iWYZE ********** Investigators and Assessors

My Car was involved in an accident as result of house breaking and vehicle theft but recovered. The following was damaged: Radiator, Sump, Engine Mount, Gearbox Mount, Exhaust, front Bumper and scratches to the rear bumper. In the midst of the predicament, the perpetrators took the car key, and as such the lockset had to be replaced The assessor was sent to GM Silverton in Pretoria to assess the vehicle in my presence, but at around 16:00 on the same day the vehicle was assessed, I received a call from the vehicle tracking company and asked if I was aware of the developments that the car was towed to some panel beater in Bedfordview, Johannesburg, and some 70km away from my residence. When I phoned the assessor he said he was not aware of such arrangements, then I phoned iwyze, and they also were not aware of the developments, but they later justified it by saying the insurance decided to tow it to Johannesburg hence there were no panel beaters available around Pretoria to book in the vehicle “Really?”. I then got a shock update that the vehicle will be written off, but how because the damages are underneath, not that a car crushed, but was hit by rocks underneath. So I requested the quotation from which determines that the vehicle is uneconomical to repair. The quotation which initially the investigator said it was against the company policy to disclose such information to the client “Really?” the quotation was R 80 000.00 plus. I then realised that the decision to deem the vehicle a write off, it was because the quoted parts which are totally not even part of the accident nor were they damaged at all, are listed such as seatbelt, aircon, tail lamp bead and many other things which outstretched the cost of repairs. I noticed that the assessor’s company address in the quotation was in Bedfordview, so it was a complete a logic given the quotation of parts which are not part of the accident nor damaged, all this was for the vehicle to be written off and so they could claim the car as a s****, whereas the vehicle is in a good condition. I argued all this trickeries and the quotation was changed claiming that they have decided to change the write off status because the vehicle is repairable. Here I quote from the iwyze investigator writing to the assessors manager of Netassess “As per our previous communication and as per the attached quote we agreed that the vehicle will be repaired as the vehicle was not permanently unfit for use as a motor vehicle as contemplated in section 55 of part 111 of the National Road Traffic Regulations in terms of the road traffic act. Code 2.” The insurance towed the vehicle back to Pretoria to Eljoney Panel Beaters, which were paid R 77 000.00 only for fitting in the radiator – R 3 500.00, Front sub frame R 4 139.63, Front Bumper R 3 800.00, Engine mounting Front R 3 908.16, Engine mounting side R 645.37, Engine mounting left R 2 922.37, Gearbox R 2 863.37 and some shoddy spray painting, and the rest of the parts which they claim to have replaced are the very same parts which are originally from my car, but compromised by covering with silicon and some paint. The vehicle is still under warranty as it has not driven over 120 000km and it is less than 5yrs. The insurance told me that I have to understand that the panel beater is in business hence they have to cut costs on repairs, but on whose expense? Compromising my car? I raised the issue with the insurance, and they said I should take it up with the assessor, but are we paying the premiums to the insurance or the assessor.

The insurance phoned me and said they are cancelling the policy because the vehicle is written off, but then how do you cancel the policy if the car is repaired and yet not complete. One more thing, Eljoney does not have the expertise and when asked how they are going to change the lock set, Eljoney said they are going to outsource the services. I also asked about other mechanical repairs needed to be done, also said they are going to outsource. When raised my concern with the insurance, iwyze said it is ok to outsource, but the repairers whom they are outsourcing are not on their list of approved repairers and not even accredited the E&M Mechanics in Pretoria west, and they too confirmed that they are not accredited, but they are working together with Eljoney. Should there be any problem in the near future were will I raise my concern, Eljoney or E&M Mechanics hence now the insurance is telling me to take it up with the assessor, and the assessor is sending me to the repairer. I strongly believe that the assessors concocted a malicious manoeuvre either to de***** the insurance by quoting higher so to claim the car as a s**** but failed, and now working together with the panel beaters because there is no way an insurer could side with the panel beater at the expense of the insured. When asked the investigator how much was paid to the panel beaters because the panel beaters claim to have been paid a negotiated figure, the investigator does not know how much was paid, whereas he is the one who gave an instruction to have the policy cancelled even after the vehicle is in the process of repair stating that the vehicle has been written off.

When you write off the vehicle you either settle the vehicles outstanding debt to the financier or pay the insured for his/her repairs, so who did the insurance settle with, the panel beaters? This is the reason I believe that all this was **********ly connived either to de***** the shareholders of old mutual, and covering it by cancelling the policy because it is recorded on their system that the vehicle is written off, and from whose concern was it cancelled, I do not know.