this insurance agent was NOT AUTHORIZED to charge your card again for a year's worth of unneeded insurance. And of course call the agent and tell her that the company did not have permission to charge your card and that the funds must be refunded or you will file a claim against them (per the other posters' suggestions).

[Ecumenist]

15. No, if it were auto renew. it would it wouldn't have happened AFTER a year with the new company..

I've already contacted her office and she's acting like it was something I authorised.

[2naSalit]

10. You should certainly call your

card issuer but WRITE to your former agent (I suggest registered mail and a return receipt) and tell her that she did not have permission, etc. Keep the original and send her a copy and maintain a paper trail of all interactions so there is no question as to your intentions and her having received it.

Stay on top of it but always take notes if you speak to her but the best thing is to have it all on paper to avoid a conflict of :he said, she said" with no proof. Just in case things get ugly. Protect yourself.

Also, your new insurance agency should have notified your old agency *maybe* - this is so with auto insurance in my state... don't own a home so I can't say for sure on that point but in any case she should have contacted you in some form prior to allowing a charge to go through. you can also go over her head, so to speak, by contacting her supervisory persons/office... send them a copy of that letter you might be sending to the agent in question. These people are there to provide a service and if you aren't satisfied or feel they have wronged you, exercise your rights and keep the authorities informed (as advised in a previous post above) ...contact the state ins. board or whatever your state has even if it's the AG. But do create a paper trail!

Hope you get it all worked out to your satisfaction.

[Ecumenist]

16. Yep, the new company did notify her LAST YEAR that they were our carrier. I started reading

a few places where people review services and it seems that this is something she does on the regular.

[Cleita]

11. Take her to small claims court or at least threaten to if she doesn't

return the money.