Lyddy-Martin Insurance Co. Richard Martin in 10 years never once serviced our health insurance policy and then held our policy hostage! Los Angeles, California

Once married, we decided to merge our health insurance policies. Upon doing so, I called our insurance company, Anthem Blue Cross, to determine how to go about it. In that conversation, I learned that my policy had been transferred to an agent who purchased the policy 10 years ago. I had no idea the policy had been purchased because I HAD NEVER BEEN NOTIFIED NOR EVER SERVICED BY THE NEW AGENT, Richard Martin. Upon further investigation,  I learned that, when the policy had originally been written back when I was a single man in my 30's, the original agent had signed me up for maternity coverage! (A large premium, I have been paying all these years!) 

I am in advertising and have a client who is a great insurance agent. I called her up to have her transfer and properly write up our new policy since Richard Martin never checked in or ever reviewed my policy with me. 

She advised me to call Richard Martin and get a release form from him so she could write the policy. When I called him, he stated that he "would never release the policy & the new agent would have to buy the policy" from him. What??? I have never heard of such a thing!

The new agent contacted Anthem Blue Cross and was instructed on how to write the new/correct policy for us and to transfer us to her agency. We signed a new application, had her servicing it for a few months (which, we were thrilled with her service!) only to find out Richard Martin had us transferred back to his agency!

My wife called Blue Cross and inquired how to get us transferred back to our new agent. They advised her to contact Richard Martin directly and request he sign a release form. When she contacted him, he refused and insisted the new agent call him directly for the release form. 

My wife conferenced in the new agent and Richard Martin to expedite the process. Upon doing so, Richard Martin, in his arrogant tone proceeded to insult the new agent, calling her a liar and telling both my wife and the new agent that having our account was purely financial (no customer service to be found anywhere!) for him since he "had purchased it from another agent and was still making payments on it."

When my wife claimed, "You have done NOTHING to service the account. You are in a service oriented business and should be trying to make the client happy. We DO NOT WANT YOU AS OUR AGENT! We want our new agent to handle our policy. Please sign the release form." He replied, "That will never happen!" To which my wife hung up on him. 

Upon further investigation, we discovered that Richard Martin has built his business by purchasing other agent's policies. That is primarily how he is expanding his business! Not the tried and true way most people do: hard work, good customer service that in turn, creates customer satisfaction and good referrals!

Thousand Oaks, CA