Breach of SAIA Code of Conduct and General Insurance Practices

Re: Breach of SAIA Code of Conduct and General Insurance Practices

We wish to lodge a complaint regarding the dubious practices of King Price Insurance, and their shill assessors: AssessTech Consulting Base.

We are very dissatisfied with how we have been treated by assessors from our insurance company. We do not believe the assessment has been fair or transparent. Neither can we believe that King Price and AssessTech have been compliant with either the spirit or the letter of the SAIA Code or any General Insurance Practices.

It took less than 30 seconds on Google to discover that this is the standard modus operandi of this assessor with many insurance companies in South Africa—a hired gun, or shill, so to speak, to arrive at and deliver pre-determined outcomes ad nauseum: Wear & tear.

We filed a claim on our 32” TV set and Washer/Dryer combo--both of which began simultaneously giving indications of simultaneous electrical damage and malfunctions following an electrical outage in our area on 5th September 2022.

OR, as per AssessTech’s version: It was just a SIMPLE COINCIDENCE and MUTUAL CONVERGENCE of wear & tear on two entirely separate and unrelated home contents sharing only one commonality: both were connected to the same electrical grid (and one—the washing machine—showed a clear sign of an electrical filter MELTING obviously due to excessive current surge)—though this was conveniently ignored.

A simple search on the Internet of AssessTech will bring up a litany of similar reports on HelloPeter. “The service provider ASSESSTECH seems to have the same narrative when in dealing with most claims it appears,” is how another complainant put it. Another, writing about a similar experience with AssessTech Consulting Base, states: “My problem is the fact that (the insurance company) uses unprofessional services and their claims are based on these service providers’ unprofessional report.” In my opinion King Price Insurance is no different.

There can be a fine line between wear and tear and an insured event, but an assessor will ascertain the primary cause of the damage. But when that same assessor ignores clear and present, de facto evidence, and constantly and continually finds that any and all such claims are due to a gradual deterioration, or wear & tear, as a reason to deny claims—then those assessments, and the agenda of the assessor and the insurer they work for, become highly suspect, and a clear and present pattern of deliberate deception manifests itself.

We have been paying our premiums continuously, loyally and in good faith to King Price Insurance now for many years without ever once having put in a claim such as this. King Price is very quick to take their premium every month but fail to pay out on what is required as cover for damages out of one’s control. We find this to be entirely and grossly ********* and conduct most unbecoming from a business entrusted with insuring one’s possessions. It should not have to be a fight to be able to claim for what is our right of cover. Neither should one be compelled to wonder if the Assessors are looking for a bribe to change the outcome of their so-called assessment. It is truly a sad state of affairs.

We look forward to your urgent remedial and corrective action to address this complaint.

Yours faithfully,

J and A Duly