Stay AWAY from King Price as an insurer!

Would NEVER recommend.

I was a King Price client from 2021 October till about February 2024.

Summary of events: My car was destroyed in the hailstorm that happened in Gauteng in November of 2023. My car was still under warranty with Audi at the time. After submitting my claim, the nightmare began.

King Price sent my vehicle to a non-manufacturer approved panel beater for repairs despite knowing that the car was still under warranty. I was unaware that their chosen repairer was not manufacturer approved and this due diligence lies with the insurer. Their official reasoning for this decision on the repairer, after the fact, was that the damage was cosmetic and not mechanical. They added further that "it is standard practice to do so." However, they did not acknowledge that as an insurer, they jeopardised my warranty with Audi through their deliberate actions.

My car returned from this panel beater, Scratch Mobile, in the worst condition possible. The car was different colours. There was overspray across the entire car, there was paint on my interior and seats, the rubber beading around my windows was peeling, parts had not been replaced altogether, the bonnet that had been replaced did not fit, and there was even still glass in the car from the time the backscreen had fallen into the car from the impact of the hail. The car looked as if it were in an accident. That car was exactly 2 years old - a newish car by many standards.

King Price then wanted to send the car back to Scratch Mobile because of the legal agreements between them and the repairer and I refused vehemently, insisting my vehicle should be sent to an Audi-approved repairer. At this point, my car had been away for 2 months after the initial claim.

King Price then conceded and sent the vehicle to Bodytech2000, an Audi-approved repairer, and again, I had to wait an additional 2 months without a vehicle, with King Price suggesting a third repairer at some point as it seemed the second repairer may in fact not finish in time.

Meanwhile, my insurance premiums continued with them, and I received such poor service and an exquisite lack of care and consideration each time I needed to follow up, obtain updates, and understand why, as an insurer, they would subject me to that experience. I considered reporting them to the short term insurance ombud but was thoroughly exhausted by the ordeal.

When my car was eventually returned, it showed clear signs of cosmetic work still and was not returned to as close to the original condition as possible i.e. King Price placed me in a significantly worse financial situation than I was in prior to the claim. The very antithesis of insurance. I traded in the vehicle soon after to mitigate my losses and the impact of all this was reflected in the significant devaluation of my car by Audi.

I have since cancelled my insurance with them and I urge EVERYONE to rather stay away from them. Pay a few hundred Rands extra each month if you can to save you the dubious acts of the unvetted vendors that King Price happily contracts to take short cuts.