So my wife was in an accident where our car was rear-ended by a Founders Insurance policyholder. Fortunately, she was was unhurt but our car sustained considerable damage. The other car sustained alot of damage as well and even had the windshield shattered and both front air bags deploy. Strangely enough, the driver of that car drove that car from the scene with the bags out (shows you the mentality of a Founders customer). At any rate, we went and got our estimates that day, one from a shop of our choice and from the 2-bit body shop they sent us to here in Berwyn (you should see this place … it should be called BondoWorld and it is on Ogden Ave. in Berwyn). Coincidently, after telling a friend that our car was in an accident, he blurted out “Don”t take it to “XXXXXX, they will f your car up worse” … the same body shop that Founders sent us to and my buddy had no idea we got an estimate from there! So moving along, we were told our estimate would be submitted by the following Monday (this happened on a Friday). Well a week went by and we called Founders. Our claims adjuster, Susana, said she had not received the estimate yet. I called “BondoWorld” and was assured that the estimate had been sent 2 days prior electronically to Susana, not the Monday we were promised but close enough. I further called again the next day and was told the same thing by “BondoWorld”. So for the next week, I left numerous messages for Susana, none of which was returned. Finally, I called Founders and asked to speak to someone else and was directed to Javier, the Claims “Team Leader” … you guessed it, I got his voicemail and no call back but suddenly i got a private call on my cell … you know the type … when someone calls you anonymously and no number appears, making it less likely for you to pick up the call. You guessed it, it was Susana leaving me a message that she had not received the estimate yet! How can a public insurance company make a private call like that? I know for a fact you have to punch something on the phone to disguise your number. I called Javier again and of course “Javy” can”t return my calls either. So here I am with a car with a trunk that won”t shut, a passenger door that won”t close completely and 5 kids that need transportation to everywhere. Oh by the way, the time we were able to speak to Susuana, her advice was to go ahead and claim the accident on my own insurance and let them fight it out … this way I could get my car fixed. My Allstate agent and I chuckled about that one … but even they cannot reach this mysterious Susana or Javy. By the way, all of these people are hispanic, including the driver of the other car. I am not saying this to be racial, because my wife is also hispanic. They tried to play the “no speak ingles” thing with me and were rather taken aback when my wife spoke to them in spanish! So my advice is 2 fold … do not get Founder”s Insurance and if you have an accident with a Founders policyholder, GET AN ATTORNEY IMMEDIATELY … I am doing so tomorrow. Thanks for reading this, any advice or comments (or a dirty a$$ attorney), contact me at [protected]@comcast.net.
Colleen Tisch
To whom this may concern: My name is Jhelisa Thompkins and I am writing this letter of compliant because my car has been totaled. My calls to Founders Insurance Company have been continually ignored and my child and I have no vehicle for daily transportation. This forces me to bring it to question the business pratices of this company and I wonder how they manage to stay in business with such questionable procedures. I have been without my car for two months now and I have yet to speak with a real person nor have my several messages been returned. I feel as if I am being ignored and I am seeking counsel as to how I can recieve satisfaction in this matter. What kind of place is this that totally ignores its claims as well as its claimants. The pratices of Founders are deceitful, manipulative, frustrating, and unfair. They are people with out conscience, I am not a vindictive person but I wish they could experience what they are forcing me to go through. They are pushing me to anger and I will not be ignored. Can you say LAWSUIT/ DAMAGES, PAIN & SUFFERING. I had to miss a week of work I was so upset I told my boss. I was surprised when he told me he had the same problems with the same company, when the church van was hit. He told me it took him 90 days before he got a response. Since he is a Pastor and they did this to him and the church there is no telling how long they”ll make me wait. My last recourse will be to file legal action against Founders. My court day has come and gone, and the case was thrown out the insured hit my car and is finanically responsible, she is to replace my CAR.