Customer Review - 21st Century Insurance

Fees and more fees.

I have been a customer with 21st Century for about two years now. During this time, I have always paid my monthly premiums using their auto pay system. Due to personal reasons I had the cancel the monthly auto pay so that I could pay when funds were available. After a month’s time, I called back in order to my monthly premium using 21st century’s automated phone service. I quickly learned that I would be charged an additional $3.25 for using their automated service. I went online to see if I could get around this fee and noticed that I would be charged the same fee for using their online services as well. I’m sure that by now you’re thinking to yourselves it is only $3.25, but I look at it as this. Example, $3.25 times 10,000 people would equal $32,500 just for processing our monthly premium that already cost most of us on average 100 dollars or more. With this in mind, I called their call center to speak with a service rep to see if she could waive this fee. To my surprise she informed me that I would be charged this same fee unless I signed back on with the auto pay. I asked why I was being charged this additional fee just to pay my bill; she stated that this fee was from a third party that processes their payments, HUMMM, really!!!!!! I'm sorry but I thought we were in 2011 almost 2012…. As I stated to her, this processing fee was between 21st and the third party. I shouldn't be charged an additional fee for using their automated systems (phone or internet) just to give them money for a service.
As most of us know, this is why Bank of America started to experience push back from their customers when trying to implement their 5 dollar ATM fee. Corporations are trying to stick it to us anyway that they can by nickel and diming us with fees for every little thing… Can you smell the “Corporate GREED" in the air???? I voiced my opinion to the rep about this fee and stated that I would be moving on to another insurer that doesn't charge fees just to pay my bill electronically.
I understand that fees are part of life and sometimes businesses must charge a minimal fee for some things in order to keep cost down, but to give money to you for my insurance???? This is one of the reasoning’s behind occupy Wall Street movement right to this day. Unfortunately, if we don’t start pushing back on big corporations trying to get over on the 99%, expect nothing to change. Like we have for so long now we find ourselves paying fees for things that shouldn’t’ cost the consumer. If we do not stand up now and voice our opinions about things like this, then the future will be riddled with fees. In order for the U.S to become a better place not just for us, but the younger generations; we must tell corporations that enough is enough.