Formal Complaint: Warranty Claim Handling, Policy Administration Failure, and Resulting Financial Prejudice

I lodged a warranty claim with the Auto & General Warranty Value-Added Products Department on 6 December 2025. On the same day, my vehicle was towed by the same department to the Audi dealership for assessment.

On Monday, 8 December, I received communication from the assigned claims consultant requesting documentation to process the claim. I duly submitted all requested documents on 10 December 2025.

On 12 December 2025 at approximately 16:44, I called to follow up on the status of my claim. During this call, I was met with an extremely rude consultant who informed me, without any prior written notification, that my claim had been rejected because my policy had allegedly been cancelled. Despite my attempts to seek clarity and resolve the matter, I was told there was “nothing that could be done” and that I should contact the administration department the following Monday.

On 13 December, I contacted Auto & General again and was assisted by a courteous administration consultant who attempted to help. On Monday, 16 December, I was transferred to the collections department, where a consultant named Charlot provided meaningful assistance and investigated the issue. I was informed that my policy had allegedly lapsed in October due to “no banking details” being recorded on the policy.

This explanation was both surprising and concerning, as the premiums have been successfully debited. I was required to submit a bank statement to prove that debits had been occurring. Following this, I was assured that:

My policy would be reactivated,

The claim would be reopened, and

I would receive feedback from Anele by 18 December 2025.

When no feedback was received, I made several calls on 19 December 2025 to obtain an update from Anele. On each occasion, I was assured that he would return my call. I further requested to speak to his manager, Tumo, and was informed that he had also been notified and had been asked to contact me. Despite these assurances and the apparent escalation of the matter, I did not receive any call or feedback from either Anele or his manager. This represents an evident failure of escalation, accountability, and basic service governance.

I also explained to multiple consultants that I live in an area with no public transport and that Audi advised its factory would close on 19 December, making sourcing parts unlikely until the new year.

When I eventually made contact again, I was informed that my policy had still not been activated and that Anele could therefore not proceed with the claim. He later advised that the claim would be sent for assessment regardless and that the process would take a further 24 hours, with feedback only expected on 24 December 2025.

As a result of these repeated delays, broken undertakings, contradictory information, and failures in escalation, I have incurred unnecessary airtime expenses by repeatedly following up on issues arising from deficiencies within your internal systems. These costs were entirely avoidable and would not have been incurred had the matter been handled correctly and communicated transparently from the outset.

As a direct consequence of Auto & General’s administrative and system failures:

I will be without a vehicle until at least January,

I am incurring significant transport costs through Uber due to the absence of public transport in my area, and

I have been unable to access the 3-day courtesy vehicle benefit, which is contingent on claim approval, despite the claim being lodged timeously on 6 December 2025.

This situation is the result of internal system, process, and service failures within Auto & General, not any action or omission on my part. I comp**** with all requirements promptly and acted in good faith throughout.

I currently hold four policies with Auto & General, all in good standing, at a combined monthly premium of approximately R4,000. Given this level of commitment, the service I have experienced, characterised by poor communication, rudeness, failure to escalate, and administrative inefficiency, is unacceptable.

I formally request the following:

Immediate activation of my policy, with written confirmation;

Expedited approval and processing of my claim;

Consideration of compensation or reimbur*****t for:

Airtime costs incurred due to repeated follow-ups; and

Reasonable transport expenses incurred as a direct result of the delays; and

A formal written explanation detailing how a policy with active debit orders could be deemed lapsed due to “missing banking details.”

I trust this matter will now receive urgent senior attention and be resolved without the need for escalation to the Ombud.