Combined Insurance (CICA)

[Pedroski]

Not sure if you've all heard the news or not, but at end of last year, Combined Insurance were fined £2.8m by the FSA for breach of various regulations. Since then, they have ditched their sales reps (who were not properly trained, and who were paid on commission only basis - just a couple of their list of breaches of FSA regs) and have agreed not to take on any new business, but as far as I know, they are still servicing existing customers.

 

Can read more here FSA fines Combined Insurance Company of America £2.8 million for putting its customers at risk of being treated unfairly

 

and the full FSA report is here http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=fsa%20combined%20insurance&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CD8QFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fsa.gov.uk%2Fstatic%2FFsaWeb%2FOCD%2Fcica.pdf&ei=tixNT8n5Isix0AXB4oTNAw&usg=AFQjCNF-1WDP6o539xYTdvy8zTqksQnUTA&sig2=ofdacgqPHkyZEMq3UWoHZQ&cad=rja

[Rupe]

I ahve been saying for years that they are a bunch of crook and the insurance is not worth the paper its printed on.

 

Also the sales team intimidate poeple into joining when in fact they are not being unsured correctly.

 

Waste of time and money!

[Rich Rule]

I had to get rather stern after the 3rd 9pm visit from a CICA rep... I had cancelled the policy 4 months earlier but they would not listen.

 

In the end I told them to take a run and jump, otherwise...

 

It seemed to do the trick.

[Andy Collins]

On the flip side, I have been with CICA for 16 years or so, with accident and sickness policies. I am currently classed as long term sick following an operation, and they are paying out monthly. When I had an accident, they paid out instantly and in full, no issues here with their service or payouts.

[Pedroski]

On the flip side, I have been with CICA for 16 years or so, with accident and sickness policies. I am currently classed as long term sick following an operation, and they are paying out monthly. When I had an accident, they paid out instantly and in full, no issues here with their service or payouts.

 

That's good news, and I'm glad to hear they are doing what they should be. I do have a policy with them as well, although only accident, and in hindsight I should have got sickness what with all that's gone on recently! I had a bit of a battle last year to convince them I didn't want sickness cover as was certain I'd never use it.

 

Seems that the leadership of the company in the UK might be the problem. I'm in 2 minds about whether I should find another accident and sickness policy with someone else, or just stick with Combined and see if they'll add sickness now.

[Andy Collins]

I can only speak as I find, I agree with others about the pushy sales technique, but when it's come to the crunch, they are as good as their word. Payouts are as near instant as you can get, no ducking or trying to avoid paying out, no hidden clauses, no small print you can't see.

[Rupe]

Andy do they re insure you for the same accident/injury/sickness the following year when they renew the policy?

 

This what I have heard they dont do, but if they do then fair enough, I may have been wrong. Still dont like them though!!

[Logrover]

I had problems with the arsehole sales reps years ago, pushy lieing so and sos, had to tell them the f**k off eventually as they just dont give up. I would never use them or recommend them and wish they would go under actually. i had about 3 sets of reps a week on commission some came all the way from wales, 200 miles........never again. So many more decent companies compared to these crooks.

[Andy Collins]

As far as my experience goes, they will pay out repeated claims for the kind of injury (accident) that I claimed for, but only once for say a broken back, and I don't believe they will re-insure a broken leg, but not sure. On the sickness side, I can claim for the sickness cover repeatedly, but again as I understand it, I can only claim once for the kidney failure I suffered, even though I fully recovered from that, with no long term effects. The same would go for cancers, strokes, heart attacks or liver failure, a one off payment then no more. But this is clearly written in the cover, no one could mistakenly believe otherwise.

[Rupe]

So if you needed monthly payments for being off sick would that continue after you renew the policy? Or does it end when the year is up?