Agent Signing for an Applicant

[NCnatwidagent]

Just reading this topic should be a "wake-up" call to some of the agents that are doing this.
You need to play by the rules.....plain and simple! Stupid things like signing for a client just makes the real agents look bad in the publics eyes. IMO

 

[bill3173]

Just reading this topic should be a "wake-up" call to some of the agents that are doing this.
You need to play by the rules.....plain and simple! Stupid things like signing for a client just makes the real agents look bad in the publics eyes. IMO

Good thing about NC, it keeps any agents that want to have a future doing business in this State honest.

I think that I'd rather be tortured than to defend myself against something of that nature.

A client the other day asked me to sign something for him, and I told him that I'd mail it with a return envelope, a few days wasn't going to hurt anything, and he complied.

Better to lose a little money than to be stripped of rank and sent into the wilderness.

 

[ABC]

NO!

You will lose a contract and a license doing that.

 

[Norwayguy]

Good thing about NC, it keeps any agents that want to have a future doing business in this State honest.

I think that I'd rather be tortured than to defend myself against something of that nature.

A client the other day asked me to sign something for him, and I told him that I'd mail it with a return envelope, a few days wasn't going to hurt anything, and he complied.

Better to lose a little money than to be stripped of rank and sent into the wilderness.

So very right normal snail mail or fax machines are great...I'm also finding more clients with scanners willing to scan (short documents) and email them back to me...Just make sure the company does not require original signatures.

 

[arnguy]

not a trick question at all. I just bought a house and my lawyer had power of attorney and signed documents for me.

However, I recently read an article of an agent admitting to signing for an applicant and as a result lost his/her E&O ins. From what I understood, the applicant wasn't aware, but did want the product bound.

I'm assuming it went something like this...Agent asked the questions on the app (over the phone), gave a quote based on the responses; applicant said okay, bind and probably never gave it a thought as to signing an app and just went on about his normal business. Agent signed the app for the customer, bound the policy and went on with his week. The app got brought into a claim (I'm guessing) and the customer said that's not my signature...and so on.

I don't think it was a question of fraud so much as the agent just skipping a (very important) step.

Your example of buying a house and your lawyer signing your documents under a POA is like comparing apples and oranges. Your lawyer was acting on your behalf under a power of attorney which made him your agent and his classification became the attorney-in-fact (who does not have to be an attorney-at-law). It just so happens that your attorney-in-fact was also your attorney-at-law. Signing an insurance app is a different animal. No way would I want to be an attorney-in-fact for a prospect to whom I sold any insurance policy and sign the app on his/her behalf..

 

[insuranceexec]

Your example of buying a house and your lawyer signing your documents under a POA is like comparing apples and oranges. Your lawyer was acting on your behalf under a power of attorney which made him your agent and his classification became the attorney-in-fact (who does not have to be an attorney-at-law). It just so happens that your attorney-in-fact was also your attorney-at-law. Signing an insurance app is a different animal. No way would I want to be an attorney-in-fact for a prospect to whom I sold any insurance policy and sign the app on his/her behalf..

I just read where "Questions" wrote that and was going to respond the exact same way.

Great answer! You took the words right out of my keyboard...........LOL

 

[Questions]

I completely understand an insurance agent doesn't have power of attorney. Maybe it was a bad example; however, it does set the tone...I'm sure many consumers wouldn't know any different if an agent never asked for their signature. They'd probably just assume coverage is in place and they're good to go.

 

[bill3173]

So very right normal snail mail or fax machines are great...I'm also finding more clients with scanners willing to scan (short documents) and email them back to me...Just make sure the company does not require original signatures.

This company didn't require original signatures, but he didn't have a scanner or fax, so the old fashion way was it.

It's kind of funny, but original signatures are not the worst thing in the world time wise, just the mailing back and forth.

The killer for me is when they require a f2f meeting with the client. Those are the carriers that I seldom use.

Life Investors made f2f meetings mandatory this year even on the fully underwritten products. I wanted to write one of their apps the other day, but didn't want to drive 80 miles round trip to do it.

 

[Norwayguy]

This company didn't require original signatures, but he didn't have a scanner or fax, so the old fashion way was it.

It's kind of funny, but original signatures are not the worst thing in the world time wise, just the mailing back and forth.

The killer for me is when they require a f2f meeting with the client. Those are the carriers that I seldom use.

Life Investors made f2f meetings mandatory this year even on the fully underwritten products. I wanted to write one of their apps the other day, but didn't want to drive 80 miles round trip to do it.

I wonder if you did the app over the phone and uploaded it to the paramed so the paramed is getting the client signature while doing the paramed would that constitute f2f?

Seems pretty silly but then again I did a genworth app on a prospect 2 states away asked my normal health questions and based (on what he was telling me he should have been preffered once again on what he was telling me) I looked over the information the paramed took down saw nothing that wasn't disclosed and a couple weeks later the policy was declined boy was I surprised that the paramed didn't notice an amputation of his foot the client didn't disclose his type 2 diabetes that has already lead to amputation...that was one of my last out of state sales of LI....

 

[Frank Stastny]

I wanted to write one of their apps the other day, but didn't want to drive 80 miles round trip to do it.

The sign of an extremely successful agent.