FFW - a bunch of ******!

On 26 October 2025, my vehicle was involved in an accident while being driven by another individual. The driver caused severe damage to the driver’s side. Upon learning of the incident, I immediately contacted FFW to arrange a tow truck. The accident occurred on a remote road with no signal. The individual was running an errand at my son’s request. FFW responded promptly and dispatched a tow truck. However, due to the remote location, no one was present when the truck arrived. The driver left with a passing vehicle. I maintained constant communication with the tow company and advised that my son would meet them at the accident site. Despite these instructions, the tow company removed the vehicle without notifying me and without providing any paperwork. When my son arrived at approximately 19:00, the car was gone. He later tracked down the tow truck and retrieved our belongings. The vehicle was first taken to Sekororo, then moved to Phalaborwa the next morning—an unnecessary relocation that created additional inconvenience. It could have been taken directly to a panel beater in Tzaneen, which would have been far more practical.

At the claims stage, matters worsened. I was informed that my car was a write-off, which I was disappointed by, but welcomed. However, the terms and conditions regarding write-offs were neither disclosed in my policy nor explained when I purchased it. I searched for the original policy document on the FFW app and contacted the call centre, but the documents provided contained no such information. I was asked to send pictures of the registration papers by Kavish Singh, one of the claims consultants, without any explanation that this was for a change of ownership process. This vehicle holds immense sentimental value—it is the only connection my children and I have to my late husband, and I have owned it for nearly 20 years.

I discovered on my own that I could buy back the car, as FFW failed to inform me of this option. When I requested a quotation, I was shocked to see that the salvage value deducted was 50% of the total payout. Industry norms range between 13% and 20%. This is unacceptable. When I questioned this, the agent in charge of my case, Thabo Motsie, was dismissive and arrogant, implying the car was beyond repair and stating they were not supposed to allow me to buy back my own vehicle. My concerns are as follows:

How does FFW justify a 50% salvage value when the industry standard is 13–20%? Who will bear the cost of towing the car back to Tzaneen? It is unreasonable for me to incur additional expenses due to FFW’s poor handling of this matter.

I have had previous claims with FFW, and none have been smooth. Once this claim is resolved, I will be switching insurers.