Worst Insurance Experience – Lack of Communication and Accountability

On 7 August 2025, I was involved in an accident. Due to the shock, I only informed Budget Insurance later the same day. While still distressed, I authorized a towing company to remove my vehicle after they confirmed to me that they were covered by Budget.

On 8 August, I was informed by a Budget agent that this towing company was not part of their network and that only a small portion of the charges would be covered. I was told Budget would negotiate on my behalf and get back to me.

On 11 August, I was suddenly told the towing company wanted an additional R9,000. I explained I couldn’t afford this and requested Budget’s help, even offering to repay the amount. I was promised a callback that never happened.

Later that same day, another agent assured me they would request managerial approval to add the amount to my excess and that a manager would call me before close of business. This call also never happened.

On 13 August, after yet another follow-up, I received vague, inconsistent information, making it clear my case hadn’t been properly understood or actioned.

In the end, I had no choice but to pay the R9,000 myself. After that, I received only an SMS saying my car would be picked up from the towing company. No one from Budget ever confirmed receipt of my vehicle or gave me any updates.

Weeks went by with complete silence until I called repeatedly, only to discover my car had been written off. I was told my claims officer had “tried to call me,” but I had no missed calls or emails. Do they only try once? Was I supposed to just guess my car had been written off?

Even now, I’ve never had a single call from a manager despite being promised multiple times. Communication from Budget Insurance has been practically nonexistent. I have no idea if my claims officer, allegedly named Claudia, even exists because I’ve never spoken to her.

This has been the worst insurance experience of my life. I cannot recommend Budget Insurance to anyone. Based on this experience alone, it’s hard to believe the company deserves any rating above a 4 out of 10.

This entire complaint comes down to one thing: a complete lack of communication and customer service from Budget Insurance.