Absa's Banking and Short Term Insurance is a Disgrace

<p>I have a 2009 Mercedes C200. The mileage is currently sitting on 107000km. It is still in excellent condition. I have a fully Comprehensive Insurance Cover for motor vehicle, HouseOwners (Building), Householders (Contents) etc. cover with Absa Insurance. Furthermore all my and my spouse’s banking accounts are with Absa including 2 bonds we hold on 2 properties.</p> <p>Recently due heavy rain and hail in Pietermaritzburg where I work for Belgotex Floorings the Sunroof started to leak which seeped into the car via the lights fittings situated on the front hood. Now every times it rain water gets into the car via the sunroof due to the damage caused by the previous heavy rain. I hardly ever use the sunroof. I took it to Mercedes Dealership in Durban to get it repaired. They told me that Comprehensive Insurance covers leaking sunroof</p> <p>When I made a claim through Absa Insurance they said that it’s not accident damage and they won’t repair the damage. I pointed this out to them that is in the policy … 1.1 comprehensive cover<br /> We will compensate you for loss of or damage to the insured vehicle including its fixtures and fittings while permanently fitted) which does not say it has to be accident damage.</p> <p>They then asked me to take the car firstly to Auto Magic for inspection and later to WebastoSunroof to find out the cause of the problem. They appointed an assessor to come over to Webasto on another day to assess the damages. This boggles my mind, firstly paying Auto Magic to do an assessment. Their report which I have a copy with me does not mention anything about the damages, just an overall assessment about the condition of my car. This was a time and money wasting exercise. Overall it cost me one day pay. Rufus of Webasto explained to me and the assessor about the damages. Then assessor then says to me that the Insurance won’t repair water damages. I asked the assessor if he read the policy he said to me he did not. And I asked him how he knows if my insurance would not honour this claim and if he is not fami**** with the policy. He says insurance won’t pay for water damages. It sounded like he was briefed on what to say because he had no idea of the policy. I went away telling him I would contact the insurance</p> <p>Webasto reported the following …</p> <p>Please note, you have been advised that the drainage system has to be replaced and not repaired. I advised that if it is not replaced, the problem will reoccur.<br /> <br /> I googled internet and picked up this bit about the comprehensive cover</p> <p>What Events Are and Aren’t Covered by Comprehensive Insurance?</p> <p>Hailstorms: Yes. If water damage is done to the interior of your car due to a hailstorm, comprehensive coverage may help cover the costs of repairing your vehicle.</p> <p>Leaks: It depends. Heavy rains can cause water to get into your vehicle, even when you have done everything you can to keep the water out. This can be caused by improper sealing of your windows, doors, and even your sunroof. When this happens, comprehensive coverage can help pay for damages done. Comprehensive insurance will not help pay for damages that are done due to your vehicle being in poor condition. As a driver, you are responsible for the upkeep of your vehicle. So if your car sustains damages due to water leaking into it over time because of poor maintenance repairs, the water damage caused will most likely not be covered. Same goes for owner error. If you leave your windows down and rain gets in, your insurance company will not reimburse you for the costs to get your car repaired.</p> <p>I do think that Absa Insurance are finding ways to refuse my claim. I pay a hefty monthly Comprehensive Insurance premium and they should honour my claim. I always know that if I have no satisfaction with my issues I would always get to speak to the manager but the team leader Alida Grieb refused me the option so speak the Claims manager. All my payments are done via Debit order on my account so I never get into missing payments. I also have on going issues with Absa with regards to receiving rewards on my Garage Card for fuel purchase. I am really dissatisfied with their services and am at a point where I want to change my bank and transfer all my accounts. Their service is pathetic. </p> <p> </p> <p>The Assessors: Bradley who assessed the damage and Brenda. Office 031 ********** </p> <p>Bradley cell ********** 673</p> <p> </p> <p>Team Leader: Claims Handling Alida Grieb ********** <p>Linda Sibisi ********** <p> </p>