*******, ******, White collar *********

On the 13th April 2021 I bought an Audi A4 2.0T Quattro Stronic from Amprex Leisure T/A RPM Cars in Lonehill, Sandton. On the same day I took a comprehensive insurance cover for it with Budget Insurance. I assumed that all the necessary underwriting requirements were met and I was extremely happy with the promptness demonstrated by the sales consultant on the day. I can’t say the same with the way my claim was handled by the claims consultant.

On the 28th of June 2021 I had an accident in Queenstown, Eastern Cape Province. I lodged a claim on the 29th June 2021 after receiving the SAPS accident report. The claim was handled by the claims consultant who introduced herself as Ms Beverley Naicker. The claim process took much longer than I expected with more or less seven days in between the stages of processing and she kept requesting additional documents that will assist her to finalise the claim. There was absolutely no feedback and I had to call her to find out on what is happening with my claim.

After the extremely exhausting process which I strongly view as re-underwriting at the claim stage. What transpired at the end is the culmination of what I expected and I was really not surprised by the outcome. Beverley told me that they discovered that my car is not a Quattro Stronic, it is a Multitronic. It really caught me by surprise and confused as all along I knew my car as a Quattro Stronic not Multitronic as Beverley claim it to be. She further explained to me what that means, and that, Budget would only pay for the retail value of a Multitronic, not the retail value of a Quattro Stronic. She told me that the balance will be paid by my insurance for shortfall. At that point my understanding was that, my shortfall insurance will cover the difference and the instalment sale will be settled in full. To my surprise, the shortfall insurance indicated to me that, Budget Insurance have short paid my claim and that, they were supposed to have paid the balance of retail value of a Quattro Stronic as the cover agreement I have with Budget was for a Quattro Stronic, not Multitronic.

I immediately called Beverley and informed her about the outcome of my claim for the shortfall with Wesbank. That was the beginning of my troubles with Budget Insurance which I find myself obligated to pay the difference to the bank from my own pocket. I then asked me the clarify the following genuine facts:

1. The insurance cover that I took with budget is a comprehensive cover as reflected on the policy schedule. 2. The vehicle I insured with Budget Insurance is an Audi A4 2.0T Quattro Stronic, 2012 year model as reflected on the documents presented by the dealership to me and Budget Insurance respectively as well as the physical appearance/features of the vehicle. 3. The premium I was paying for my monthly repayments with the bank was for a Quattro Stronic so as with Budget Insurance cover. 4. Lastly, the documents that were presented to the bank and Budget Insurance also reflect the same, not the Multitronic as alleged by Budget Insurance.

I have raised the following concerns to Ms. Beverley Naicker and Ms. Megan Young which I find really interesting:

1. Why budget is only verifying the authenticity of my car at the claim stage, the information they claim to have requested from Audi should have been done at an underwriting stage of the insurance cover? 2. To me for Budget to only verify the authenticity of my vehicle at the claim stage shows that Budget have the skills, experience and resources to verify the information presented to them, but decided to deliberately ignore it so that they can use it to decline from paying the claim.

In addition thereto, when insuring the vehicle I also provided to the insurer with the VIN and engine numbers of the vehicle together with all the other relevant information that was provided to by the dealership to me. I would have expected the insurer to have picked up the discrepancy in the description of the motor vehicle since they had the VIN and engine numbers at their disposal when they were underwriting the insurance for the vehicle. It is also unclear to me as to how Wesbank could have agreed to finance this vehicle considering that they would have (I presume) been supp**** with the roadworthy certificate setting out the details of the vehicle (Dekra certificate). I just do not understand why at the claim stage this discrepancy is only now being picked up and I am the one who is being saddled to pay the outstanding balance as if I, as a layman, would have had the knowledge skill and resources to have noted this when even those with the relevant information could not pick up this discrepancy.

I bought out short fall cover for a Quattro Stronic and at no stage was I informed that, that information was incorrect.

The less said about the Ombudsman the better, extremely ***********.