Absa Active flouts the key principle of Treating Customers Fairly- pathetic lack of service

I initially was shocked, but then not surprised to see all the bad reviews about Absa Activate. I have been a client since 1 June last year. One of the big attractive features was the ability to earn up to 40% of my premium back as a reward for driving well. I has a tellamatic device fitted to my vehicle and was told that after an initial period of learning my driving habits, the discounts would start happening on a monthly basis. Nine months later and I have not received a cent despite being able to see on the app that my driving scores in the high 90s. I called a few times last year and was initially able to talk to an agent, who confirmed that the device was correctly activated and that she would get the technical team to manually update the system and allocate my discounts. They would also ensure that the issue was fixed going forward... well, to date, nothing has happened.

I have tried to call the call centre over the last few months and each time hold on for just on an hour, when the line gets cut off. I have tried sending emails via the app requesting someone to call me, but get no response to any mails at all.

My concern is that it's all very well paying a monthly premium for cover, but when one needs to claim, will there also be zero communication and feedback? If so, this product and company are a joke. I work in Financial Services and am fully aware of the fact that this pathetic level of service flouts the principle of Treating Customers Fairly.

Anyone contemplating entering into a contract of short term insurance cover with Absa Activate, please seriously think twice before doing so.

The lack of service received from this business is shocking, which is sad, as I receive awesome service from my Banker regarding the banking side of things.

The one thing I have realised is that perhaps the reason why there is no response to either calls or emails is that nobody actually works there anymore, so they are short staffed. Who would want to work at such a business anyway, where I'm sure you would bear the brunt of frustration and abuse from disgruntled customers.

Perhaps the only way to have any joy as a customer of Absa Activate is to complain to the Ombud.

I'm seriously going to start looking at alternative solutions, even if the premiums may be a bit more expensive. There are a host of other businesses in the market, who would welcome my and everyone else's business.

On that note, it's important also to keep in mind that the more customers leave Absa Activate, the less the premiums they receive become. This has a knock on effect to both increases in premiums for existing customers to be able to sustain the cover, as well as the funds in the accumulated risk pool, which will reduce and further impact their ability to pay claims. Please rethink having your cover with such a company, where the so called discounts aren't forthcoming, but where the ability to pay claims in the future, which is their actual core reason for existing may also be questionable in the future.

The question I now have is how would one go about canceling ones cover with them, ensuring that someone attends to it and with no further premiums are deducted thereafter. I'm at that point now.