Extremely Disappointing Claims Handling, Delays and Broken Trust t 1st for Women

I am extremely disappointed with how 1st for Women has handled my household contents claim, and this experience has completely eroded my trust in the brand.

The claim was reported in early January. Two household appliances, a microwave and a washing machine, each with different faults, were conveniently classified as “power surge” without any clear technical explanation or separate diagnostic reports to justify this conclusion. This blanket classification appears to be a tactic to limit liability rather than a fair and objective assessment.

Despite being told the claim was finalised and that a payment of R4,699 would be made by 21 January, to date no payment has been received. There has been no proactive communication, no urgency, and no accountability.

What makes this even more unacceptable is the complete lack of consideration for the impact on the customer. Imagine being genuinely dependent on this insurance and unable to afford replacements. That would mean hand-washing clothes and eating cold food from the first week of January because an insurer failed to act timeously. This is not just poor service, it is deeply inconsiderate.

To add insult to injury, while the items are supposedly being replaced “at cost”, I am still being charged a R2,000 power surge access fee. Effectively, I am funding my own claim despite paying premiums in good faith.

I also hold vehicle insurance with 1st for Women. After this experience, I am seriously concerned about how a motor claim would be handled should I ever need to rely on them. If a relatively straightforward household claim is treated with this level of indifference and delay, it does not inspire confidence in the insurer’s ability to act fairly when the stakes are higher.

Insurance is built on trust, responsiveness, and fairness. Right now, 1st for Women has failed on all three.

Unless this matter is urgently reviewed, properly explained, and resolved, I will have no choice but to reconsider my entire relationship with 1st for Women, including my vehicle insurance, and move my policies to an insurer that actually delivers when it matters.

I would strongly caution potential customers to look beyond the marketing and seriously consider how claims are handled in practice.