AARP Consumer Reviews - Page 6

I was overjoyed to turn 50 and lower my auto insurance rates through AARP Hartford. My (and my spouse's) driving record was perfect indeed. I had not even been in an accident caused by someone else. As years passed, I was even more pleased when I read the comment attached to my policy: "Congratulations! You've earned the First Accident Forgiveness and Disappearing Collision Deductible benefits. Because all drivers on your policy have remained accident and violation free for the last five years (May vary by state ...), including three with the AARP Auto Insurance Program, providing these records remain clean, We'll forgive your first accident. Your rates won't go up because of the accident..."

OK, now I'm 57, still with a perfect driving record, and Hartford was still assuring me that they will forgive my first accident. (need I go on?) In Feb, 2004, I backed into a vehicle in a parking lot. Minor damage, no one in the other car, no ticket issued. I found the owner, and as it was a Company car, he wanted to have a police report filed to cover himself. Hey, no problem, right? Hartford will forgive my first accident!

A month before the policy was due for renewal, I get a letter saying that, as a result of the accident, I was going to have a "surcharge" applied to my renewal. Well, gosh, I thought they were going to "forgive" my first accident. But, what the heck, the premiums were lower than I could get elsewhere, so what's a 10% charge for three years (The Industry standard)?

So, I get the bill they raised my rates by 80%! For three years! After paying premiums for seven years, their total payout for this claim was $300. I called their (arrogant) representative, and he told me that "unfortunately, it's not what the policy says, but what it doesn't say, that's important..." whereupon I cut him off and implied what he could do with Hartford. This is the third, and last, time Hartford will have the opportunity to misrepresent their policy, even to the point of lying, to me.

All further communication will be with AARP and the State Insurance regulators. I would elaborate on the other two instances (which involve age discrimination for auto and home insurance)but I guess this post is too long anyway.

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA -- As a member of AARP, I got an offer from Hartford Insurance to save more than $300 per year on car insurance. I requested a quote and as promised it was more than $300 less than my current company for the same coverage. My current agent told me if I could get that price I should take it. So, I switched to Hartford.

One year later when I got my renewal bill the price went up by more than $300. When I called Hartford for an explanation I was told that "Hartford had re-evaluated their Illinois rates". I have no tickets or accidents. Fortunately for me, I was able to go back to my old company. Now once again, Hartford is sending me offers to save $300 per year. I wonder if Hartford pays AARP for their endorsement? At least in my case any endorsements I get from AARP are suspect at best.

PORT SAINT LUCIE, FLORIDA -- Part of your monthly UnitedHealthcare insurance payment goes to AARP directly (they don't tell you how much). I paid $130 monthly for 6 months and they hardly paid anything out… still had deductibles and had to pay portion. What they tell you in order to get you to sign up and what is reality, it is a scam. Better off being with an HMO or just on Medicare.

I paid $46 for RX through them and had high payouts and was constantly told by RX Store that I must be in the "black out " period or something of that nature. It's a joke. The only ones profiting from these plans are the insurance companies. I opted out and I am trying Humana HMO plan - no monthly payments and I have getting better RX than with AARP and no deductibles to primary. So far, so good.

SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA -- AARP has allowed one of their associate companies in California to sell my private/personal email address to other companies for marketing purposes WITHOUT MY PERMISSION or INFORMING ME THAT THEY HAVE ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN. The associate company is the AARP Driver Safety Course which deals with this course in California.

Since I signed up for this course in May 2013 I have been receiving a huge amount of SPAM advertising!! I have NEVER had this happen before with ANY company.The worst part they DO NOTHING to address the issue. I recently received a false apology letter from the Washington DC office without a name or personal contact information. This is how much RESPECT AARP gives to their subscribers!!! DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH AARP! And especially with their associate companies who offer any service be it Driver Safety Courses OR ANYTHING!!!

TEMPE, ARIZONA -- AARP advertises with the filthy mouth Rush Limbaugh. This man is a drug addict who hates college students and calls them [snip] for using birth control. He is totally against Medicare and SS. He is really against the Affordable Health Care Act. He is the biggest racist, bigot on radio. Rush even hates animals and poor children. This jerk has been Married at least 4 times and does not have any children. His daddy was a big time judge somewhere down south. He did not protest the Vietnam war and did not have to go. No wonder he does not support Vets with jobs, health care, and the GI bill for education. He does not even have a degree, he never went to college. He has gone to far and needs to stop. I would like to unsubscribe to AARP until they stop supporting Rush.

