Unacceptable Service and No Accountability from JJ Maritz

On Monday 14 April, a JJ Maritz truck arrived to deliver building sand to a neighbouring construction site. The driver stopped in front of a closed gate, left the engine running with the truck in neutral, and got out to open the gate. He claimed the handbrake was faulty, so he placed a brick behind one of the front wheels to stop it from rolling.

While he was opening the gate, the truck rolled backwards. He was unable to stop it. It gained momentum and crashed straight through my concrete palisade fence.

I arrived shortly after to assess the damage. It was extensive.

The driver gave me the contact number of Adel Fourie, who handles deliveries at JJ Maritz. She asked me to send her a quote for repairs. I did so the next day, Tuesday 15 April. She rep**** that their insurance required three quotes. I quickly sourced two more and sent them on Wednesday 16 April. The quotes were R15,700, R17,250 and R18,595.

Adel responded: "That should be fine. Tks, will confirm on Tuesday after Easter break."

Unfortunately, from that point onwards, communication deteriorated.

Despite repeated messages on WhatsApp, I received no updates. Eventually, on Thursday 15 May, Rita drove to JJ Maritz in Kempton Park and spoke to Adel in person. Later that day, I was asked for my banking details. I assumed we were finally moving towards a resolution. I was wrong.

On Tuesday 27 May, I followed up again. The reply was: "Hi we will pay you R12000. I will start paying you even if it’s a couple of payments."

I was shocked. R12,000 was significantly below even the cheapest of the three quotes I had submitted. I asked for an explanation. No response.

The next day, 28 May, I drove to their offices to speak with Adel directly. She said payment would be made soon. When I asked why they were offering only R12,000, her answer was simply “the insurance.” When I asked what the insurer’s reason was for the shortfall, she said she would “take another look at the quotes.”

When I asked when I could expect payment, her answer was: “This Friday.”

As of today, no payment has been made.

Yesterday, I phoned Adel. My call was not answered. I also sent a WhatsApp message. No response there either.

On the company’s own website, under the 'About' section, JJ Maritz states: "We at J.J. Maritz & Seun believe in personal service, commitment, and a hands-on approach. We believe in family values, and many of our clients have become our friends over the years. The continued legacy of J.J. Maritz is of importance to us."

Sadly, my experience has shown none of that. What should have been a straightforward case of taking responsibility for damage caused by their driver has turned into a frustrating, drawn-out process filled with broken promises and a complete lack of accountability.

I’m left with a broken fence and empty promises. This is not the service or integrity that JJ Maritz claims to stand for.