Does anybody know if I have to pay this back?

[Lynx122]

You don't have to know the law in my country specifically I just wanna ask in most legal systems how would this be handled?

I terminated my contract with this health insurance company more than a year ago. They're honestly the worst insurance company ever. They're terrible at admin and constantly make mistakes that cause me to have to work for free to undo the clusterfuck they created. That's why I switched to a different company. But now a year later they send me a bill for like 1250 Franks and I'm like wtf I terminated my contract and you keep sending me bills. So I wrote them a complaint. They write me back and say we accidentally sent you this money. In Switzerland you can apply for cheaper health insurance if you're under a certain income. I didn't apply for that because I'm not even a client with them anymore but I don't know. Now they want me to pay them back. I don't know I feel like I deserve this money because they got me into a debt collection problem that also wasn't my fault and that stressed me out for a whole year because I had to deal with moving around and my toxic housemate getting the fuck out of there while I was also getting debt collection letters it pissed me off so much.

Is there any legal basis that lets me just keep this money or am I always obligated to pay it back? :)

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

In our legal system, under a certain income, health expenses are covered by public sector either entirely or a large fraction of it, there would be no good reason to get a substantial contract with private sector. Under a certain income.

Now for debt collectors, when they are knocking at the door, the best idea, in our legal system, is to contact the designated social worker of the district. As they can provide solutions to mitigate or cancel or find the best legal/economical response to handle debts and debt collectors themselves.

[bolverk]

I'd consult with a lawyer if I were you they are basically trying to 'demand money with menaces'. And there must be a legal time limit within which they can try to recover any monies that the health insurance company might have over paid you, especially as you say that "They're terrible at admin and constantly make mistakes".

[sage2021]

Charge them for storing THEIR money in YOUR house. Send them a bill for storage charges.

I've done that before and I was off the 🪝

[Lynx122]

Interesting idea :P

[Lynx122]

But if I charge them for storing their money doesn't that mean they can withdraw their money and then I'd have to pay them back? XD

[sage2021]

Hey, you had their money in YOUR house right? Didn't you have to protect their money? Another charge!! Storage fee charges times how long you had to guard their money in YOUR house.
Total it up, and send them a fricken bill!!
They can have their money AFTER they pay the bill you are going to send them.
Screw them!!

[Lynx122]

Ok that makes sense I'll have to mak the bill so large it won't be worth it then :)

[sage2021]

YAY!! Take a stand 👏

[NathanDavis]

you're not entitled to money you didn't earn

don't keep money that is not yours... especially, if you signed contracts

[jamesgoldman]

If you sign a contract, you're obligated to follow it through from what I've seen

[Lynx122]

I wrote in the question that I haven't been with this company for over a year I don't have a contract with them.

[jamesgoldman]

You signed a contract then and unless it was formally dissolved then it'll stand in court

I know associates have had contracts roll up 5 years later in the pasta