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AccountCare

AccountCare review: Finding ways to deny my claim 10

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1:24 am EDT
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I was laid off involuntarily on March 14, 2008. Prior to that, I called Sears to enroll in AccountCare just in case I was included in the next wave of layoffs. Once I was laid off, I called AccountCare to file a claim. They told me I had to be unemployed continuously for at least 30 calendar days from my layoff date in order to make a claim. No problem, I have two Orchard Bank accounts with their own account protection services that told me the same thing. 30 days passed and I filled out the paperwork they sent me 10 days after I called to make a claim, so this is now 40 days after my layoff date. 10 days after that, I received a letter from them saying that they need proof that I am receiving unemployment benefits. I mail them copies of the award letter and some unemployment check stubs. 10 days after that, i receive another letter saying that they need proof that I worked at least 30 consecutive days prior to my job loss and that I worked over 30 hours per week also. So almost two months after my job loss date, I send them pay stubs proving that I worked full time for over 30 days prior to being laid off. I finally get a letter from AccountCare saying that they are closing my file because the check stubs I sent them were incomplete and didn't prove I worked each and every day prior to being laid off. Recently, I called them to follow up and see what they wantd specifically. The girl on the phone was nice and she said all I needed to send them was umemployment check stubs and a new application since they were bought out by a new company (from Kansas City, MS to Fort Worth, TX). Great, that's easy. I sent the info. 10 days later, I receive another letter saying that they will also need an "Employer's Statement on company letterhead indicating [I] was employed 30 days before my job loss and/or paystubs showing this information. " So, the girl I spoke to didn't know to tell me to also send in a letter from my previous employer on company letterhead. So I had their HR department fax to AccountCare that letter they needed. Ever since March I have been making the monthly payment for Sears and also that AccountCare fee for the balance that remains. We'll see if that letter that was faxed was good enough or if they will pull something else out of their sleeves to deny my claim. I'll keep you posted.

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broke_n_tennessee
Knoxville, US
Oct 27, 2008 4:21 pm EDT

I am having the same problem with AccountCare. My husband was diagnosed with cancer in May 2008. It is now the end of October and I am no further ahead with this company than day one. The last phone call today was unreal. They told me that they couldn't process my claim because the dates on the form appeared to be altered. I fillled this out myself and the doctor filled out the other half. I understand the importance of dates for disability claims... c'mon now. Any ways, today in the mail I receive two letters. One dated 10/22 stating they need the "company letterhead" proving my husband had a job and 15 days to turn it in. The second letter dated 10/23 stated that they had not received the information in time therefore the claim was denied. What a bunch of crap! I contacted Sears and expressed my disgust. I contacted AccountCare and got nowhere. I contacted Sears Presidential Team by email today. I also contacted the local media via email. I will be letting everyone know that Sears AccountCare is a scam.

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Kenny
Concord, US
Mar 26, 2009 2:00 pm EDT

I am in the same boat. My husband lost his job in November 2008. We forgot we had been paying for Account Care so a Sears rep informed us that we should pursue a claim. We filed our first claim on 12/2008. I waited about 10-15 days and finally contacted them and they lost our paperwork. They had to send us out another form. We filed this form 01/2009 and because of a missed ( x ) on the form they could not process it and did not bother to send a note or make a call letting us know this. So, I called again to find this out and they had to send us another form. Finally, we filed our last form in 3/2009. This time we faxed it and kept calling each day until we had confirmation they got it. We were told by our first representative that our claim would be processed in the next 10 days and our payments to our charge would then be made. I called 10 days after this and spoke to another rep that said that information was not correct and I had to be patient with them because there were other unemployed applicants just like us. I finally got so fed up I spoke with a supervisor and he said that he would rush my application so that we'd be taken care of. That did not work either. I called back the next day and I spoke to yet another rep that was very rude and she told me that our claim had been denied because my husband got a seasonal job almost 35 days after losing his primary job. This seasonal position cost us our benefits because Account Care does not care if you keep food on the table for your family. My husband got that job because his unemployment would not kick in for another 9 weeks. Well, his seasonal job ended right after the holidays and still no results with Account Care. We have been dealing with them for a total of 4 months. If it were not for two of their nicest reps...I would have given up a long time ago. These two reps were very professional and talked me through what I need to do next. I am going to take their advice and keep you posted as I move one step closer to getting my benefits from Account Care.

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Looking for Justice
US
Apr 13, 2009 8:01 pm EDT

These Motherfu@#$% have been stringing me along since june of 2008and still find unbelieveable ways to screw with you. I lost my job early last year activated my claim with three of my cards and the two B of A and Wells Financial had diffrent Credit protection companies that had no question just fill out the form and send us verification of past employment (no problem). And that was it NO PROBLEM! they started paying right away, BUT NO not ACCOUNTCARE they want you to starve have no income and to continue to make your payments untill their aproval staff gets to it, in the mean time you are broke cant afford the payment and are doing their job by faxing, getting letters notorized, spending money you don't have and trying to keep up with your payments. NOW since my wife's income dosen't even cover the mortage i had to stop paying on my citibank sears gold mastercard and due to accountcare not obligating themselfs to do what they are contracted to do and just shovling more paperwork towards you my citibank was closed for no payments and i explained that the rep when i nopened the card PROMISED ME that it would be such an easy process and with just a phone call and a simple form to fill out benifets would start right away...YA RIGHT... I think AccountCare is just a SCAM COMPANY and i am contemplating calling Michel Finny with" 7 on your side" a local news investigator here in san francisco and bring this company to get some answers to the people that they continue to swindle every month. I feel for all my fellow accountcare hostages cause that is what they are doing "keeping us financially hostage" and it must stop. Good Luck to all and i will keep you updated with whatever ridicoulous antics they come up with next.

