FNB Insurance - Avoid. Absolutely avoid.

Avoid. Absolutely avoid.

A year ago we had legitimate storm damage. We submitted a claim. It was approved and contractors were sent out to repair and replace damaged ceilings.

During the very week those contractors were working on our roof and ceilings, another storm hit. This time, a different section of ceiling was damaged. We later discovered the cause: one of the roof tiles had been chipped by the very contractors appointed by the insurer. That section of the roof had been completely fine until they worked on it.

We reported the issue immediately. We were told we would need to submit a new claim.

At that stage we didn’t yet know the leak was caused by a chipped tile. We only saw water damage inside. Because we didn’t want to pay another excess for damage that wasn’t our fault, we repaired and repainted the ceiling at our own cost and left it at that.

Fast forward to December. Another storm hits. That same chipped tile, the one damaged by their contractor, now causes significant water ingress, damaging multiple ceiling sections.

This time we submit a claim, as advised by their own representatives (the contractors from the previous claim).

They send an “investigator.” He climbs onto the roof, ignores the damaged tile area entirely, and instead photographs gutters on the opposite side of the house - completely unrelated to the affected area. These unrelated photos are then cited as the supposed cause of damage.

The only photo even remotely relevant was the one showing where we had temporarily patched the chipped tile with plastic to prevent further flooding while waiting for assistance.

The insurer’s response?

They will fix the ceiling if we fix the roof.

The roof tile that their appointed contractor damaged.

They also expect us to carry out unrelated “maintenance” to other parts of the roof that have absolutely nothing to do with the claim.

When we pushed back - they declined the claim entirely.

Let that sink in.

Their contractor damages the roof. The damage causes further loss. They misattribute the cause. They then refuse to take responsibility.

If they had simply declined the claim from the start, that would be one infuriating thing. But to cause the damage and then deny accountability is... absolutely absurd. I don't have words.

We are now pursuing the Ombudsman.

We were seriously considering moving our banking to FNB and ring-fencing our vehicle and building insurance under this group. That will absolutely not be happening. Neither FNB Insurance nor Old Mutual will receive another cent from us.

If you want an insurer who investigates properly, takes responsibility for their contractors, and acts in good faith - look elsewhere.