WORST SERVICE EVER - DISCOVERY INSURANCE

I had an accident on 27/03/2024 and was allocated a service consultant Annelize Meyer with email address ***. She emailed me the damage report on 03/04/2024 and assisted me with car hire via email between 03 April and 06 April as I travelled between provinces during this period. My car was at Renew-it Rivonia for exactly 2 months ****il 27 May 2024). I only spoke once to Annelize Meyer on the phone once which was 03 /04/2024 to assist with car hire of a courtesy vehicle and I then never heard from her again despite the numerous calls and emails I sent throughout the two months. On 18/04/2024 I received an email from *** stating the following: Update on claim: Good day, I hope this email finds you well. The repairer advised that they are awaiting vehicle parts, fog lamp brackets, radiator grill, left head lamp, left and right air deflector, number plate and the base.eta tomorrow. PARTS NEVER ARRIVED. NOT A SINGLE SOUL AT DISCOVERY CALLED OR EMAILED TO TELL ME. I HAD TO CALL THE REPAIRER TO FIND OUT THE STATUS OF MY VEHICLE. INFACT, THE ENTIRE 2 MONTHS, I CALLED OR WENT TO THE REPAIRER, NO ONE AT DISCOVERY CALLED OR EMAILED ON MY BEHALF. On 24 April I advised discovery that the 30 days of car hire was approaching but repairs on my vehicle had not commenced and I had received numerous communications from Avis to return the vehicle on 30/04/2024. Here is the email: Good afternoon . I have received an extension on the rental vehicle until 30/04/24 to be returned at 12h27. Please may I request that the return time be amended to 16h30 as I cannot unfortunately leave in the middle of a work day.Repairs on my vehicle have not commenced yet as the parts have not arrived. So I forsee needing the car up to and including the 30/04/24. Please kindly advise on this matter. I NEVER RECEIVED ANY RESPONSE. The email was sent to *** and ***. NEITHER SAW IT NECESSARY TO RESPOND OR TAKE ANY ACTION. So on 30/04/24 when the car was due to Avis, I went to the repairer to plead for assistance as I had called discovery insurer more times than I can count over the 6 days. The repairer sent this email pleading on my behalf: Good day Annelize,Trust you are well. Client is at the branch irate and frustrated due to having to return the car hire vehicle back to Avis. She’s a single mom and has no means of getting her child to and from school without a vehicle.Her vehicle is currently awaiting parts and the ETA is this week, kindly assist with car hire extension. AS YOU WILL HAVE GUESSED BY NOW, WE DID NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE. I SAT AT RENEW-IT RIVONIA CRYING FOR OVER 2HRS, WHILST I KEPT BEING TRANSFERRED TO NUMEROUS DIFFERENT PEOPLE BEFORE I RECEIVED ASSISTANCE FROM A KIND CONSULTANT CALLED AMINA TIMMS. SHE EXTENDED MY CAR HIRE FOR 8 DAYS. On that same day I sent this email : Good afternoon Nkateko and Annelize. I write this email with so much disappointment and anger with the lack of customer service you have provided me. I have called in almost everyday to request your assistance. When I email I get no response. When I call, I can never get put through to either of you and my calls are never returned. How is that possible when I am a paying customer who has never defaulted on payments? The insurer is quick to debit the customer but not quick to respond and offer assistance when it is required. Why do I have to beg and plead to be provided a service that I am paying for? Why am I running after the insurer, calling in and emailing for a service I am paying for? At no fault of my own or Renew-it, we are at day 30 of the car rental and my vehicle is still awaiting parts. How am I expected to return the vehicle I have when mine is not ready? How am I expected to fulfill my work duties when I cannot get myself to my work place? How do I transport my child to and from school with no vehicle? How do I find myself in a position where my job security will be compromised because my insurer refuses to provide me with mere basic assistance? A basic service I am paying for? I note with absolute concern how I have been treated by the insurer throughout this process. The lack of communication and lack of compassion is absolutely disturbing. I have received the worst possible service because I have not received any service. This has truly been the worst experience ever with an insurer. I had to resort to being the person who throws