1 reviews | Active since Apr 2012
Terrible experience regarding claiming. Terrible communication!!
My car was ****** but recovered by Discovery Insure on Wednesday the 17th of November 2021. I was quite impressed as it was recovered within an hour of reporting it ******. Unfortunately, the ******* had already stripped it. After Discovery reported that the car was recovered, I was told that it has minor internal damage and will be towed to an impound centre. I then received an sms with the claim number, the name of the claims consultant and contact numbers. I found them to be impressive.
The next day, Thursday the 18th of November, I went to the vehicle impound thinking I was going to drive out with my car only to find that the damage is major, the car does not even have a starting mechanism. I called Discovery while at the impound centre to arrange for the car to be towed to a safer place but was kept for too long on the line after requesting my allocated claims consultant that I eventually dropped the call. No one called me back. I called later on the same day to make the arrangements. I was happy to talk to any consultant to assist me. I was dismayed when they asked for details concerning the incident considering that I told emergency assist what happened when I reported it ******, Discovery's ground team recovered the car, knew about its state and its whereabouts. If I had not called, when was Discovery going to get the details from me? After all that, I was told to submit a copy of my ID and proof of ownership since I said it was paid up. As exasperated as I was, later on the day I submitted the ID and proof of ownership and made a note that the car has to be towed as soon as possible as it might be stripped further where it was. The guards at the impound centre informed me that they have a challenge as nyaope addicts strip cars at the centre. The next day, Friday the 19th of November, I received an email informing me that a service provider was appointed to remove my car from the impound and that the SP will contact me. No further communication from there. Mind you, I took up a policy that gives me 30 days car hire (I verified this on my policy documents). Up to this point no one asks me about car hire. I eventually requested car hire through the Discovery App and nothing.
On Friday, the 19th of November, I received a call from Discovery. I thought I was going to get progress report regarding my claim and my car. But no, the person wanted to arrange for a second tracker to be installed on my car. At this point I lost hope. I knew there is no communication externally, but I realised that there is also no internal communication at Discovery Insure.
Today is Tuesday the 23rd of November still no communication. I decided to call Discovery again to find out what is happening with my claim. Their appointed services provider still has not contacted me. I did not bother asking for a specific claims consultant and spoke to whomever answered my call. I asked about the progress of my claim and car hire. I was put on hold while the consultant got hold of Avis. He then asked me if I was not contacted by the service provider, I said no. He put me on hold again to contact the service provider. As I was waiting the call was dropped. No one has tried to call me back. On the upside, Avis called to arrange car hire. I asked that the car be delivered to me. The only available time is tomorrow at 15:00, I agreed. I then went to check on the App for progress on my claim, no progress posted. When I checked up on the car hire on the App there is a notification that I have 14 days car hire remaining. The count down has began even before I take possession of the hired car. I have 14 days remaining not 29.
It has been a week, there is no progress. As far as I know, my car is still at the vehicle impound stripped further my nyaope addicts. Twice I have received an sms from Discovery telling me to park my car in the garage because of the bad weather predictions. It would be funny if it was not so sad. I have been paying my premiums without any problems. It don't even ask for a yearly review just pay whatever yearly escalation no questions asked. Is this how Discovery Insure treats all its clients or is this an exception? It must be the norm, my twin brother had the exact same experience with Discovery Insure in October last year. How much longer do I still have to wait for communication? Discovery Insure knows. How much longer do I have to wait till I receive my car fully fixed? Who knows?! My premium paying behind will keep guessing.
She thinks my only problem is that there was no communication sent to me and about the car hire. She pointed me to an email sent on the 19th of November as proof of communication, which I clearly stated above. I asked her if she read the entire message and she said yes. She informed me that Discovery communicates in 48 hour cycles and I was going to receive an update today. Anyone that critically reads the message will see that communication frequency is not the only problem here. How is she (Discovery) satisfied with the fact that I had to call on Thursday for Discovery to ask about the incident details? How is she satisfied with the fact that when a client calls, requests a claims consultant and drops the call after a long wait, no one calls the client back? How is she satisfied with the fact that if I did not call on Thursday, Discovery would have called, emailed or smsed on Friday (48 hour cycle) to get information about the incident and ask for my ID and proof of ownership. Yes, communication was sent on Friday that Jibz was appointed to uplift my car. Did you care to follow-up with Jibz? She says Discovery was due to communicate today, what was the communication going to be about? She had to ask me if Jibz communicated, yet I made it clear above that they did not. Now she has gone to check with Jibz and revert. Is it not a reasonable expectation that someone that read my message would not ask me such a question and would have first called Jibz to find out about the status of the upliftment before calling me?
