Action 9: Widow Receives Wrong Life Insurance Payout After Company's Mistake

CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — Patricia Dunlap‘s husband died in March and she is the beneficiary of his $20,000 Primerica life insurance policy.

She has only been able to collect about $17,000 of the policy, though, because of a mistake about her husband's date of birth.

"The agent that filled out my form, he made that mistake," Dunlap said.

Patricia said the agent mistakenly wrote 1943 on the application when in fact her husband was born in 1941.

The mistake resulted in Primerica charging him a premium lower than it should have been.

WATCH: Action 9: Widow Receives Wrong Life Insurance Payout After Company¿s Mistake

When the mistake was discovered, the company made up the difference with a smaller payout -- $3,400 less.

Dunlap wants Primerica to honor the original amount, since it was the agent's mistake.

"They didn't call me back. They didn't call me back," she said.

Dunlap said she needs that $3,400 to pay off her late husband's old debts. "Got to finish paying his doctor bills, because they are still coming in the mail," she said.

Action 9 contacted Primerica in Duluth, Ga. A representative declined to comment on Dunlap's complaint, citing privacy reasons, but they did send her a check for $3,412.

Dunlap now advises others to verify their information on policy applications. She said to make sure "everything is correct before you sign anything."

WSOC