Action: Records show check was refunded

I ordered a pants suit from Serengeti in Chelmsford, Mass., in January. I followed up in February but have received neither a reply nor the pants. Phoebe Wyatt

Response: According to Serengeti's Judi Lichtensels, you were sent a refund check for $39.94 in February, and you deposited it Feb. 7. Lichtensels sent us a copy of the front and back of the check, which we will forward to you to jog your memory.

No easy answers

If this story were not so pitiable, it might be funny. A bill for lab work performed Jan. 22 (two separate claims of 11 items totaling $417.01) was submitted to Cigna HealthCare and paid. I received an explanation of benefits, which I somehow managed to misplace. That's what started this story.

On Feb. 14, I requested a copy of the EOB through the customer service line. I was assured this would take two weeks. Didn't happen.

I called again Feb. 27, and was told the first person did not do it right but that Armando would call me between 2:45 and 3:15 p.m. and a copy would come in two weeks. Neither the call nor the copy arrived.

On March 13, I was assured by Dale Fryer, the manager of Armando's team, that Cigna had to "reprocess" this, and that Joe would do this and both fax and mail me the results. In fact, I was told I would hear from Joe the same day. Did not happen.

On March 19, I asked to speak to a supervisor, and Venus advised me that she personally would put in the request. On another call to Venus, I was told she had submitted the request March 21, but that another department was now responsible for fulfilling the request. My request to speak to her supervisor was denied.

On April 10, I was told by Sharon that she would personally attend to this and set aside time in the afternoon to prepare the copy (one that would be acceptable to a second insurance company, which is why I needed the copy in the first place) and that she would fax it to me in mid afternoon.

Today is April 14, and I have received no fax (yes, my machine is operable and receives faxes daily). So it has been two months and Cigna can't seem to generate a copy of the EOB. I am not disputing the charges or the explanation. I just want a copy so I can submit a claim to the second insurance company. Bob Widmar

Response: What should have been easy to resolve is turning out not to be. Five weeks after contacting Cigna HealthCare of Florida in Tampa, we received our original correspondence back, including the envelope it was sent in, along with a form stating "We are unable to process the attached correspondence." The reason, according to a checked-off item in a long list of possibilities, is that your Social Security number could not be located in the company's eligibility database. We will continue to pursue this. In the meantime, if you have any paperwork at all regarding this bill, please forward it to us, along with a photocopy of your insurance card. At least your "disappearance" occurred after Cigna paid the lab.

Incomplete cabinets

This letter is a followup to the letter I originally sent you March 21 regarding Home Improvement Services' failure to complete the job on my kitchen cabinets. After Tony Jackson of Home Improvement Services in Clearwater received your letter, he telephoned us and stated he was unaware the job had not been completed.

He came out to our house April 24 and remeasured the drawer fronts that needed to be redone and also looked at the other things that were not completed to our satisfaction. We were told the company would be out the week of April 29 to finish the job. No one appeared, and we were not notified that they would not be coming.

I called May 3 and was told someone would be out May 8 or 9. Again, no one showed and no one called. I called Mr. Jackson May 13 and left a message for him to call me. My call has not been returned. Anything further you can do, or any suggestions for what we can do, would be appreciated. Patricia Dunn

Response: After two calls, Tony Jackson of Home Improvement Services in Clearwater got back to us. Your doors were shipped May 21, and the manufacturer called you to explain the delay. The doors arrived two days later and were to be installed shortly thereafter. We hope that by the time you read this, the job will be completed.

-- Action solves problems and gets answers for you. If you have a question, or your own attempts to resolve a consumer complaint have failed, write Times Action, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or call your Action number, (727) 893-8171, or, outside of Pinellas, toll-free 1-800-333-7505, ext. 8171, to leave a recorded request.

Requests will be accepted only by mail or voice mail; calls cannot be returned. We will not be responsible for personal documents, so please send only photocopies. If your complaint concerns merchandise ordered by mail, we need copies of both sides of your canceled check.

We may require additional information or prefer to reply by mail; therefore, readers must provide a full mailing address, including ZIP code. Names of letter writers will not be omitted except in unusual circumstances. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

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