Insurance claim that became a nightmare

ABSA Home Insurance – A Claim That Became a Nightmare

I am extremely disappointed with my experience with ABSA Home Insurance and the service provider that was sent to my home following a power surge in August 2025.

Our area experienced a serious power surge which damaged several of our electrical appliances. I immediately contacted ABSA in a panic and reported the incident. The consultant assured me that assistance would be sent, and I subsequently received communication confirming that a service provider would attend to my home.

The electrician arrived on a Sunday morning and assessed my DB board. He informed me that the circuit breakers had been damaged and needed to be replaced. He then charged me R4,900, telling me that ABSA would refund me and that he needed the money to purchase the equipment required to carry out the work.

He left my home to purchase the equipment and later returned with a woman. They worked on the DB board and, when they left, the lights were working but several plugs were not.

I immediately contacted ABSA again to report the problem.

ABSA then sent a second electrician, who inspected the work and confirmed that the installation had not been done correctly. Among the issues identified was that the earth leakage was not connected.

ABSA subsequently sent a third electrician, who spent approximately three hours in my home checking and correcting the electrical installation. I paid him R200, which I was happy to do.

At this point, I believed ABSA was taking responsibility for resolving the problem.

Unfortunately, the matter became even more frustrating when my claim for the damaged stove and oven was rejected, despite the fact that I had reported the power surge immediately and had followed the process given to me by ABSA.

What is particularly upsetting is that I was later told that I had appointed my own technician and that my electrical wiring was allegedly non-compliant.

This is extremely difficult for me to understand because I did not independently source or appoint the first electrician. I contacted ABSA, and a service provider was sent to my home following my claim/report. ABSA subsequently sent two more electricians after I reported problems with the first electrician's work.

I have now spent a significant amount of money, time and energy trying to resolve this matter. I even took the matter to the Ombud and waited approximately a year for the investigation, despite having provided the evidence requested.

My biggest concern is that ABSA now appears to be distancing itself from the service provider it sent to my home, while using the actions of that same service provider as part of the reason for disputing my claim.

This has been an exhausting and deeply disappointing experience. I took out home insurance precisely because I believed that when something like this happened, I would have support and protection.

Instead, I have been left feeling that I was passed from one person to another and ultimately left to carry the financial consequences.

ABSA, I would like a clear explanation:

Who appointed the first electrician who came to my home? Under whose authority did he attend to my electrical emergency? Why was I charged R4,900 and told that ABSA would reimburse me? Why did ABSA send a second and third electrician after I reported problems with the first one's work? Why am I now being told that I appointed my own technician? Why is the work performed by the service provider arranged through the ABSA process being used against my claim? Most importantly, why has my legitimate power-surge claim for my damaged stove and oven not been honoured?

I have lost a considerable amount of money and, more importantly, a great deal of trust in ABSA Home Insurance.

I hope ABSA will review the entire matter based on the actual sequence of events and the evidence available, rather than simply relying on the final version of events presented after the fact.

This has been the worst experience ever.