Shocked customer – Definitely not the good kind

I have my vehicle insured with ABSA for several months now and I had the unfortunate experience of being involved in a hit and run at the beginning of March (A few days after my insurance premium was taken for the month of March).

I called the same night after I had managed to get my car home and the lady on the phone sad I should call again in the morning… bearing in mind that I had been in an accident.

My first issue is that my vehicle was not roadworthy all of March and was only collected by an insurance selected panelbeater at the end of the month of March. This means I paid a full insurance premium for the month of March while my accident damaged car collected dust at home. To date, my vehicle is STILL at the panelbeater. I called the insurance to enquire as to why I have to pay full premiums for the months of April and May (which they have already taken in full from my account) when my car is in the possession of their panelbeaters…. There is no risk on my part and any risk that car is subjected to is by there process and not my own hand. Paying a full premium is ridiculous! When I called ABSA, the agent I spoke to in customer care says that they do not do that and the call cut.

My second issue is that I am an essential services worker and need my vehicle (bearing in mind it has been sitting at the panelbeater from late March to date). The panelbeater that ABSA Idirect has chosen to repair my car has elected to remain closed even though, as an essential service worker, my car still requires work and will now remain there until only heaven knows when.

My third issue is that if ABSA wasn’t so slow and my car wasn’t sitting at home for almost the whole of March, maybe my car would have been repaired in March and returned to me before the lockdown even began. And given that it was a hit and run and I provided ABSA with the registration plate of the vehicle that hit me as well as the details of two witnesses... and I have had no follow up as to whether they have found this guy. And it seems I will be liable for the excess when, if they had done a proper investigation, the man that hit me should be liable for this.

I am extremely upset.