inhuman behaviour at a time of need

On October 30, 2023, I purchased a second vehicle because I already had another car insured with Auto & General for over a year, and I anticipated better service from them. However, on 2/11/2023, I missed a premium payment. I was informed that I had a 15-day grace period to pay.

During this period, on 10/11/2023, I decided to cancel the policy because Auto & General refused to reduce my premium despite other providers offering lower rates. Despite my five separate conversations pleading with them, they did not accommodate my request. I was told that if I didn't pay in cash, they would debit my account on 17/11/2023. At no point was I informed that I would not be covered, but they mentioned that my policy would lapse at the end of November 2023.When I tried to pay online, the system displayed an error stating "Account cannot be paid." On 12/11/2023, my car battery died, and when I contacted my insurance, they informed me that I was not covered. I insisted that this couldn't be true as I had been told I was covered. I demanded to speak to someone senior but was told that both the boss and the 2IC were unavailable. I was left stranded in my car, and despite assurances of a callback I never received one.

On the following day, I asked Bongani to cancel my policy and stop the scheduled debit order for 17/11/2023. Initially, he insisted that I still needed to pay the premium for the 13 days, but after I questioned the logic behind paying for no assistance the previous day, he reversed the decision. When I requested to lodge a formal complaint via telephone, he directed me to the roadside assistance email, which I found frustrating. Expressing my dissatisfaction, I refused to email people who hadn't assisted me during the crisis and insisted on reaching someone via telephone. I warned Bongani that the email I would send would be to the Ombud, expressing my frustration with the lack of accountability and what I perceive as inhumane behaviour from Auto & General. The constant redirection of my concerns only added to my dissatisfaction with the company's service. I am now requesting recordings for two specific dates: 12/11/2023 at 11:24 a.m. with Karabo and 13/11/2023 at 12:55 p.m., 13:06, and 13:08 with Bongani. The entire experience has left me with a negative impression of Auto & General's customer service.