No sense of urgency

Dear Sir / Madam,

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding the extremely disappointing handling of my emergency claim by FNB Short Term Insurance.

On 16 December, the boundary wall of my property collapsed. Given the seriousness of the situation and the security risk posed to my family and home, my wife contacted FNB Short Term Insurance on 17 December at 09:00 to report the emergency. She was advised that a claim would be logged and that an SMS and email would be sent with the details of the appointed service provider. By 10:00 the same day, having received no communication, my wife contacted FNB again and reiterated that the property was exposed and that the matter was urgent due to safety and security concerns.

At 13:53, my wife logged onto the FNB App and used the secure chat facility, where she spoke to Thato, who advised the following:

“Thank you, I have requested the service provider to conduct emergency repairs, which is putting up a temporary fence.”

My wife was further informed that the Home Assist team was still in the process of appointing a service provider and that we would be notified once this had been done. This clearly indicated that my emergency claim had not yet been actioned with the urgency it required.

Due to the lack of response and the ongoing security risk, I had no choice but to begin arranging repairs, as it became evident that assistance from FNB was going to be delayed.

At approximately 16:00, a service provider contacted my wife and advised that they would only be able to attend to the matter the following day. This once again demonstrated a complete lack of urgency, despite the fact that my property and family were at risk. Out of frustration, my wife informed the service provider that there would be no need to attend the following day, as my house would likely be empty by then.

Following further communication from FNB and after explaining my concerns, arrangements were eventually made for the service provider to attend at approximately 18:30. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the gentlemen who came out that evening and assisted in securing my property.

Their professionalism was the only positive aspect of this entire experience.

On Thursday, 18 December, the service provider returned to my property to conduct an assessment. This morning, my wife contacted FNB to request an update on our claim and was advised that the consultant handling the claim would contact my wife today. No such call was received. When she followed up via secure chat, she was informed that the department had already closed for the day at 16:00.

This ongoing lack of communication, urgency, and accountability has left me feeling that my claim — and my safety as a customer — is not being taken seriously. The handling of this matter has fallen far below the standard of service I expect from FNB.

I am extremely disappointed and frustrated, and as a result, I will be obtaining quotations to move my insurance elsewhere. I trust that this complaint will be escalated and addressed as a matter of urgency.