A Puyallup woman has pleaded guilty to attempted forgery and attempted insurance fraud after submitting a bogus receipt for a $1,609 windshield repair to her insurance company.
Candice Leigh Chapman, 31, was sentenced last week to 45 hours of community service and a deferred sentence.
In June of 2010, Chapman filed a claim saying that she'd had a damaged windshield replaced in her Volkswagen Touareg and had paid for the repair herself. She emailed a copy of a quote from a Seattle auto glass company, with "paid" stamped on the bottom.
But when her insurer, Farmers, called the glass shop to confirm the bill, the shop said it had never repaired or replaced the windshield. Nor do they use a "paid" stamp. At that point, Farmers turned the investigation over to the state insurance commissioner's Special Investigations Unit.
The unusual wrinkle in this case is what Chapman did for a living: She was an insurance company claims representative at a different insurance company. And her primary job responsibility was handling auto glass claims.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Flood awareness week: How to spot a flood-damaged car
In honor of National Flood Safety Awareness Week, here are some pointers on spotting a flood-damaged car:
-Smell. Particularly here in the rainy Pacific Northwest, it's very hard to dry out a flooded car quickly enough to prevent mold and mildew in the carpets, padding below the carpets, and the upholstery.
-Moisture in odd places inside the car. For example, look for moisture or condensation behind the gauges on the dashboard, a clock, and the display panel of a stereo. (Note: It's fairly common in the Northwest to see water or condensation in exterior lights, like taillights, turn signal lights, etc. in older vehicles. That's not necessarily a sign of flooding. Rain may have just seeped in through the gaskets that are supposed to seal the lights.)
-Check the car's unique Vehicle Identification Number to see if it has been reported as a salvage vehicle. These numbers are typically found on a small metal plate visible through the front windshield at the front of the dashboard. The National Insurance Crime Bureau runs a website where you can check VIN numbers -- up to 5 a day -- for free. (Hint: it's case-sensitive.)
-Dampness, mold, silt, mud or rust in low spots on the vehicle, such as under the spare tire in the trunk, the interior crevices of the trunk behind the wheels or in the glove compartment.
-Interior rust, such as springs under the seats.
-Check the car's oil. Engine oil contaminated with water will often look like chocolate milk.
-Smell. Particularly here in the rainy Pacific Northwest, it's very hard to dry out a flooded car quickly enough to prevent mold and mildew in the carpets, padding below the carpets, and the upholstery.
-Moisture in odd places inside the car. For example, look for moisture or condensation behind the gauges on the dashboard, a clock, and the display panel of a stereo. (Note: It's fairly common in the Northwest to see water or condensation in exterior lights, like taillights, turn signal lights, etc. in older vehicles. That's not necessarily a sign of flooding. Rain may have just seeped in through the gaskets that are supposed to seal the lights.)
-Check the car's unique Vehicle Identification Number to see if it has been reported as a salvage vehicle. These numbers are typically found on a small metal plate visible through the front windshield at the front of the dashboard. The National Insurance Crime Bureau runs a website where you can check VIN numbers -- up to 5 a day -- for free. (Hint: it's case-sensitive.)
-Dampness, mold, silt, mud or rust in low spots on the vehicle, such as under the spare tire in the trunk, the interior crevices of the trunk behind the wheels or in the glove compartment.
-Interior rust, such as springs under the seats.
-Check the car's oil. Engine oil contaminated with water will often look like chocolate milk.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
NAIC survey: Most homeowners have no home inventory (and how to easily make one)
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners today released the results of a survey indicating that most Americans don't have a home inventory of their possessions.
The February survey indicated that 59 percent of consumers haven't made a list of what they own. Of those that had, nearly half didn't have receipts. More than a quarter didn't have photos of their property.
Home inventories are a key tool for recovering from a tornado, flood, earthquake or other disaster. They can speed up and dramatically simplify the insurance claims process. They can also help you and your agent decide if you have enough coverage if you have a rare collection or other high-value items. (On average, home contents are reimbursed only up to 50 percent of the home's insured value. In other words, if you're house is insured for $200,000, the maximum contents reimbursement would typically be $100,000.)
Last year, severe weather disasters inflicted more than $43 billion in the United States, according to the NAIC.
How to prepare a home inventory? There are smartphone applications to help. The myHOME Scr.APP.book app lets users capture images, descriptions, bar codes and serial numbers of personal possessions and stores the information electronically for safekeeping. The app organizes information by room and creates a back-up file for email sharing. There's a version for the iPhone and another version for Android phones.
For those without a smart phone, the NAIC offers a downloadable home inventory checklist and tips for effectively cataloguing your possessions.
The February survey indicated that 59 percent of consumers haven't made a list of what they own. Of those that had, nearly half didn't have receipts. More than a quarter didn't have photos of their property.
Home inventories are a key tool for recovering from a tornado, flood, earthquake or other disaster. They can speed up and dramatically simplify the insurance claims process. They can also help you and your agent decide if you have enough coverage if you have a rare collection or other high-value items. (On average, home contents are reimbursed only up to 50 percent of the home's insured value. In other words, if you're house is insured for $200,000, the maximum contents reimbursement would typically be $100,000.)
Last year, severe weather disasters inflicted more than $43 billion in the United States, according to the NAIC.