NATIONWIDE, ARIZONA -- These have to be the most incompetent company I have dealt with. It makes you suspect that they deliberately obfuscate, arbitrarily deny claims and inordinately delay payments in the hopes you will give up and pay it yourself. When I made the mistake of switching to them in Jan of this year, my then doctor warned me about their practices but I didn't pay attention, even changing doctors because he refused to deal with them any longer. I should have listened. Fortunately I will have the option of switching away from them at the end of the year, which I will do.

AARP should be excoriated for daring to suggest that they endorsed this company because they offer the best option. In my opinion, it seems obvious that it was purely a financial motivation. I believe that AARP has no problem screwing over its members if it can make a buck. In my opinion, there is no integrity there. We need a viable alternative to AARP that is responsive to customer needs, and puts them first.

NEW YORK -- I am eligible for Medicare in June 2013. I signed up with AARP for UnitedHealthcare's Supplemental Plan F. I sent in my check for $257. Within the following week my husband informed me that my check went towards his Medicare Plan because we share the same AARP membership #.

This is a second marriage and I maintain my financial independence. AARP took my check and credited another individual's account with a different name. AARP never informed me. AARP has my money but my health insurance premium has not been credited. AARP has told me the only resolution for this problem is for me to obtain an individual AARP membership or just accept this as the way married people do it!

My choice of resolutions is to drop my UnitedHealthcare coverage and sign up with another agency, contact the NYS AG and the NYS insurance board. UnitedHealthcare should pay more attention what AARP is doing! They may lose my business.

AARP members beware that the drug prices listed on the AARP Walgreens internet site may not match what you are charged when you pick up your prescription at a participating pharmacy or through mail order. I had had previous problems getting my drug prescription filled for the price indicated on the AARP Walgreen's pharmacy discount program website. When I went to my local Walgreen's I was told that my prescription would cost over $65, not $4.10 as listed on the AARP Walgreen's website.

However, my experience today tops the cake! My husband went to Costco, a participating pharmacy in the program. My prescription was not going to cost over $27 not $4.10 as listed today on their website. I called the AARP Walgreen's prescription discount program Customer Service number and they told me that their website listed the wrong amount for the drug price and that the $27 was correct but that they would refer the matter to their internal technical department.

Furthermore the listed price for the medication through their mail order program would not be the $1.32 as listed but would instead cost over $130! I pointed out that this price would be even more than picking up the prescription at a local pharmacy and they said that was just how it was. They also intimated that I should have known the prices listed on their website were wrong because they were too cheap! (One is supposed to know intuitively that their website is not accurate). So beware fellow AARP members when using this service, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise.

First off I did belong to AARP, not any more. In fact I asked them more than once to remove me from all mailings and emails. Now, Hartford auto ins., they are a rip off. They kept hounding me all the time so I checked them out against my insurance I have now. They wanted $800.00 more a year than what I'm paying now.

Rip off here, and now if AARP is a non profit organization then why is Hartford giving them a kickback on all policies they write using AARP logo? That's why they want more so AARP gets a cut of my pie. Bunch of crooks. Asked them to take me off of all mailing list, 2 years ago and still getting them. They harass me all the time with mail and emails. I'm ready to sue their eyes out.

New York Life insurance company is currently running a TV ad that is obviously designed to scare the elderly into buying their life insurance. They are suggesting that if you have outstanding debts such as medical bills, credit card balances and funeral expenses they may fall to relatives to be paid. This is tactic is despicable.

No relative is responsible for any medical expenses or credit card balances beyond the ability of the deceased estate to pay. This assumes the deceased is to only one on the account.

Funeral expense are a different issue. They should be paid from the estate if at all possible. However the contract for payment is usually someone who is living. Whoever signs it IS responsible.

Purchasing enough life insurance to cover funeral expense may be a good idea if you can do it with hurting yourself financially. But do not be suckered into buying enough to cover all of the other items based solely on the idea that your son or daughter may have to pay them out of their pocket.