Matrix Direct

I’m not sure who is worse, Matrix Direct or their insurance affiliate, American General (affiliate of AIG). Don’t do business with this company under any circumstances. Getting a simple term life policy from them was a complete nightmare (don’t be fooled by the cheap rates). Took four months to underwrite, during which 1) they lost my blood samples and required me to undergo two medical exams, 2) I had to contact them constantly to check on the status of the policies, 3) they messed up the billing on the policies via ACH despite my written and explicit request (put my wife’s policy on monthly rather than annual pay). After dealing with all of these issues, I decided not to accept the policy. Long story short, I still don’t have my money back, despite confirmation that the policies were terminated, complaints to state insurance commissioner, faxed in termination forms. I have made four phone calls to their sister company American General (800 number), put on hold three times, waited between 10 – 30 minutes for each, at which point the system just randomly hung up on me.
Don’t do business with this horrible company.

Suck it Derek, the last thing you said on the phone was that the policy would be in effect within 24 to 48 hours. I have you recorded as well as every other call with your boss who lied and promised he would not leave that day until it was done then just took off without the decency of telling me and then you come onboard and lie to us on the phone. I am seriously thinking about turning you in to the insurance commissioner and or seeking legal counsel. My son is back safely back from Vegas but had anything happened you had lied about him being covered and after that one idiot said «Oh just tell your mom I didnt answer the phone» you put me and my family at risk. This is the most unprofessional, irresponsible bunch of liars I have had to deal with in well maybe ever. Disgusting I will also do a review on Unilocal and maybe a complaint to the attorney general as well. This whole situation is appalling to say the least. Copy of an email sent to this company.
Dont do business with them. My son went to Vegas and I wanted an accidental death policy for him and the first guy I spoke to was rude and said because my son was an adult he had to talk to him which was fine but when my son called him he told him «Oh why do you even need this just tell your mom I didnt answer the phone when you called» Then after I called totally pissed the Boss promises he will get everything taken care of and wont leave the office until its done. Well he lied he left for the day and then this Derek guy takes over after multiple calls and emails he tells me the policy is in place and will be in effect within 24 hours. My son left for Vegas next day comes back a week later. Then two weeks later I get a call from this Derek telling me that theres still another form to fill out and the policy isnt even in effect yet. Wow unbelievable ! Good thing my son didnt get mugged or who knows what because this guy lied and he wasnt even covered.

I now have 4 children, time to get life insurance… Google Search: New York Life Insurance it has high ratings… I pick up phone and call 800 number. ring…ring…ring *
***Interception!!!***
Matrix Direct now has possession of the ball… now time to take this unsuspecting customer to the end-​zone!
Andrew picks up the phone in his cubicle: «How can I help. ok sounds good just take this test and we will get you the best rate»
**Two Weeks Later**
Andrew: High Cholesterol has dropped you from the best rate to the third tier down ($ 70 more per month), but not to worry, you can get the 20 year policy, retake the test in a year and switch to the 30 year policy where your results are better.
Unsuspecting customer: But I don’t want to take the test in a year or switch my policy to 20 years, I’d rather cancel.
***Time out is called on the field by Matrix Direct due to possibility of losing monthly residual… time to call in Defensive Tackle Jonathan to handle this play.
Jonathan: What you can do is can resubmit an independent test within 2 months from today’s date from a doctor of your choice, and the underwriter will honor the new results if they are lower and you fall into the range we are looking for. (Laughter in the background due to the fact that it’s nearly impossible to lower your cholesterol that much that quickly).
Unsuspecting Customer: Awesome I will do that (confirms with Andrew and Supervisor several times through email and phone calls to ensure that’s all I have to do) .
***Meanwhile: Unsuspecting customer runs 5 miles 5 days a week and eats more vegetables and fruit than Jack Lalane in his prime***.
Unsuspecting Customer: Hey guys! Gee Golly! I just got the results back from my doctor and they meet the criteria you were looking for! Isn’t that swell?
Andrew: Wait, hold up hold up… Whaa? No way… oh…there is one more piece of information that Jonathan «forgot» to mention **evil grin behind phone** the underwriters don’t just take the latest result… they take the AVERAGE between the one you submitted to us and the new one… and guess what? You still don’t qualify… HA HA HA HA HA Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas…
Unsuspecting Customer: Gee Mister… you mean I didn’t get the lower rate after missing many many dinners with my family and spent a lot of time away from home due to being at the gym ²⁴⁄₇ over the last 60 days just to take this test? After all mister, no one mentioned that they would take an average of both test, even after 15 emails and 4 phone calls regarding the subject of the independent test.
Andrew: Sorry Kid, It is what it is.
Matrix Direct could… go…all…the…way…TOUCHDOWN!!!
Well, time to cancel my plan because it’s like the band Talk Talk sang about in the 80’s «It’s my life… don’t you forget.»
What’s that Matrix Direct? It’s not your guidelines it’s the insurance underwriter’s? Yeah Maybe. But your failure to communicate that important information to me made me wreck 60 days of my life. Also, you retention skills on trying to keep me is unethical. I’ll be shouting this experience from the mountain tops. Keep an eye out in the papers as well, I ain’t finished with you.
Stay clear of this place or you will share the same fate as the Anaheim Rams. Wait, who? Exactly.