How to prepare a home inventory? There are smartphone applications to help. The myHOME Scr.APP.book app lets users capture images, descriptions, bar codes and serial numbers of personal possessions and stores the information electronically for safekeeping. The app organizes information by room and creates a back-up file for email sharing. There's a version for the iPhone and another version for Android phones.
For those without a smart phone, the NAIC offers a downloadable home inventory checklist and tips for effectively cataloguing your possessions.
Friday, March 9, 2012
More consumer tips: Company lookup, agent lookup, and where to look up financials
More tips for National Consumer Protection Week:
How to look up an insurer, including complaint history and disciplinary actions
How to look up an agent, insurance agency, or broker, including complaints and discipline
And how to find the company financial statements that show how your insurance company is doing.
We're the insurance regulator for the state of Washington. Not in Washington? Here's a map with links and contact info for every state's insurance regulator.
How to look up an insurer, including complaint history and disciplinary actions
How to look up an agent, insurance agency, or broker, including complaints and discipline
And how to find the company financial statements that show how your insurance company is doing.
We're the insurance regulator for the state of Washington. Not in Washington? Here's a map with links and contact info for every state's insurance regulator.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Consumer tips: How to look up complaints, available health plans and rate hikes
More tips for National Consumer Protection Week:
-Look up the number of consumer complaints against specific insurance companies
-Buying health coverage on your own? Here's how to find a health plan in your area
-And see if your health plan wants a rate increase.
(We're the state insurance regulator in Washington state. Don't live in Washington? Here's a handy map with links and contact info for your state's insurance regulator.)
-Look up the number of consumer complaints against specific insurance companies
-Buying health coverage on your own? Here's how to find a health plan in your area
-And see if your health plan wants a rate increase.
(We're the state insurance regulator in Washington state. Don't live in Washington? Here's a handy map with links and contact info for your state's insurance regulator.)
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Direct Buy Auto Warranty ordered to stop unauthorized insurance sales in WA
For the second time in less than a week, our office is ordering a New York-based company to stop selling unauthorized insurance in Washington state.
This time it's a company called Direct Buy Associates, Inc., although it also does business under several similar names, including Direct Buy Auto Warranty, Direct Buy Warranty, and DirectBuy Warranty. The order also includes AHMT Corp.
Direct Buy Associates and AHMT -- with have adjacent offices on a street in Brooklyn -- do business through websites like directbuyautowarranty.com, directbuywarranty.com and directbuyautowarranty.net. The companies have also listed mailing addresses that include a mailstop in New Jersey, a virtual office in New Jersey, and a European headquarters in Cyprus.
In 2011, we began getting complaints from Washington consumers who had bought plans from these companies. The plans, sold since at least 2009, purported to cover vehicle repairs. The companies sold at least 57 such plans to Washingtonians. At least one Washington consumer who paid the fees monthly was charged international transaction fees from Cyprus.
None of companies or principals named in the order are authorized to transact insurance in Washington. Nor are they registered here as service contract providers.
Our order requires the companies to send copies of the order to all their Washington customers, and to report to us all premiums they've collected for business here.
The order also names a number of individuals, including Albert V. Hakim, Michael A Hakim, R.D. Frazier, Jon Braidsworth and Robert Harrington.
This time it's a company called Direct Buy Associates, Inc., although it also does business under several similar names, including Direct Buy Auto Warranty, Direct Buy Warranty, and DirectBuy Warranty. The order also includes AHMT Corp.
Direct Buy Associates and AHMT -- with have adjacent offices on a street in Brooklyn -- do business through websites like directbuyautowarranty.com, directbuywarranty.com and directbuyautowarranty.net. The companies have also listed mailing addresses that include a mailstop in New Jersey, a virtual office in New Jersey, and a European headquarters in Cyprus.
In 2011, we began getting complaints from Washington consumers who had bought plans from these companies. The plans, sold since at least 2009, purported to cover vehicle repairs. The companies sold at least 57 such plans to Washingtonians. At least one Washington consumer who paid the fees monthly was charged international transaction fees from Cyprus.
None of companies or principals named in the order are authorized to transact insurance in Washington. Nor are they registered here as service contract providers.
Our order requires the companies to send copies of the order to all their Washington customers, and to report to us all premiums they've collected for business here.
The order also names a number of individuals, including Albert V. Hakim, Michael A Hakim, R.D. Frazier, Jon Braidsworth and Robert Harrington.
How to file a complaint against an insurance company
Having trouble getting an insurance claim paid? Waiting months?
We can often help. We're the insurance regulator for the state of Washington state, and we field thousands of calls a year from folks having trouble with claims. Last year, we got consumers $8 million in previously-denied or delayed claims.
There are two ways to reach us:
Important note: If you don't live in Washington state, contact your state's insurance regulator. Here's a handy map with contact info.
We can often help. We're the insurance regulator for the state of Washington state, and we field thousands of calls a year from folks having trouble with claims. Last year, we got consumers $8 million in previously-denied or delayed claims.
There are two ways to reach us:
- Our toll-free hotline: 1-800-562-6900.
- Or file a complaint 24/7 with our online filing application.
Important note: If you don't live in Washington state, contact your state's insurance regulator. Here's a handy map with contact info.
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