Formal Complaint Regarding Delayed Funeral Claim Payment

Subject: Formal Complaint Regarding Delayed Funeral Claim Payment

Dear Hollard Team,

I am writing to express my deep disappointment with the service I have received regarding my recent funeral claim.

I submitted the claim on Tuesday, 29 July 2025 at your Pretoria branch. All required documents were submitted on time.

Despite multiple follow-ups, I was informed that my claim had been submitted and was at the assessment stage. However, I was later advised that the funeral would proceed on Saturday, 2 August 2025, and that the claim payment would be made on Friday after 12:00 PM.

At 13:00 on that Friday, I checked my bank account, and no funds had been received. I called again and was informed that the claim had not been successfully submitted in the system. A Hollard representative, Mr. Siphele B from the Johannesburg branch, assisted me over the phone to reopen and resubmit the claim, which he then escalated to assessment and payment. I was advised that payment would be made shortly.

On Friday, 1 August, I visited the Pretoria branch again and was told that they had submitted the claim successfully. However, during a follow-up call with Mr. Siphele B—who spoke on loudspeaker—he informed Pretoria staff that their claim submission was not processed correctly. He also advised the branch to contact the Johannesburg office when logging claims in the future. This was noted.

While at the branch, I submitted a formal complaint on the Hollard Facebook page and also raised my concerns on the HelloPeter platform about the delays and poor service I experienced during the processing of my late mother’s funeral claim.

I later received a call from your complaints department. A lady informed me that the claim had been paid and wanted to close the complaint. I disagreed, as I had not received any payment at that point. I requested proof of payment, and she promised to send it on Friday, 1 August 2025. To date, I have not received that proof of payment.

As of today, I have finally received the claim payment of R53,000. While I proceeded with the funeral arrangements using that amount, I remain extremely disappointed with the service received from Hollard Funeral Insurance.

I intend to escalate this matter to the Ombudsman for Short-Term Insurance (OSTI) for further investigation and intervention.

I feel misled by Hollard, and I believe your team has failed to uphold the service standards expected of a funeral insurance provider. This experience has caused unnecessary distress during a very difficult time.