Spam spam spam spam, email spam and spam! (sung to your favorite tune!) :)
These guys sent me email spam for AIG Direct life insurance today, but their spammer vendor (the well-​known one in Belfast that used to list a Canadian address) was so incompetent that it messed up the email From: header and sent out non-​CAN-​SPAM compliant emails!
I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t want to discuss any kind of insurance with a company that can’t even spam straight!
As always, YMMV.

The company has gone down-​hill. Bad management has caused most employees to leave. This means less favorable experience for the client. They say they can work with 12 companies, and they can, but they are owned primarily by AIG. They are pressured into using AIG before any other company. This is something you don’t hear as a customer.
Select-​a-​quote is much better, their competitor.

I completed an online inquiry about life insurance. Just after I submitted it, I received my first phone call, and it was from a wonderful gentleman by the name of Jonathan Myers. He was so polite, answered all of my questions, and provided me with quotes for both 20 and 30 years, in addition to different amounts of coverage. He was very patient and knowledgable, and I was very satisfied with our discussion.
Jonathan scheduled a time for my medical exam, provided some tips on how to prepare for it, and also advised me to ensure I call HIM if an exam was not scheduled with me within the next few days. He didn’t say, «please call this toll free number,» he said, «call ME». I appreciated that personal attention he provided.
In addition to the ease of the preliminary application process, the exam went just as smoothly. Mind you, this all occurred within a few day span of Thanksgiving, so I would not have been surprised at all if the process was not less than perfect. But much to my surprise, it went FLAWLESSLY. Jonathan and the doctor both stated the entire process could take approximately 4 – 6 weeks for the policy to be in force, when in actuality it only took a couple of weeks…3 tops.
I’m VERY satisfied with the service, speed, and stature of Matrix Direct. I’m hoping and expect the same from American General, through whom I have purchased my policy.

I was very happy with the process. We just needed to replace a 10 year term policy with another company that was tripling our rates. We tried Matrix online and it was a pretty nice process. Buying insurance is usually quite a task but they made it relatively simple.
The price was right. In fact, good enough we could even go with the 20 year term so we didnt have to worry about this 10 years from now as we are getting older and you always worry about qualifying for the best rates.
No pressure. Felt less like buying insurance than just getting something sorted out. Thanks to the guys at Matrix (Brian and Gary to mention a couple)

to be honest any and every company if you google their name will have bad stuff. The best would have been to be solid and ask for 3 different prices from three standard companies.

I also spoke w/​a very knowledgable person on the phone for about an hour to complete the quote I had finished online. She had asked me health questions not asked on the online quote. I basically have no health problems. Based on that, she said she could only recommend one company to me… American General Life. She signed her father up w/​that one. She set up my testing appointment (about 2 weeks in the future) and took my credit card info for the initial signup. I’m not gonna say that she gave me the «hard-​sell» but asked a lot of questions and just steered me towards that one company and no one else.
Later on, I did some research of my own on AGL. On another site, it got 1.5 of 5 stars w/​5 reviews on it. You can easily find it if you search for «reviews American General Life». There are testimonials of policies cancelled by the insurer. Very disturbing read. I cancelled my testing appnt and I have basically lost all confidence in Matrix Direct. To think I would’ve been throwing money away listening to the Matrix Direct representative.
The bottom line is do your own research! Get your own quotes direct from each insurance company that you like and read up on reviews and complaints.