artvarkk Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 My wife (a foreigner) has has a health insurance policy with the same company for 7 years. The last time the yearly premium was paid in full, the agent accepted the money and gave my wife a receipt. One year later (3 days ago) she called the company because the payment due date was coming soon. She was told that she could extend the policy, but would have to pay for both 2011 and 2012 because she had not paid in 2011. The agent had taken her money and given her a generic receipt with no company logo. My wife did not consider that she never received a new policy booklet or membership card. We have been informed that the agent no longer works for the company and is no longer in the province. This is clearly fraud and theft, but who should be held responsible? Should we contact the police first or an attourney? We are in Phuket, and any suggestions or insight will be appreciated. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h90 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I can't suggest any help. But want to thank you for warning me....Only money transfer.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
true blue Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 the company the agent worked for,should be liable for its employees disgressions,but this is tit,good luck with your efforts, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwinclapham Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Not much help I know, but I would have thought the "health Insurance company" were morally obliged to ensure that all their clients were notified that the agent had ceased working! Your wife would be one of many I would have thought. I would be down to the H.O. straight away if thats possible and demanding to see someone in authority. Personally I would be refusing to pay and as a sign of good will they shouldnt be enforcing the issue. Its surely their responsibility to contact the Police. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soutpeel Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 the company the agent worked for,should be liable for its employees disgressions,but this is tit,good luck with your efforts, A lot of insurance company agents work for themselves and in cases like this, if the agent does a bunk with someones cash, the "parent" company will not take responsibility for the actions of "their" independent agents. Only real option in this case is to talk to the BiB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeb Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Had an almost identical situation. The agent, who my wife had known for years, collect the premium and disappeared. The wife called the insurance company when she received no follow up documentation and was told that the supposed agent didn't work for them. Tough luck. As the money paid was only about B10,000 we just decided to forget about it and change companies, this time paying directly to the company and not an agent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuestHouse Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 File a police complaint, name and shame the insurance company and take your business elsewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geriatrickid Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 insurer has vicrious liability. bet you are not only victim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artvarkk Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 Excuse my ignorance, but what is the BiB and how do I contact them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samran Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 BiB = Boys in Brown = the police Pretty easy to make a police statement at your local station. If the company is worth their salt, and decides to help you in any way, then they'll require a police statement at the very least. Be aware that proving theft is tricky. We've had some of valuables stolen by our maid and though we knew she did it, without physical evidence that she took the stuff, the police were pretty powerless to act (though not unsympathetic). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossy Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Excuse my ignorance, but what is the BiB and how do I contact them? BiB is "Boys in Brown", i.e. the police. Make a report of theft at your local police station, but good luck in getting it to go any further. EDIT Samran types faster than me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve187 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 lucky in some ways that there was no need to claim, during this 'unpaid' period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samran Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Excuse my ignorance, but what is the BiB and how do I contact them? BiB is "Boys in Brown", i.e. the police. Make a report of theft at your local police station, but good luck in getting it to go any further. EDIT Samran types faster than me ...at 20 paces I always win.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nocturn Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Situations like this are why companies take out a full page ad in the papers to let people know that someone is no longer in their employ. While certainly not a crime unique to Thailand, i have heard of similar frauds many times since i have come to Thailand. A transfer into a company account ids the only way to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorecard Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I'm guessing from your message that the health insurance company is probably an offshore company or perhaps a JV with an offshore insurance company. I know from an experience within my family, if the international partner is a high profile company and you call their HO abroad you will get some action. Worth a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtjforyou Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Hope the robber rot in hell after years of cancer fighting ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bendix Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 insurer has vicrious liability. bet you are not only victim. As a point of law, you're wrong. The agent would be a sole or independent company onselling services and getting a commission for a range of insurance companies. The insurance company can't be held liable for someone selling its services without it's knowledge and not forwarding the money. Did the OP's wife not consider to ask for a policy statement. As far as I'm concerned, if you don't have a statement, you don't have a policy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carra Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 happened to my wife recently. she bought insurance for her mother, paid via an agent (a friend of a friend) and then found the money had not been paid to the insurance company. I told her to contact the insurance but they are not bothered, she was able to talk to the agent via her friend and tell her she would report to the police, the agent begged her to wait until the end of the following month and she will pay it, my wife refused and reported the matter to the poice and they are dealing with it in their own slow cackhanded manner. My advice after this would be to never use agents and pay directly to the insurance company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artvarkk Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 Thank you all for your opinions and advice. We contacted the HO and the company (a Thai company, by the way) offered to continue her policy without having to pay for last year. It is fortunate that she had no health issues during the lapse in coverage! I would think that the company would contact a policyholder that (seemingly) has let their policy lapse. Seems they don't value the money or the continued business. Better we start a new policy with a different company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thenervoussurgeon Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 i know that this is off track ,but a few days ago my wife got a call from "her bank" bkk bank asking her to deposite 40000 baht into the bamnks account as she was overspent on her credit card (she doesnt have one only debit cards) when she declined they put her through to the police dept ,well to cut a long story short we went to the bank to report it ,when i told the girl that in Britain if someone takes money from your account it is refunded by the bank ,she was amazed ," not here in thailand she replied" so beware ,tit you have no help from banks or,insurance companies here ,your on your own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwinclapham Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Thank you all for your opinions and advice. We contacted the HO and the company (a Thai company, by the way) offered to continue her policy without having to pay for last year. It is fortunate that she had no health issues during the lapse in coverage! I would think that the company would contact a policyholder that (seemingly) has let their policy lapse. Seems they don't value the money or the continued business. Better we start a new policy with a different company. I suppose based on this Artvarkk, its preferable to take our an insurance directly with the company rather than an agent. Yes it is fortunate your wife didnt incur any health problems and equally lucky you found out sooner rather than later. Good luck with it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadoc Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 You say the company has allowed the policy to continue without paying for last year again despite the company not receiving payment from the agent . Admittedly this cost them nothing , but they have not forced the issue , Maybe time to stay with the insurance company that even listens to your complaint . In my experience of insurance companies , you have had a result . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thenervoussurgeon Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 we were broken into sometime back and our insurance company have paid up ,just a shame i didnt include the 50 inch tv and 6 laptops,lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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