their toys out the cot just so I can get help today. This is not who I am and I hate that this experience resulted in this. Even at that, it took 3 phone calls over the span of an hour to finally get someone compassionate enough to assist me. I hope to never ever find myself at the mercy of a service provider that treats its clients like absolute garbage. Hope you all have a wonderful day. YOU GUESSED IT AGAIN, NEITHER BOTHERED TO RESPOND. HOW ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING. Miraculously though on 10/05/24 I received an email from *** stating: Update on claim. Good day. I hope this email finds you well. The repairer advised me that the vehicle is in panel beating. I will follow up with them again and provide you with an update. I NEVER RECEIVED SAID UPDATE. BY THIS POINT I WAS BEGGING MY CONSULTANT AT RENEW-IT RIVONIA (HARRIET MARTIN) TO PLEAD FOR EXTENSIONS ON THE CAR HIRE EVERY FEW DAYS AS AVIS WOULD CALL TO ASK FOR THE VEHICLE BACK. On 13/05/24 for the first time in weeks I managed to be put through to Nkateko. Every time I had called and asked for him or Annelize, I was told they were busy with a client or on the line and they never bothered to ever return my calls. Sad to say, when I spoke to Nkateko he claimed to not be aware of my case (despite being copied in all emails sent since my claim was opened on 27/03/24). He stated that he had been on leave. So the takeaway here is that Discovery Insurance employees are not obligated to catch up on emails and cases they received while on leave. It must be so nice to work there. He eventually assisted with only a two day extension after I had to cry and scream on the phone for almost an hour. On 15/05/2024 AVIS started harassing me with calls, emails and contacting my emergency contact demanding I return the vehicle. I received a final notice that evening and was told I would have to pay out of pocket if I kept the vehicle. All my pleas with discovery on that day for an extension went unanswered. I finally gave up and returned the vehicle to Avis on 16/04/24 @ 08h00 when it was due which meant I couldn't go to work or pick up my child from school. I spent the next 11 days asking for lifts to get around and I eventually had to take leave from work as I couldn't afford to uber from Paulshof to Roodepoort on a daily basis. This put my job security in jeopardy and no one at Discovery Insurance cared about that yet my premiums were deducted right on time on both months. On 24/05/24, I received this email from the repairer: Good day Fezile,Trust you are well. Kindly see attached pictures of your vehicle. The following unforeseen issues were found: The radiator failed the pressure test and needs to be replaced. The intercooler isn’t functioning and needs to be replaced. These items have been loaded as additionals with Discovery and we await approval. I humbly apologise for the inconvenience caused. ON THE DAY I SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED MY VEHICLE, I WAS TOLD IT HAD FAILED THE QUALITY CONTROL TEST BECAUSE DISCOVERY INSURANCE HAD TAKEN A SHORTCUT AND TRIED TO SAVE MONEY BY APPROVING REPAIRS ON CRITICAL PARTS THAT WERE VISIBLY DAMAGED AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE, INSTEAD OF APPROVING REPLACEMENTS. HOW DO YOU REPAIR THESE PARTS WHEN THEY EXPLODED UPON IMPACT? YOU ARE TRYING TO SAVE MY MONEY BY THE WAY BECAUSE LET US NOT FORGET THAT I AM PAYING FOR THE INSURANCE SERVICE, ITS NOT FOR FREE. SO HOW DARE YOU INCONVENIENCE ME FURTHER AND DONT EVEN BOTHER TO LET ME KNOW. NO ONE FROM DISCOVERY INSURANCE CALLED THAT DAY. On 27/05/24, exactly 2 months on the dot, I picked up my vehicle from Renew-it Rivonia. ABSOLUTELY NO ONE FROM DISCOVERY INSURANCE HAS CALLED ME SINCE. MY CLAIM HAS NOT EVEN BEEN CLOSED. I WILL END THIS OFF BY SAYING THAT YOUR SERVICE CONSULTANTS ARE ATROCIOUS AT PROVIDING CUSTOMER SERVICE WHICH IS BY DEFINITION THEIR ACTUAL ENTIRE JOB. *** AND *** YOU ARE THE ABSOLUTE WORST CONSULTANTS I HAVE EVER DEALT WITH IN THE 11YRS I HAVE HAD INSURANCE COVER. YOU ARE BOTH THE REASON I WILL BE CHANGING MY MOTOR INSURANCE BECAUSE I DONT EVER WANT TO EVER EXPERIENCE THIS LACK OF BASIC CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER AGAIN. Thank you Harriet Martin at Renew-it Rivonia for everything you did for me in the 60 days you had my car. Thank you Amina Timms for being the only decent and kind hearted person at Discovery Insurance.