Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/15/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 3/17/23, we alerted Kirk Farber that we would not be renewing our homeowners policy and auto policy with him as his office has made so many mistakes and truthfully not been able to bill right or fill out the paperwork correctly for anything and we have never even submitted a claim or any kind or needing anything other than them to bill properly. We are NOT on auto-renewal with him, yet he auto-renewed our homeowners policy and billed our mortgage company ILLEGALLY over 30 days before the renewal date of 6/13/23 when we gave him plenty of advance in writing on 3/17/23 that we would not be renewing. Today, 5/10/23, he stole $******** from our escrow account (without sending over any new policy by the way) and now we will have to wait for a refund check and will need to deposit an extra $***** into our escrow account to purchase new homeowners insurance so that it does not lapse.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/05/2023

  When a customer has a property policy that is being billed directly to their lender and they decide to not renew their policy the bill will still be sent out. If you want to stop this bill, then you need to tell your insurance agency to cancel your policy effective a certain date. Unless we are told by you to cancel your policy then non-renewing just means you are not going to pay the renewal. You can also call your lender and let them know not to pay any bill from a certain insurance agency if it arrives since you are switching to another carrier. You can then have your new agent provide a declaration and billing receipt so they will have all the information needed to pay the new insurance carrier. If like in this case the lender does pay the bill since they were not notified and we were not told to cancel, then a refund check will be promptly mailed out once your policy is cancelled, which is what happened in this case. Insurance agents do not ever want our insureds to be without coverage or have a lapse in coverage, so we will not cancel your policy unless you specifically tell us to do so. There was absolutely nothing done incorrectly in this case I think there was just some misunderstanding on the difference between non-renewing and cancelling a policy. Thanks, Kirk

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/06/2023

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the money they stole was the renewal money. Their own response completely negates the fact that THEY WERE ALERTED IN WRITING THREE MONTHS BEFORE HAND THAT WE WEREN’T GOING TO PAY THE RENEWAL AND THEY STOLE THE MONEY ANYWAY. We were no cancelling our policy and asking for a refund. 
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Ashley ***

  Business Response

  Date: 06/12/2023

   

  I think that if everyone would just follow the steps below from the following website: *******************************************************************************************************

  Then problems that this insured incurred would not happen, since she was not paying the bill, her lender was. Plus her new agent should have been advising her and helping with the notifications to the current lender so the payment could be made to the correct insurance. Notice below that it speaks about cancelling your policy as well, no where do you find anything about non-renewing a policy. Agents do not want our insureds to be without insurance or get forced placed insurance placed on them. It is imperative that you tell us to cancel and the effective date of that cancel so that we don't do anything that could cause you to be without insurance. We are looking out for your best interest and if something goes wrong, and the insurance gets paid like in this case, then you get a full refund and just send it back to the lender and they apply it to the escrow. 

   

  How to change homeowners insurance with an escrow account
  Paying your home insurance through escrow can be convenient, but if you want to change insurance providers, things can get a little tricky. You need to make sure your mortgage lender knows which insurance company to send your payment to. Otherwise, your premium could go to the wrong carrier, your home insurance could lapse and your mortgage company could put force-placed insurance on your account. Don’t let this stop you from shopping around, though; you can still change carriers, you just need to be aware of the steps to take.
  Step 1: Shop for and choose a new carrier
  If you’re wanting to change homeowners insurance companies, your first step is to shop around. Understand your coverage needs, budget and the features you’re looking for (like a certain discount or mobile app) and research companies that could fit your situation. Once you get quotes and choose a company, you can proceed to the next step.
  Step 2: Confirm the mortgagee clause for your lender
  Before you purchase your new policy, you’ll need to know exactly how your mortgage lender should be listed. This is called the mortgagee clause and includes your lender’s official name and the address that all policy documents — including your renewal bills — will be sent to.
  The mortgagee clause is not just your lender’s name and the address to which you send your monthly payments; most companies also have unique addresses for insurance documents.
  To ensure you include the correct information on your new insurance policy, call your mortgage company to confirm. Then, relay the information to your new insurance carrier before you purchase your new policy. Often, the purchase of the policy automatically generates documents to be sent to the mortgage on file, so the mortgagee clause needs to be correct from the start to avoid confusion.
  Step 3: Purchase your new policy
  Once you know the mortgagee clause on your new policy is correct, you can go ahead and finalize the purchase of your new policy. An agent or company representative will walk you through the steps, but you’ll likely have to sign an application and any other required forms related to your coverage. Because you’ll pay your insurance with escrow, you will not need to make a payment out of pocket. Your new insurance company will send a bill to your mortgage institution.
  Step 4: Cancel your prior policy
  Now that you’ve purchased your new policy, contact your current home insurance carrier to cancel your prior policy as of the same date your new policy is effective. Ensuring the dates are the same will prevent any overlap or gap in coverage. Even if your new policy is effective in the future, it’s still a safer process to start the new policy before canceling your old one. That way, if there are any issues getting your new policy started, you still have coverage through your old policy.
  Step 5: Notify your mortgage company
  Your mortgage company should receive a cancellation notice from the prior insurer and a declaration page from the new insurer, but it can help avoid confusion to let your mortgage company know that you’ve switched insurance providers. You’ll likely need to provide the cancellation date of the prior policy and the effective date of the new policy (which should be the same date to avoid a lapse), as well as the name of the new company and the policy number.
  Step 6: Send any premium refunds to your new escrow account
  You may receive a premium refund from your prior insurer, depending on at what point in the policy cycle you cancel. If you switch companies at your renewal period, you won’t get a refund, as all of your annual premium has been used. However, if you switch companies midterm, you’ll likely get a pro-rated premium refund from your prior policy.
  Generally, you should contact your mortgage company to find out how to send this money back to your escrow account. While you could keep it, doing so could mean that your escrow will have a shortage and you’ll have to pay higher monthly mortgage payments to rebuild your escrow amount.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/14/2023

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Kirk Farber failed at his job. He billed incorrectly and stole money from us. He also broke the law because he raised the premium *% did not notify us and just stole the money knowing that we were not renewing with him. He can try and blame everyone else like he is, but this is 100% his fault and he should not have a license. I’d suggest everyone avoid his business at all costs.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Ashley ***