Spiteful and vindictive claim treatment with very poor and unprofessional customer service

Underlying Claim Complaint: (Customer Service Complaint below)

Had a cellphone (Samsung S6) purchased and insured through Cellsure when I took out a Vodacom Contract over 3.5 years ago. I kept the same phone insured even though I did not upgrade phones but extended the underlying contract after the first 24 months. I had to now claim after 3.5 years and the claim was subsequently approved.

However upon going to Vodashop Melville where I requested a phone (Huawei P20 pro) within the same value band that I was insured for, the Cellsure claims department advised the Sales Assistant and myself that I can only get a Samsung S9 because that is the replacement phone for my insured Samsung S6 which has been discontinued, and not a phone that is the same value (and within the same cellphone value band as the Samsung S9) but a different brand. The values and bands was confirmed by the Sales Assistant at Vodashop Melville. This makes zero sense as I am not prejudicing Vodacom in any way by requesting a phone different to the replacement phone according to Vodacom and is in the same cellphone value band (and same value) that I have been paying my premiums religiously for all these years. The Cellsure claims persons (will explain why more than one below under Customer Service) could not justify or explain why I was paying a premium for a defined value of a phone and when it came to claiming, I am not able to claim for a value that is clearly within this band. This clearly makes it that I am paying a premium for which I am not receiving the value/benefit for - and again I was not given a reasonable answer as to why this is the case. I am not "upgrading" to a higher value/better phone - just a different brand that has the same value and is in the exact same value band of the Samsung S9 which they were going to replace with anyways. Again zero prejudice/financial downside for Vodacom Insurance.

The strange thing is that the Sales Assistant at Vodashop Melville (coincidentally the same assistant who helped me over the years with my Vodacom Contracts and upgrades and also sold me the insurance) was surprised to hear of this. He noted that just yesterday (02/01/2019) he was able to replace another customers Samsung S6 with a phone other than a Samsung S9. He even expressed his surprise to the Cellsure Insurance person and explained that he was able to do the exact same thing the day before. Even he explained to the Vodacom Insurance person that the two phones are in the same cellphone value bands and that it makes zero sense that I should not be able to choose a different phone of the same value and in the same value band - especially as I have been paying the premium for this value in any case.

To me this just seems very discriminatory, petty and spiteful, as it has no impact on Cellsure financially or otherwise - especially as I have been paying premiums for this value band. Something also sounds strange as the Vodashop Sales Assistant was suprised to hear of this "policy" and was able to perform the exact same claim just the day before.

Customer Service Complaint:

The submission of the initial claim online and the subsequent approval was easy and hassle free. However the service received from Cellsure from the time I went in store to claim was terrible. The Vodashop Sales Assistant was helpful and tried explaining to the Cellsure Claim person what I have described above. She seemed to have a poor attitude towards him firstly as he had to ask her multiple times to not interrupt him and and to listen to what he is saying (he was explaining his claim done the day before and also the value of the phones being the same). When he asked her to explain the situation to me as the client, she was again very resentful, if not rude, in explaining the situation to me. When I told her that the situation was unreasonable and made zero sense, and asked her to explain to me why it mattered to Cellsure what phone I got if it did not impact them financially, and if I was paying for that phone value anyways - she could not give an answer but just said that this is the policy. I then asked to speak to a manager, to explain to me how the above makes sense and to explain my perspective. i was then put on hold for close to 5 minutes, then told by the Claim person that the manager is busy and will call me on my cellphone shortly. I waited over 30 minutes and received no phone call - still waiting inside the Vodashop. I then called the claims department back, which has to be through the call centre - and was placed on hold, and then when I explained the situation to the next Claim person after giving my details and reference, was given the same story. I explained that a manager was supposed to call me back 30 mins prior but didn't she asked me to hold. I was again placed on hold, then someone lifted the phone but did not answer/speak to me - I could hear her screaming at someone in the background and "Ha ah" which i know colloquially to mean "no". She screamed this a few times to someone in the background, then subsequently dialled on the keypad as I got the Dial sounds on my side and the line then went dead and the call was ended - Very unprofessional and rude. I called again - same story - another claims person not able to explain just saying its policy and then "putting me through" to a manager. I was placed on hold for over 10 minutes again and this time I was greeted by someone a the switchboard. i explained that i am now being shoved from pillar to post and could she please put me through to a manager - placed on hold again - and call later answered by another claims person not a manager. I went through the same story above again and asked to speak to a manager - held on again and call was finally answered by a lady who identified herself as Patricia Tilotsane, and said she was an Assistant Manager. She was also very unwilling to listen to my perspective and could not explain why the "policy"made sense and why i was paying for something for which I received no benefit. i asked her to speak to the Vodashop Sales Assistant which she did but told him off also for even trying to explain the phone values and value bands. She then just blatantly and rudely told me "you will not get another phone". I asked if I could speak to her manager but was told he was not available. I realised that the customer service was not going to improve and I was not going to be treated respectfully or professionally. I asked her for her name and for her manager's name and also asked how i could escalate this which she then gave me. I then explained the above experience to her and the poor and unprofessional service I received. She could not care less - no apology or anything - just as the others did. I asked for the details of the Short term Insurance Ombudsmen.

I am writing this review to raise awareness of the poor and unprofessional service and also the very discriminatory, petty and spiteful treatment on my underlying claim.