Yo Val,

It's not a scam, it's just the way all these insurance companies work. Here's what I mean:

1. Basic Health Insurance, and Complimentry insurance, are managed as 2 seperate insurances.

2. Canceling Basic Health: by law, you can cancel your Basic Health every year (if your cancelation letter reaches the insurance by end Nov)

3. Canceling Complementary: most companies make you sign contracts for 5 years. They'll tell you this if you ask it, but if you don't ask it, they'll most likely 'forget' to mention it. When you complain (like I did), they'll tell you 'but it was in the contract'. Right, it was. But unless you know to look for it or to ask about it, many new-to-Geneva folks don't realise it.

Net, I don't think you have a real legal case of calling 'scam' on them.

What can you do?

2 things:

1.  IF you still have your basic insurance with them, then negotiate. I told them that unless they release me of my complimentry insurance stuff (which is supposed to run for another 3 years!), I will move my Basic Health to another company. They didn't agree to relsease of me of my complimentary, but they did agree to allow me to replace it with a different complementry insurance, for a lower fee. I got part of the saving I wanted, but not all.

2. Check if your complementray insurance allows you to cancel the insurance after a claim. Some complemntary insurances allow this, and I think Mutuel is one of them.

Good luck!

Nir 
Nir Ofek, Nov 21, 2008 @ 22:18

yo Nir, what do you mean with cancelling after a claim?

I do use the word Scam and I will repeat it cause I did call them on the phone to clarify the condition to quit my complementary insurances and by when that could be done. They confirmed me that I will be able to quit them by 2009. They even repeated it twice. they said I could go to a lower level of coverage for 1 year and then cancel at the end of 2009. That's why I signed with another company for both. 1 year was acceptable but 5? So they keep disinforming people on purpose and I am really fed up with this, plus it is not in the contract they sent me what the cancellation policies are as I moved from a collective one to a private one, they just told me verbally (the wrong thing).

Any help is welcome as I do not want to pay two insurances for 5 years and going to a lawyer would be my last resort.

thanks Vale
Hoiling, Nov 21, 2008 @ 22:51

Yo Val,

By 'claim' I mean an incident where you have to ask them to re-imburse you for a health-insurance cost, which is covered by your complementary insurance. Again, canceling the contract after a claim is allowed only by some companies, you'll have to check.

About the scam: not I better understand. By what you write, it seems they just plain lied to you...

About other routes of action:

1. Threaten them that you'll go to the press about them mis-leading you.
You can also tell them that glocals.com - with 24000 members - will also do an article about it. Most insurance companies are sensetive to their image, and will try to avoid negative press.

2. Consult with other insurance agent.
I'd recommend Claude-Eric from Zurich Insurance ([email protected]), and Ardian from Helvetia-Wealth ([email protected]). Both are good insurance folks that I trust, and who speak English, and may be able to give you some advice.

3. If you have 'assurance juridic' (legal insurance), then use it to threaten Mutuele with a legal claim.

Hope this helps mate, it's no fun paying double insurance!
Nir Ofek, Nov 21, 2008 @ 23:09

[quote]yo Nir, what do you mean with cancelling after a claim?



I do use the word Scam and I will repeat it cause I did call them on the phone to clarify the condition to quit my complementary insurances and by when that could be done. They confirmed me that I will be able to quit them by 2009. They even repeated it twice. they said I could go to a lower level of coverage for 1 year and then cancel at the end of 2009. That's why I signed with another company for both. 1 year was acceptable but 5? So they keep disinforming people on purpose and I am really fed up with this, plus it is not in the contract they sent me what the cancellation policies are as I moved from a collective one to a private one, they just told me verbally (the wrong thing).



Any help is welcome as I do not want to pay two insurances for 5 years and going to a lawyer would be my last resort.



thanks Vale[/quote]



It might not be a real "scam" but its certainly scam-like. You shouldnt need a lawyer to sign basic contracts. Yet more and more swiss companies are working on the premise that you will not remember the date to "quit" a contract and thus are stuck with it, or didnt read the "fine print" and would sign you up for a lifetime if they could. its the same with swisslife, orange, dell leasing, and dvdfly.com to name a few. Any good honest company wouldnt need such clauses. A good company would know they could earn your business, and keep it, through good service, not by tricking you into staying with them. At least thanks to hoiling we know another crap company that doesnt deserve our money.
floydmarks, Nov 22, 2008 @ 00:04

Hi,

I actually had the same experience with Mutuel 2 months ago. I was about to sing a contract with them for a complementary dental and alternative treatment medicine. They said via phone one thing but when I asked them to confirm via email they skipped my questions or answered something different.

 

In my case it was in case of using the insurance abroad. I heard different versions.

5 years ago Mutuel reimboursed my massage treatment and teeth whitening abroad. Now they say it is not possible and I am confused.

 

What is your experience with using Mutuel Assurance Complementary insurance abroad? Do you know any other insurance that works well abroad?

 

Kris R, Oct 31, 2017 @ 12:08

Hi,

I have Dental insurance with Groupe Mutuel & it definitely covers treatment outside Switzerland. I've claimed for visits to a UK dentist over a couple of years.

 

Hope that helps...

kathyl, Oct 31, 2017 @ 13:08

Did they cover any kind of visit, like e g teeth whitening?

Kris R, Nov 1, 2017 @ 01:09

Don't know.. That might be considered cosmetic. I didn't claim for that type of work.

kathyl, Nov 2, 2017 @ 11:21