Shady practices by Bharti-AXA agents voided my insurance

Other BHPians checked their policies and found out they had been victims too...

BHPian dr.gk recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

In short: If you have done your vehicle insurance from Bharti Axa via Online and calling their agent, you could have been SCAMMED.

How: Their modus operandi is to intentionally alter the NCB (NO CLAIM BONUS) so as to give you the best deal. Once you receive the soft copy pdf through mail, you notify the agent over the call that the NCB percentage is incorrect, they smartly edit the pdf and resend it to you saying it has been corrected. Whereas it is not actually corrected in their system.

What will happen if your NCB is altered and wrongly put? (I am sure many of them do know about it but for those who do not): It simply means your insurance is termed void. This will only be done when an untoward incident happens and you go in for a claim. Your claim will be rejected. The insurance company will simply state that 'WRONG NCB DECLARED". If it's a total loss too, you will not get a penny. All this because their agent puts in the wrong NCB for gaining a customer and to get their commission.

To all those who got their insurance done via online/phone by an agent, please call the toll free number to check if everything is correct.

The above is based not just by my experience alone. but my son's as well. This is when I confirmed that it ain't a mere coincidence.

Now coming back to my own experience.

Like anybody else, during the time of renewal of my car insurance, I check a few insurance companies for the premium, with Bharti AXA being one among them.

Within 2 mins of entering my vehicle details and phone number, the agent calls. Simply give them the vehicle registration number and they will extract your car details. They also know when the present policy expires.

He (Mr Rajesh kumar): Ownership transfer in current policy sir?

ME: Not in the present policy but 3 years ago.

He: OK sir, whats the NCB in current policy?

Me: 20% NCB

He: Ok sir, this year you will be eligible for 25% sir.i

Me: Ok that's right.

He: Premium is so and so. I will send you payment link, pay immediately sir, while on call.

Me: Not possible now, call me later at night as I am away from my laptop. But send me the email.

He: ok sir.

Later at night his team-mate calls & confirms the same details. He gives the payment link and asks me to pay within next 15 mins.

The payment link is funny, you cannot view the details of what agent has filled in. Its a direct payment link, you make the payment, that's it. I did the payment 5 mins later and got the soft copy as well.

Here came the shock. The agent entered NCB as 50%. Immediately, I put in an email. No response. The sales team are done with their job and are no longer concerned. Immediately also put in an email to the customer service as well grievance redressal team. My policy hadn't started yet, and my complaint was lodged before the policy inception time stating that the agent has made a mistake and wrong NCB has been put, either rectify the mistake asap or cancel the policy and issue a Full Refund.

A screenshot of my insurance policy , notice the NCB given 50%.

A screenshot of the complaint I had put in immediately after the purchase of policy and before the inception time.

From then on, they sent me several emails stating just one thing - "Please share your NCB certificate or NCB statement of your previous insurer".

I asked if this is a joke? On what basis did they even put 50%? Did they have NCB statement/certificate back then??

They don't respond to this but repeatedly ask you to get NCB certificate/Statement.

Their agent has made the mistake, I am being made to work. Attaching the screenshot, 3 mails, and even the other 2 from Bharti axa were regarding the same, though subject was mine for which they replied the same.

Their only answer which they keep repeating.

Finally I write to my previous insurer TATA AIG, and they issue me the NCB statement, which i forwarded to Bharti Axa. Now Bharti Axa writes to me saying pay the difference amount of NCB and they will issue the soft copy again with the corrected one.

I mean, is there no accountability? No shame whatsoever to penalize the customer for the mistake of theirs??

Here's what BHPian mangalore_guy had to say on the matter:

It suddenly alerted me as I had done my policy through Bharti Axa just a month ago. Shockingly, my agent, MR Amit, had altered my NCB % as well. I had told him current policy has 25% NCB. He acknowledges it and says I am eligible for 35%.

While issuing the policy, he has simply altered it to 45% NCB.

Since we were still on a call, I pointed out the wrong NCB put for which he apologizes and says - "technical issue sir, don't worry, we will correct it and send the new copy ASAP".

He himself edits the PDF of the soft copy and emails me another copy.

I replied to the same email asking if the correction was done in their system as well, for which he replies affirmative.

I was happy I got a deal. Din't bother verifying it back with Bharti Axa until - Dr.GK encountered trouble with his.

Without wasting any time, I called up Bharti Axa toll free number. Asked them to check my policy & the NCB percentage it shows. To my horror they say 45%.

I own a 2016 Elite i20 Asta (O) which comes with 6 airbags. This is the main reason I spent close to 13 grand to get a zero dep insurance.

By altering my NCB and by editing the pdf, they are taking customers for ride in both ways.

1. Making you believe you got a good deal for your insurance package, without knowing the insurance you have is simply not valid.

2. Earning both ways. This side they get premium amount and that side, they can simply reject any claim that raises saying "Customer declared wrong ncb".

Highly unethical practice.

After reporting my above case with the Bharti Axa grievance redressal level 1 and level 2, they got nothing to say but "We are sorry for the inconvenience, we will get back with the resolution".

After 24 hours, the only resolution I am told is to pay for the NCB difference amount!!!

Paying is amount is not a big problem. I am still having nightmares at that thought that - what if i had not known about this at all??

Just not sure about how many they have duped so far and from when.

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