Lack of accountability

Pathetic, abominable, inferior, putrid, unacceptable, subhuman service from ABSA Insurance (Insurance Claims).

On Thursday, 18 May 2023, upon returning from a church service at 09h15, my daughter and I were shocked to see water gushing in torrents from our bathroom ceiling.

We called ABSA Claims and registered the emergency claim and we switched off the water and geyser immediately. Within minutes of our arrival at home, we noticed the discolouration of the wall tiles and ceiling caused by water damage. The ceiling in the kitchen was also damaged.

As geysers are high-priority emergency cases, ABSA Claims informed us that assessor would be at my home within 2-4 hours. SED Partners (the appointed plumbers) called to verify the appointment which had to take place between 14h30 and 15h00. At 15h35 we contacted SED Partners and we were told that the assessor was running a hour late. At 16h45 we contacted SED Partners again to follow up on the appointment but there was no response.

At 18h11, the assessor called us to tell us that he was on his way and we informed him that we were currently experiencing loadshedding until 22h00 and the home is in total darkness. The assessor arrived at 19h18 and made his way into the ceiling with his light.

The assessor informed us that the hot water pipe connected to the geyser was leaking, hence the leakage in the bathroom. We also asked him about the water damage to the kitchen ceiling to which he responded that the hot water pipe passes over that ceiling, hence the damage to the kitchen ceiling as well.

Prior to the assessor’s arrival at 19h18, we had called ABSA to inform them that the assessor did not show up at the allocated appointment time and beyond. ABSA Claims then allocated someone else to the claim (Dave Miller Plumbers).

The assessor from Dave Miller Plumbers came on 19 May 2023. He confirmed what the first assessor said. My daughter had showed him all the damage that occurred, including bathroom and kitchen ceilings as well as the tile damage. He concurred with the first assessor.

ABSA Claims contacted us later to confirm that Dave Miller Plumbers would be doing the repairs. Dave Miller Plumbers came on Monday, 22 May 2023. They replaced the pipe in the bathroom.

Once that was completed, ABSA Claims allocated our claim to Digicall Assessing Solutions to handle the ceiling and tile repairs. My daughter informed the assessor from DAS that the kitchen ceiling was also damaged due to the same hot water water pipe that was damaged.

DAS arrived on 27 May 2023 to complete the repairs. Whilst fitting the new ceiling into the kitchen, they noted that the SAME PIPE leading from the geyser to the bathroom is still leaking and was not repaired.

Currently, the contractors cannot complete the kitchen ceiling repairs due to the leaking pipe, leaving the home with a gaping hole in the ceiling during the icy month.

I contacted Dave Miller Plumbers and explained to them that the repairs done to the pipe was incomplete and forwarded pictures and videos of the leaking pipe as per their request. They told me it was out of their hands and that they don’t know if the pipe started leaking after the the assessors came, even though we showed them the kitchen damage.

They informed us to make a new claim with ABSA. We called ABSA Claims and we spoke to Nikita and she put me through to Marie who informed us to log a new claim even though it’s the SAME pipe from the FIRST claim.

It’s absolutely disgusting, frustrating and inhumane as it is clear as daylight that they did not assess correctly and adequately.