1 reviews | Active since Apr 2011
Why am I still insured with Discovery?
I was involved in an accident 21 November 2019 when a small utility vehicle bumped into my rear on the Edenvale offramp, bumping my towbar and it shifted to right against my bumper. The other driver reported the accident to the police and I submitted a claim via my broker. A claim was logged quickly but from there things went pear shaped. No agent from Discovery once contacted me via email or phone about my claim. After having car assessed (once again arranged by my broker), I waited and waited , sent numerous emails and phonecalls to the assigned repairer and eventually in the 1st week of December got hold of them . N4 Autocraft then kindly informed me that they were accepting cars before the December break still up to the next day, which was 3/12/19 so I rushed over and booked my car in. A week later this repairer contacts me to inform me that Discovery assessor’s assessment was not accurate and there was more damage than initially quoted for. This led me to believe that my car likely was standing at the repairer for a week before someone even had a look at my car. Somehow the assessor apparently never quoted for the repair of the towbar (which I actually had pointed out to him- it was the only visible damage to me). So.. I assumed my car would not be fixed before Christmas. 2nd week of Jan I get a call from the repairer asking for the key to the towbar. Now I bought the car with the towbar fitted in 2012, so I have no key. Have never needed to remove the towbar. I suggested they phone the dealership for a new key or a locksmith whereupon they tell me they know nothing about Infiniti towbars. Eventually 2 days later they call to inform me the car is ready. Apparently they managed to take off and put the towbar back without a key.
When I arrived to collect my car, it was not ready. I waited almost 2 hours during which I stupidly paid the excess in the meantime assuming my car had been fixed. On inspection 2 hours later I see that the towbar looks exactly the way it looked the day of the accident. It was totally useless to me, bumped right against my bumper.
I called my broker and asked her to mediate ghis matter as I was not at all satisfied that after 2 months my car still was not fixed.
A lot of back and forth emailing and calls they decide the towbar (not the key..) needs to be replaced. Now the repairer phones to tell me a new towbar costs R15000 and insurance only covers R11000. Now in no place in my policy is it specified that the towbar is only covered for a specific amount. My broker claims that the towbar is an extra and the insurance does not cover the new replacement value. I am responsible for that difference.
Now I also have to point out that even though my policy includes a rental vehicle for the time the other vehicle is repaired, none was offered to me. It has been more than 2 months since the accident. The agent assigned to my claim has not ever contacted me. Apparently his name is Katleho??
I emailed a letter of complaint to Discovery directly and received an automated reply with a reference number but nothing further.
I have never in my life received such terrible service from an insurance company.
The only question is why I am still insured with Discovery.. Once this has been resolved I sure need to look for other insurance. Discovery is too big and could not care less about customer service.