I highlighted to her that I informed Discovery that my car is not safe where it is but received no acknowledgement of what I said. I even indicated that I expected some kind of fast-tracking of the case. She then said you know the car is not safe but will still follow policy. It will take a week for the car to be uplifted. (I have just received a call and photographs from Jibz. Kindly note that it has been further stripped. Surely now the claim will be higher).
She then told me that I do get 30 days for car hire. When I referred to the message on the App she said yes I will be billed after 14 days if Discovery does not extend the car hire. This was not communicated to me hence I enquired about the 14 days. She did not address the fact no one asked me about car hire before I requested it. It is Discovery's policy not to ask clients regarding car hire? How is this person (Discovery) okay with this?
All I expected was an apology and acknowledgement of my grievances as you have done so above. Instead I get somebody that is condescending in tone but is sure to choose her words carefully. Someone that is smug and has private "gotcha moments" because you are within your 48 hour communication policy. Not a single apology came out of her mouth. No acknowledgement whatsoever about the incorrect handling of this case. By all means educate me about your policies but do so beforehand and do not treat me like I am unreasonable. This is very disappointing, at the very least. Please send your teams to customer service training. The customer's experience when taking up a policy is just as important as when a customer claims. I am not a fool, I should not be treated as one.
I have received another call from another consultant telling me that I have removed my car from the impound centre, yet Jibz is at that impound sending me photos of my further vandalised car.
She thinks my only problem is that there was no communication sent to me and about the car hire. She pointed me to an email sent on the 19th of November as proof of communication, which I clearly stated above. I asked her if she read the entire message and she said yes. She informed me that Discovery communicates in 48 hour cycles and I was going to receive an update today. Anyone that critically reads the message will see that communication frequency is not the only problem here. How is she (Discovery) satisfied with the fact that I had to call on Thursday for Discovery to ask about the incident details? How is she satisfied with the fact that when a client calls, requests a claims consultant and drops the call after a long wait, no one calls the client back? How is she satisfied with the fact that if I did not call on Thursday, Discovery would have called, emailed or smsed on Friday (48 hour cycle) to get information about the incident and ask for my ID and proof of ownership. Yes, communication was sent on Friday that Jibz was appointed to uplift my car. Did you care to follow-up with Jibz? She says Discovery was due to communicate today, what was the communication going to be about? She had to ask me if Jibz communicated, yet I made it clear above that they did not. Now she has gone to check with Jibz and revert. Is it not a reasonable expectation that someone that read my message would not ask me such a question and would have first called Jibz to find out about the status of the upliftment before calling me?
I highlighted to her that I informed Discovery that my car is not safe where it is but received no acknowledgement of what I said. I even indicated that I expected some kind of fast-tracking of the case. She then said you know the car is not safe but will still follow policy. It will take a week for the car to be uplifted. (I have just received a call and photographs from Jibz. Kindly note that it has been further stripped. Surely now the claim will be higher).
She then told me that I do get 30 days for car hire. When I referred to the message on the App she said yes I will be billed after 14 days if Discovery does not extend the car hire. This was not communicated to me hence I enquired about the 14 days. She did not address the fact no one asked me about car hire before I requested it. It is Discovery's policy not to ask clients regarding car hire? How is this person (Discovery) okay with this?
All I expected was an apology and acknowledgement of my grievances as you have done so above. Instead I get somebody that is condescending in tone but is sure to choose her words carefully. Someone that is smug and has private "gotcha moments" because you are within your 48 hour communication policy. Not a single apology came out of her mouth. No acknowledgement whatsoever about the incorrect handling of this case. By all means educate me about your policies but do so beforehand and do not treat me like I am unreasonable. This is very disappointing, at the very least. Please send your teams to customer service training. The customer's experience when taking up a policy is just as important as when a customer claims. I am not a fool, I should not be treated as one.
I have received another call from another consultant telling me that I have removed my car from the impound centre, yet Jibz is at that impound sending me photos of my further vandalised car.