I have maintained several insurance policies and worked with multiple insurance agents over the…read moreyears, so I understand what professional, responsive service should look like. My experience with this agency was positive while Marisa was employed there. She was responsive, knowledgeable and professional. However, once Marisa was no longer with the agency, the quality of service declined dramatically.
Zach was frequently unresponsive, and I often had to send multiple follow-up messages just to receive basic information or an update. His lack of timely communication and follow-through contributed to delays in the refinancing and closing of our property. This was an important financial transaction, and the difficulty obtaining the necessary information and documentation created unnecessary stress and complications.
When Zach did respond, I found his tone to be condescending, dismissive and unprofessional, even though I was asking reasonable questions about my policy, coverage and money. I repeatedly felt as though my legitimate concerns were being treated as an inconvenience rather than addressed with the seriousness they deserved.
I also developed significant concerns about the agency's accounting, recordkeeping and handling of our insurance coverage. Based on my review of the property appraisal and the coverage that was issued, I believe the property was insured for substantially more than was appropriate. In my experience, the appraisal was not properly reviewed or taken into consideration when the coverage was established. This resulted in us paying an egregious amount of money for insurance coverage that did not appear to accurately reflect the property's appraised value.
The problems continued when I requested that the policy be cancelled. The policy was not cancelled when I initially instructed Zach to cancel it, which led to additional delays, confusion and financial consequences. I then received inconsistent information and changing explanations regarding the cancellation and the money owed back to us.
As a business and property owner, I expect an insurance agent to carefully review relevant documents, recommend appropriate coverage, maintain accurate records, follow written instructions and communicate clearly. Instead, I was repeatedly forced to track down information, request clarification and advocate for myself throughout the process.
I made multiple attempts to resolve these issues directly and gave Zach several opportunities to correct the situation. Because of the continued lack of responsiveness, condescending communication, concerns about the coverage and accounting, and failure to cancel the policy when requested, I ultimately filed a formal complaint with the Ohio Department of Insurance and Zach and Sphere Agency are currently under investigation for insurance fraud.
Based on my personal experience, I cannot recommend Zach Ball or this agency. I strongly encourage consumers to keep all communication in writing, compare the coverage limits with their appraisal, carefully review every policy document and independently confirm that cancellation requests, payments and refunds have been processed correctly.