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Lucymarie
Chaffee, US
May 17, 2009 3:15 pm EDT

Account Care Is a Joke and so is Sears for selling this CRAMP to it's customers.

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tonniperez
West Hartford, US
May 27, 2009 10:28 am EDT

Never get AccountCare is a scam company. I have been unemployed since november 2008. I send them all the documents they ask for, and never is good enough. People should be aware of this company [censored]!

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Mimi9597
Moss Point, US
May 12, 2011 4:14 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

There were two charges on my Sears account which was unaccounted for. I, nor any family member was responsible for either charge. Finally, the matter was resolved by Sears. Papers were sent, I filled in the blanks and returned them. A few weeks later I received notice that all was well. The notice was worded differently, but I took it to mean 'all is well that ends well'. Nothing else from them about it anyway. That was a simple matter compared to the new at hand matter. A (very old) story of the insurance plan I signed for at the time the card was offered at check out . The clerk ask if I wanted the plan and explained in brief the cost. It was billed at x-number of $$ per every one-hundred owed each month. I paid a (built-in premium) with my payment every month for years to cover this account in case I was laid off, took ill, or a castastrophe struck, and etc.. I was laid off because Katrina wiped out the business. I filed a claim and did everything I was told by the Rep helping me via phone. I was given options regarding the type claim, because it involved most of the reasons one would file a claim. The Rep made the decision of which paperwork I needed. Because it was just after Katrina, and we were in one of the worst hit areas, that was suppose to count towards my claim also. Guess what?...Sent all paperwork in and never heard back. Still waiting. Called and rep said, "If you have not heard by now that it probably went through and was being taken care of". "Just wait and see". Waiting. I had all three causes on my side. Nothing's happened yet. Still waiting. No word. So, called back. Told almost same thing as the first two calls, or three?. Waiting. Here it is over four years later (maybe longer) and I finally heard something...my doorbell ringing. Got served. Yep, served at night after eight o'clock. Called my attorney. He is very interested since I was not the first to contact him with the same problem. Others have complaints about this same company, situation, and a promise to pay, all in vain. He has been our attorney for many years and I am sure he will get to the bottom of why the insurance on the account was not honoring my claim and letting me know where I stood prior to the 'serve notice'. It is obvious the claim was not honored nor paid. Why was I not informed? They had my phone number to call if they needed something from me, but not to call if I was IN NEED? It is another waiting game now. Good Luck to all who has this problem. Last minute note: I did manage to have a ten-thousand dollar medical bill removed, along with other small amounts that were not our financial responsibility. That has been many years ago, and I had to go over each line item one at a time to do that little bit. The man helping me from the Credit Bureau was surprised when I told him I had never even been to California...where the $10K medical bill originated. 'Til the next time. I do agree with the content of this person's situation, although I do not have all the facts. I certainly understand how the person must feel.

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sears client
Milford, US
May 13, 2013 9:33 am EDT

My husband and I had this account for years. When he was hospitalized and can no longer work at his job he was also layed off and collected unemployment. When I contacted Account care, they asked to fill out the paperwork they mailed me with proof which I did. Being good clients to SEARS, we pay or bills on time. They refused to pay anything for the time he was hospitalized or layed off because we PAID OUR BILL IN FULL ON THE STATEMENT DATE. So good paying customers get PENALIZED. SHAME ON YOU SEARS for promoting this SCAM!
Mr & mrs Herold

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LLindsey
Springfield, US
Dec 11, 2014 1:48 pm EST

I feel the same way. I tried to receive this benefit and they also denied my claim. Even though I have paid continuously for their service since I lost my job in 2011. As said by many people, I pay in good faith for this service and should receive these benefits at any time. Not just a certain window of time.

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Temper
US
Aug 24, 2016 2:50 am EDT

I recently applied for and recieved a Sears Credit Card. The bills started, and I noticed "mystery Charges" and at first I paid my bill and more, and thought the charges was something that would be on the first bill, but they kept coming every bill, I called Sears they said they couldn't do anything about it, that was another company, but after a lot of run-a-round, they gave me a number to call the other company, I called and got a ten minute run-a-round, and never a assurence that this charge would be removed. A week later I recieved a letter and a sheet explaining all the reasons that I should keep this charge, and the letter said this is the "information you requested" I didn't need or didn't ask for any information, to me they were staving me off to try to get by with this scam. I will not stop until I recieve all the payments back.

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Sherry Hosack Vogan
US
Sep 06, 2016 4:20 am EDT

As a recent employee of Sears, apparently Sears billing is enacting a new run around policy where the billing dept. tells you to go into the store and speak to them about your issue, so you come into the store and if yes IF there would be a biller there for a complicated issue 3 times she did and would not get off her lazy butt to help the customer.
Good Luck people I will shop Lowes, Bon Ton anywhere but Sears! They have hit the bottom of the barrel and are taking Us with them.