Orlando retiree Charles Rahn says he went to grab his mail in early July and instead grabbed a headache. Inside was a “past due” notice for an accidental death and dismemberment policy he does not remember ever signing up for. The letter, from Franklin Madison, demanded bank routing and credit card numbers and listed up to $300,000 in coverage billed quarterly. Rahn says the notice looked official enough that he decided to call a TV consumer investigator rather than hand over any financial details on the spot.
Action 9's consumer investigator traced the mailer to Franklin Madison, a company that markets and administers insurance programs through banks, credit unions and other partners. The offer tucked $1,000 in “free” base coverage into the fine print, along with an option to buy higher coverage with fees spelled out in smaller type. A company spokeswoman told the station that the $1,000 coverage really is free and that advertisements are reviewed by insurance regulators, according to WFTV.
Who’s Behind The Mailers
Franklin Madison's website promotes turnkey insurance programs tied to financial institutions and points policyholders to an online account portal for billing and service. The Better Business Bureau lists the company as accredited with an A+ rating, but its profile also shows dozens of complaints from customers who said they were billed or enrolled without clear authorization. Those complaints and sample past due notices consumers have shared often describe automatic debits and confusing opt in language, per Franklin Madison.
Lawyers Are Looking
A Miami law firm, Shamis & Gentile, opened an investigation in March into allegedly misleading accidental death and dismemberment mail solicitations and is asking consumers to submit details if they were charged without clear consent, according to Shamis & Gentile. The firm’s description of the mailers, with a small complimentary benefit paired with an upsell funded by recurring premiums, matches patterns that have drawn scrutiny before. Coverage of a 2015 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau enforcement action against related marketing operations highlights why regulators and plaintiffs have questioned these enrollment and billing practices, per Lexology.
How To Check And Cancel
If you get a past due notice like Rahn did, consumer advocates say your first move should be to comb through recent bank or credit union statements. Look for small recurring quarterly debits and for a nine digit Coverage ID, which often appears in the billing descriptor. That ID is what the Better Business Bureau recommends you have in front of you when you call. Franklin Madison directs policyholders to its fmservice portal and a customer service line for account questions, and consumer guides recommend contacting your bank or credit union to dispute any unauthorized ACH debits and asking for written confirmation of any cancellation.
Keep copies of confirmation numbers and correspondence, consider filing a complaint with the BBB, and check consumer guidance such as LegalClarity if the charges or confusion persist.
Rahn's takeaway is simple. “Read it. Read it before you act,” he told the station. For anyone in Central Florida who finds a similar notice in the mailbox, that means checking your statements, writing down any Coverage ID, and contacting both Franklin Madison and your bank to put a stop to unexpected debits.
